700-00001SM Guidance: Petition to Open Small Estate (Vermont)

To initiate the probate process for a small estate in Vermont, you would need the 700-00001SM Petition to Open Small Estate form. This form is required when a decedent has passed away, leaving behind personal property valued at $45,000 or less and no real estate. The process is typically triggered when the deceased has left behind either no known Last Will and Testament or a Will, potentially accompanied by a Codicil. Before submitting this petition, you must gather essential documentation and evidence, as lack of these might delay the probate process. Some important steps and documents that precede this petition include: - Obtaining the original or a certified copy of the decedent's death certificate. - Compiling a list of interested persons using form 700-00002. - Creating an inventory of the estate with form 700-00030. - Completing an affidavit of funeral expenses and other debts with form 700-00402. - Preparing a bond without surety based on the estate's fair market value. Once these documents are prepared, you are ready to fill out and submit the Petition to Open Small Estate, effectively beginning the streamlined probate process for small estates. This filing helps in appointing an executor or administrator to manage the distribution of the decedent's estate according to Vermont's probate laws.