Connecticut Probate Courts


The Connecticut Probate Court system is a system of 54 individual probate courts located throughout the state of Connecticut. The jurisdiction of each court extends to the legal affairs of the deceased, estates, some aspects of family law, conservatorship, and several other matters requiring specific legal decisions. As statutory courts, all jurisdiction and authority is governed by the state legislature.

Elections of judges

Judges of probate are the only members of the state judicial branch elected in Connecticut. Judges are elected in partisan elections and hold office for a term of four years, their elections held within the same cycle as gubernatorial elections.
Previously, laws permitted anyone to run as a candidate for judge of probate regardless of previous judicial or legal experience. However, a state law which went into effect on January 5, 2011 now requires candidates for judge of probate to be both a lawyer and a member of the Connecticut bar.

Consolidation of court districts

After operating without much change since 1850, growing financial difficulties in the state and within the probate courts created the need for the system to be overhauled. In the summer of 2009, the Probate Court Redistricting Commission assembled to review the aging court system and make recommendations for decreasing the number of judicial districts from 117. In September 2009, the commission announced its consolidation plan to reduce the number of districts to 54 for the 2010 elections.

Probate districts

The currently elected judges of probate, elected from January 2011 through January 2015:
DistrictMunicipalities servedJudge of probateJudge's residenceLocation of court
1HartfordRobert K. Killian, Jr. HartfordHartford
2West HartfordSydney W. Elkin West HartfordWest Hartford
3Bloomfield, East Granby, Suffield, Windsor LocksSteven M. Zelman BloomfieldWindsor Locks
4East Windsor, South Windsor, WindsorMarianne Lassman Fisher ‡South WindsorSouth Windsor
5East HartfordAllan T. Driscoll East HartfordEast Hartford
6Glastonbury, HebronPeter Jay Alter South Glastonbury Glastonbury
7Newington, Rocky Hill, WethersfieldRobert Randich NewingtonNewington
8Berlin, New BritainWalter A. Clebowicz New BritainNew Britain
9Avon, Canton, Granby, SimsburyCynthia C. Becker AvonSimsbury
10Burlington, FarmingtonEvelyn M. Daly FarmingtonFarmington
11Enfield, Somers, StaffordTimothy R. Keeney Somersville Enfield
12Ellington, VernonJames Purnell, III VernonVernon
13Andover, Bolton, Columbia, ManchesterMichael M. Darby ManchesterManchester
14East Haddam, East Hampton, Marlborough, PortlandJennifer L. Berkenstock East HamptonMarlborough
15Cromwell, Durham, Middlefield, MiddletownJoseph D. Marino MiddletownMiddletown
16MeridenBrian T. Mahon MeridenMeriden
17WallingfordPhilip A. Wright, Jr. WallingfordWallingford
18Cheshire, SouthingtonMatthew J. Jalowiec CheshireCheshire
19Bristol, Plainville, PlymouthAndre D. Dorval BristolBristol
20Waterbury, WolcottThomas P. Brunnock WaterburyWaterbury
21Beacon Falls, Naugatuck, Middlebury, ProspectPeter E. Mariano NaugatuckNaugatuck
22Bethlehem, Oxford, Roxbury, Southbury, Washington, Watertown, WoodburyDomenick Calabrese WatertownSouthbury
23Barkhamsted, Colebrook, Goshen, Hartland, New Hartford, Torrington, WinchesterMichael F. Magistrali TorringtonTorrington
24Canaan, Cornwall, Harwinton, Kent, Litchfield, Morris, Norfolk, North Canaan, Salisbury, Sharon, Thomaston, WarrenDiane Blick LitchfieldLitchfield
25Coventry, Mansfield, Tolland, WillingtonClaire C. Twerdy CoventryTolland
26Ashford, Brooklyn, Eastford, Pomfret, Putnam, Thompson, Union, WoodstockLeah P. Schad Pomfret Center North Grosvenordale
27Canterbury, Killingly, Plainfield, SterlingDavid A. Griffiths Danielson Plainfield
28Colchester, Chaplin, Hampton, Lebanon, Scotland, WindhamJohn J. McGrath WindhamWillimantic
29Bozrah, Franklin, Griswold, Lisbon, Norwich, Preston, Sprague, VoluntownCharles K. Norris NorwichNorwich
30Groton, Ledyard, North Stonington, StoningtonNicholas Kepple †StoningtonGroton
31New London, WaterfordMathew H. Greene New LondonNew London
32East Lyme, Montville, Old Lyme, SalemJeffrey A. McNamara East LymeNiantic
33Chester, Clinton, Deep River, Essex, Haddam, Killingworth, Lyme, Old Saybrook, WestbrookTerrance Lomme EssexOld Saybrook
34Guilford, MadisonJoel E. Helander GuilfordMadison
35Branford, North BranfordFrank J. Forgione Northford Branford
36East Haven, North HavenMichael R. Brandt North HavenEast Haven
37Bethany, HamdenSalvatore L. Diglio HamdenHamden
38New HavenJohn A. Keyes New HavenNew Haven
39West HavenMark J. DeGennaro West HavenWest Haven
40Milford, OrangeBeverly Streit-Kefalas MilfordMilford
41Ansonia, Derby, Seymour, WoodbridgeClifford D. Hoyle AnsoniaAnsonia
42SheltonFred J. Anthony SheltonShelton
43DanburyDianne E. Yamin DanburyDanbury
44Bridgewater, Brookfield, New Fairfield, New Milford, ShermanMartin F. Landgrebe New MilfordNew Milford
45Bethel, Newtown, Ridgefield, ReddingJoseph A. Egan, Jr. RidgefieldBethel
46Easton, Monroe, TrumbullT.R. Rowe TrumbullTrumbull
47StratfordMax L. Rosenberg StratfordStratford
48BridgeportPaul J. Ganim BridgeportBridgeport
49FairfieldDaniel F. Caruso FairfiledFairfield
50Weston, WestportKevin M. O'Grady WestonWestport
51Norwalk, WiltonDouglas Stern WestportNorwalk
52Darien, New CanaanWilliam P. Osterndorf DarienDarien
53StamfordGerald M. Fox, III StamfordStamford
54GreenwichDavid W. Hopper GreenwichGreenwich

† Judge Kepple was elected in an August 16, 2011, special election to fill the unexpired term of Fred Palm, who died in March 2011.
‡ Judge Lassman Fisher was elected in an August 21, 2012, special election to fill the unexpired term of Brian Griffin, who died in February 2012.