For assessing significance of a defect in a component operating at high (creeping) temperatures, accurate estimation of fracture mechanics parameter, $C^{*}$-integral, is essential. Although the J estimation equation in the GE/EPRl handbook can be used to estimate the $C^{*}$-integral when the creep -deformation behavior can be characterized by the power law creep, such power law creep behavior is a very poor approximation for typical creep behaviors of most materials. Accordingly there can be a significant error in the $C^{*}$-integral. To overcome problems associated with GE/EPRl approach, the reference stress approach has been proposed, but the results can be sometimes unduly conservative. In this paper, a new method to estimate the $C^{*}$-integral for deflective components is proposed. This method improves the accuracy of the reference stress approach significantly. The proposed calculations are then validated against elastic -creep finite element (FE) analyses for four different cracked geometries following various creep -deformation constitutive laws. Comparison of the FE $C^{*}$-integral values with those calculated from the proposed method shows good agreements.greements.