Carpino hosted Probate Court Judge Jennifer Berkenstock

PORTLAND- State Rep. Christie Carpino hosted Probate Court Judge Jennifer Berkenstock to educate Portland residents on the probate court process October 3rd.

Carpino wanted residents to learn about their local probate court and how it works for them.

Judge Berkenstock gave an informative presentation on the Probate Court process and then answered questions for the crowd at the Portland Public Library.

Judge Berkenstock is the current Probate Judge for the Region 14 Probate District which includes East Haddam, East Hampton, Marlborough, and Portland and has many years of probate experience.

Berkenstock talked about how in 2009, the legislature reduces the number of courts from 117 down to 54, creating new multi-town regional probate districts. Calls for regionalizing the courts were prompted because the system was near-bankrupt and facing large deficits.

According to Berkenstock, the new probate court map was based on population, location and workload. The new structure helped standardize court rules and operations. Now all probate courts must be open 40 hours a week to accommodate the public.

In addition to handling estates and trusts, probate courts, which are largely funded by fees the courts collect, also handle a wide range of sensitive issues affecting children, the elderly, and the mentally ill.