Probate in Kauai County, Hawaii
When someone who lived in Kauai County dies, probate is handled by the county probate court. This page points you to that court and summarizes the Hawaii rules that apply — the small-estate threshold, the key deadlines, and the instruments Hawaii uses. For your own dates and numbers, use the free calculators linked below.
Where to file
Probate is filed in the county where the person who died last lived. If that was Kauai County, this is the court — local forms, e-filing rules, and scheduling vary by county, so confirm with the county probate court. If they last lived in a different county of the same state, the case belongs in that county’s court instead, and one appointment there covers property across the state. If they last lived in another state, the main case belongs there, and property in Kauai County generally needs a second, smaller case of its own here (commonly called ancillary probate) — an attorney can confirm which applies.
Circuit Court of the Fifth Circuit — Probate (Kauai)Does this estate need full probate?
Hawaii lets smaller estates skip full probate using the Collection of personal property by affidavit (HRS 560:3-1201) for estates up to $100,000.
Check your estate Source — HRS 560:3-1201 ($100k gross HI estate; personalty only)Key probate deadlines in Hawaii
- Lodge the will with the court
- No fixed statutory deadline — varies, confirm with the probate court.
- File the estate inventory
- 3 months after appointment as personal representative
- Creditor-claim period closes
- 4 months after first publication of the notice to creditors (outer bar: 18 months from death)
Good to know in Hawaii
- The court empowers the personal representative with Letters Testamentary / Letters of Administration.
- The estate closes with the sworn statement to close the estate.
- Hawaii estate tax return (Form M-6) due 9 months after death; exemption matches the federal exclusion.
Other counties in Hawaii
If the person who died last lived in a different county in Hawaii, start with that county instead — see all Hawaii counties. A few others:
Listed alphabetically, not by distance. A check marks a county with a verified court link.
Talk it through, or find a local pro
Ask the guide a question about probate in Kauai County, or browse vetted probate attorneys and real-estate advisors who work in Hawaii.
Selling an inherited home? Estimate the tax with the capital-gains calculator. Just getting started? Print the Hawaii after-a-death checklist. Want the background? Read about how probate actually works or the small-estate route.