Moody firm, established in 1980, serving St. Clair, Jefferson and Shelby counties from the Leeds-Moody-Odenville area. Assists spouses, children and other heirs after a death in probating wills and administering estates through the probate court, and prepares wills, trusts and powers of attorney.
Probate in Jefferson County
Probate Court Record
Jefferson County Probate Court
Jefferson County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
716 Richard Arrington Jr. Boulevard North, Birmingham, AL 35203
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
How to file probate in Jefferson County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Jefferson County? →Settling an estate in Jefferson County →
Estate Law Firms Serving Jefferson County
Husband-and-wife firm with offices in Scottsboro and Birmingham, working in the Jackson, Jefferson and Shelby County probate courts. Guides personal representatives through probate and successor trustees through trust administration, alongside estate planning, special needs trusts, guardianships and conservatorships.
Downtown Enterprise practice near the Coffee County Courthouse, Enterprise Division, working primarily in Coffee County. Ashley Cranford Marshall handles estate and probate work, will drafting and guardian nominations for children, including for military families, and also mediates. Virtual consultations are available.
Greensboro Avenue practice a short walk from the Tuscaloosa County Probate Court, taking estates in Tuscaloosa County and across Alabama. Luke Barry handles probate from petition to closing, trust and estate administration with accountings and estate tax returns, and will contests and trust disputes. Flat fees are quoted before work starts.
Government Street firm founded by Vaughan Drinkard, Jr. in 1977, serving Mobile and the surrounding areas, Alabama and Southern Mississippi. It handles probate administration, including the paperwork, filings and court proceedings to settle an estate, along with revocable living trusts, wills and business entity formation. Partner Tara Drinkard Barber is admitted in Alabama and Mississippi.
Daphne firm on U.S. Highway 98 representing executors, beneficiaries and family members in probate, guardianship and conservatorship matters across Baldwin and Mobile counties. It handles will contests and disputes over executor conduct, accountings and creditor claims, along with trust administration. Consultations are held in Daphne or by Zoom.
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Alabama
Free Alabama forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Alabama.
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Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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Last Will and Testament
In Alabama, a will is signed before 2Ala. Code § 43-8-131Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyAla. Code § 43-8-131Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Healthcare Power of Attorney
Alabama requires 2Ala. Code § 22-8A-4(h)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses for a healthcare power of attorney; notarization is not requiredAla. Code § 22-8A-4(h)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source.
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Financial Power of Attorney
Alabama treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultAla. Code § 26-1A-101 et seq. (esp. §§ 26-1A-104, -105, -106, -107, -109, -113, -119, -201, -217, -301); § 26-1-1 (age of majority); § 35-4-28 (recording); §§ 19-1A-9, -10 (digital assets)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementAla. Code § 26-1A-101 et seq. (esp. §§ 26-1A-104, -105, -106, -107, -109, -113, -119, -201, -217, -301); § 26-1-1 (age of majority); § 35-4-28 (recording); §§ 19-1A-9, -10 (digital assets)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source.
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Pour-Over Will
In Alabama, a pour-over will is signed before 2Ala. Code § 43-8-131Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Alabama
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Alabama: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Alabama.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Alabama, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 1.6%Modeled estimate under Ala. Code § 43-2-682 (court fixes reasonable attorney fees at settlement): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.5%Modeled estimate under Ala. Code § 43-2-682 (court fixes reasonable attorney fees at settlement): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in Alabama takes 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 1.6%Modeled estimate under Ala. Code § 43-2-682 (court fixes reasonable attorney fees at settlement): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.5%Modeled estimate under Ala. Code § 43-2-682 (court fixes reasonable attorney fees at settlement): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
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How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Alabama costs an estimated $23,489Ala. Code § 43-2-682 (court fixes reasonable attorney fees at settlement)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 1.6%Modeled estimate under Ala. Code § 43-2-682 (court fixes reasonable attorney fees at settlement): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.5%Modeled estimate under Ala. Code § 43-2-682 (court fixes reasonable attorney fees at settlement): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Alabama costs an estimated $23,489Ala. Code § 43-2-682 (court fixes reasonable attorney fees at settlement)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source and takes 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 1.6%Modeled estimate under Ala. Code § 43-2-682 (court fixes reasonable attorney fees at settlement): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.5%Modeled estimate under Ala. Code § 43-2-682 (court fixes reasonable attorney fees at settlement): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate. Estates under $47,000Ala. Code § 43-2-696.02Verified Sep 8, 2026View source can use a small-estate procedure instead.
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How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Alabama: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 60 daysAla. Code §§ 43-2-835, 43-2-836Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 6 monthsAla. Code §§ 43-2-60, 43-2-61, 43-2-350, 43-2-354, 43-2-371Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 12 months.
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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Alabama runs $3,840Estimate: 10 hours at $384, Clio's Alabama Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,760Estimate: 15 hours at $384, Clio's Alabama Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $834Estimate: 3 hours at $278, Clio's Alabama Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,668Estimate: 6 hours at $278, Clio's Alabama Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
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