Wills and estate planning in Connecticut

Researched 2026-10-20 · confidence: high · 2026 figures

In plain words: in Connecticut a will is valid when it's signed in front of 2 adult witnesses. There is a state estate tax. The federal estate tax exemption is $15,000,000 a person in 2026.

Witnesses to a will	2 (a third is a common precaution here)
Handwritten (holographic) will	Not recognised
Self-proving affidavit	Available
Electronic wills	Not allowed
Power of attorney	Notary + 2 witnesses · Uniform Power of Attorney Act
Health care directive	2 witnesses
State estate tax	Yes
State inheritance tax	No
Community property	No
Age of majority / UTMA age	18 / 21

Signing a will

Statute: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-251.

A gift to a subscribing witness or the witness's spouse is VOID unless the will is properly attested without that witness or the witness is an heir; the witness stays competent (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-258).

Never use a beneficiary or a beneficiary's spouse as a witness. Unwitnessed handwritten wills are not valid, but a will valid where it was executed is honored (§ 45a-251). The § 45a-285 self-proving procedure is a witness affidavit before an officer, written on or attached to the will. No e-wills statute was found; UETA excludes wills (§ 1-268(b)). Probate is handled by regional Probate Court districts, not counties, and Connecticut counties have no government function.

Power of attorney

Statute: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-350 et seq. (Connecticut Uniform Power of Attorney Act).

§ 1-350d: the POA must be DATED, signed and witnessed by TWO witnesses. A notary or commissioner of the Superior Court acknowledgment creates the presumption of genuineness and is standard practice. Short form, long form and optional information form at § 1-352. Hot powers need an express grant (§ 1-351). POAs executed before Oct 1, 2016 are governed by prior law.

Health care directive

Called: Health Care Instructions (Living Will) and Appointment of Health Care Representative.

Statute: Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-570 et seq.; forms at §§ 19a-575a and 19a-577; appointment § 19a-576.

The appointed health care representative cannot witness. Residents of facilities licensed by the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services or the Department of Developmental Services need one witness unaffiliated with the facility and one qualified clinician (§ 19a-576).

Must be signed and dated with two adult witnesses (§§ 19a-575a, 19a-576). The statutory form includes an optional witness affidavit before a notary that makes the document self-proving. The statutory form also covers designating a conservator for future incapacity and anatomical gifts.

If there's no will: what a spouse gets

The first $100,000 plus one-half of the balance of the intestate estate (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-437(a)(3)).

A spouse's right to a share

A life estate in one-third of the property passing under the will, after debts and charges (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-436).

Estate and inheritance tax

Yes. For 2026 deaths the exemption is $15,000,000, equal to the federal basic exclusion, with a 12% rate on the excess and a $15M cap on combined estate and gift tax. Connecticut also has a gift tax (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 12-391; CT DRS).

No inheritance tax.

Probate

Moderate, court-supervised in Probate Court districts with fees on the gross estate. A small-estate affidavit is available when solely owned personal property is $40,000 or less and there is no solely owned Connecticut real property (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-273).

Money God drafts a Connecticut will, power of attorney and health care directive from a short interview, then you send it to your attorney for review before signing.

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Sources

Researched from state statutes and official forms. Laws change; this page is information, not legal advice. Every Money God draft is reviewed by a licensed attorney in your state before you sign it.