The Delaware State Courts will be closed Wednesday, December 25, 2024 for Christmas Day. Justice of the Peace Court 11 (New Castle County) and Court 7 (Kent County) will remain open 24 hours and Justice of the Peace Court 3 (Sussex County) will be open from 6AM – 12AM (no new cases after 11:00PM).

Court of Chancery

Court of Chancery Courtroom

Who We

Are

The Delaware Court of Chancery is widely recognized as the nation's preeminent forum for the determination of disputes involving the internal affairs of the thousands upon thousands of Delaware corporations and other business entities through which a vast amount of the world's commercial affairs is conducted. Its unique competence in and exposure to issues of business law are unmatched.

History

A short history of the Court of Chancery, which dates back to 1792.

Jurisdiction

Detailed description of the legal jurisdiction of the Court.

Judicial Officers

Short biographies on the judicial officers of the Court.

Chancery Opinions & Orders

Latest and archived decisions by the Court.

Rules & Amendments

Rules and recent amendments governing Court procedures.
 Standing Order No. 10 , effective July 27, 2022

Court Costs & Filing Fees

List of fees and charges.

Information &

Services


Attorneys and Litigants

Guidelines for Persons Litigating in the Court of Chancery

Best Practices and Procedures for eFiling/Filing with the Register in Chancery in the Court of Chancery

Guidelines for Requesting Court of Chancery Rule 174(b) Mediation

Guide for Self-Represented Litigants in Civil Actions in the Court of Chancery

Guidelines for Requesting Special Designation of Judicial Officers in Court of Chancery Actions

All filings in civil actions in the Court of Chancery must be electronically filed through File & ServeXpress by an attorney licensed to practice in Delaware. If you have not yet retained Delaware counsel or are self-represented, please contact the Register in Chancery at 302-255-0544 for guidance on alternate methods for submitting filings to the Court of Chancery.

Guardianship

In the Court of Chancery a guardian is a person appointed to make medical and/or financial decisions on behalf of a person with a disability.

Learn More About the Guardianship Process in Delaware.


Litigants with after hours or holiday emergency filings for Guardianships ONLY that need immediate Court attention should contact the Court by email at Chancery_Guardianship_Emergency_Filings@delaware.gov. Someone will be in contact with you. Please do not use this email for communication to the Court regarding Civil Action cases. This is strictly for Guardianship Emergencies.

For the Media

Guidelines for Use of Laptops in the Courtroom.

Court of Chancery Calendar.

Docket Information - Civil actions filed with the court are available online at File and ServeXpress.

View the latest news.


Court Resources

Contact information and requirements for Special Process Servers.

Mediation Guidelines - information on Voluntary Mediation in the Court of Chancery.

Request transcripts - contacts and costs.

Clerkships at the Delaware Court of Chancery.

Internships at the Delaware Court of Chancery.

Latest News and

Announcements

Previous News

Gregory Birney Receives The Court of Chancery’s Annual Award For Attorney ad Litem Service to the Court

Attorney Gregory Birney, of Birney Law LLC has been named the recipient of the 2024 Attorney ad Litem award for Service to the Delaware Court of Chancery. Attorneys ad litem are attorneys appointed by the Court of Chancery in guardianship cases to represent the best interests of persons with disabilities. This year’s winner, Mr. Birney, has served as an attorney ad litem since 2020. In that short time, he has handled 45 cases, spanning all three counties.

On December 2, 2024, the Honorable Danielle Gibbs joined the Court of Chancery as Magistrate in Chancery. Although Magistrate Gibbs plans to handle cases throughout the State of Delaware, her chambers will be located in the Leonard L. Williams Justice Center in Wilmington. Magistrate Gibbs occupies one of two newly funded Magistrate in Chancery positions designed to aid the court in its ever-increasing workload.

November 19, 2024—Today, the Court of Chancery published updated Guidelines for Requesting Special Designation of Judicial Officers in the Court of Chancery. The Guidelines are intended to help persons litigating in the Court of Chancery identify common examples where special designation, often referred to as cross-designation, might be appropriate. First published in March 2023, the Guidelines identify common factors that should be considered in determining whether a request for special designation should be made or will be granted, as well as best practices for making such a request.

November 14, 2024—Court of Chancery Implements Amendments to Court Rules 143 and 144.The amendments streamline the Court’s Rules governing proceedings before the Magistrates in Chancery.



Court

Locations

The Court of Chancery has offices in New Castle County, Kent County and Sussex County. The addresses and phone numbers for each location are listed below.


Leonard L. Williams
Justice Center

500 North King Street
Wilmington, DE 19801

302-255-0544
Contact Us

Kent County
Courthouse

414 Federal Street
Dover, DE 19901

302-735-1930
Contact Us

Court of Chancery
Courthouse

34 The Circle
Georgetown, DE 19947

302-856-5777
Contact Us

Register of

Wills

The Register of Wills is responsible for assisting individuals and attorneys with the probate process and maintains records relating to estates. The Register of Wills is a clerk of the Court of Chancery and has an office in each county of the state.

New Castle County Officeexternal link opens in new window

Kent County Officeexternal link opens in new window

Sussex County Officeexternal link opens in new window