Cutting all State Funds for Probate Court
HARTFORD — With no fanfare or announcement, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy removed the entire $32 million state subsidy from the probate court system over the next two fiscal years to help balance the state budget.
The reduction essentially wipes out much of the operating budget for the local courts, which handle legal matters related to estates, trusts and family affairs. The courts charge fees that pay for a portion of their costs, but the state subsidy represents a third of their operating budget.
If the $32 million is not restored, legislators say that a combination of fee increases and some amount of restored state funding could fill the hole. But they warned that if fees alone were raised to fill the gap, a routine court fee of $150, for instance, would have to be increased to more than $800.
HARTFORD — With no fanfare or announcement, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy removed the entire $32 million state subsidy from the probate court system over the next two fiscal years to help balance the state budget.
The reduction essentially wipes out much of the operating budget for the local courts, which handle legal matters related to estates, trusts and family affairs. The courts charge fees that pay for a portion of their costs, but the state subsidy represents a third of their operating budget.
If the $32 million is not restored, legislators say that a combination of fee increases and some amount of restored state funding could fill the hole. But they warned that if fees alone were raised to fill the gap, a routine court fee of $150, for instance, would have to be increased to more than $800.
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