Probate in Catawba County

Probate Court Record

Catawba County Clerk of Superior Court

Catawba County · Superior Court District 19

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM

Office

100 Government Drive, Newton, NC 28658

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Catawba County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Catawba County? →Settling an estate in Catawba County →

Asset Protection Firms Serving Catawba County

Serves Iredell County and the western Piedmont from downtown Statesville, the county seat, with a stated service area reaching Alexander, Catawba, Cleveland, Rowan, and Mecklenburg counties. The firm handles probate and estate administration, trust administration, guardianship, and Medicaid planning. It is a family-run firm practicing in Statesville since 1932, and consultations carry a fee.

Since 1932Serves 18 countiesVirtual consultationsEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawGuardianship+4

Serves Buncombe and Henderson counties from Asheville and Hendersonville, with further offices in Raleigh and Durham. After a death the firm files the will and opens probate, handles intestate estates, guides trustees through post-death trust administration, prepares the final accounting and closing filings, and takes up disputes among beneficiaries. The firm offers a free initial consultation.

Free consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationElder Law+4

Headquartered in Raleigh with offices in Asheville, Winterville (Greenville), Morehead City, New Bern, and Wilmington. Its attorneys and paralegals commence, administer, and formally close estate and probate proceedings, whoever prepared the original estate plan, and its litigation group handles will caveats. Six attorneys are Board Certified Specialists in Estate Planning and Probate Law.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+7

All 4 North Carolina asset protection firms serving Catawba County →

Forms for Planning Your Estate in North Carolina

Free forms for planning your estate in North Carolina: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form.

$12/month

Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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Free

Pour-Over Will

In North Carolina, a pour-over will is signed before 2N.C.G.S. § 31-3.3Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.

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Free

Transfer on Death Deed

Transfer real property to a beneficiary upon your death without probate. Available in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

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Free

Last Will and Testament

In North Carolina, a will is signed before 2N.C.G.S. § 31-3.3Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyN.C.G.S. § 31-3.3Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

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All North Carolina forms

Tools for Planning Your Estate in North Carolina

Free tools for planning your estate in North Carolina: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for North Carolina.

Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?

In North Carolina, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2%Modeled estimate under N.C.G.S. § 28A-13-3(a)(19), § 28A-23-3(a) (attorney fees are a negotiated administration expense; no statutory schedule or percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.1%Modeled estimate under N.C.G.S. § 28A-13-3(a)(19), § 28A-23-3(a) (attorney fees are a negotiated administration expense; no statutory schedule or percentage): 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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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in North Carolina runs $4,330Estimate: 10 hours at $433, Clio's North Carolina Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $6,495Estimate: 15 hours at $433, Clio's North Carolina Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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Do I Need a TOD Deed?

North Carolina does not authorize transfer on death deeds; sole-name real property goes through probate, at least 6 months for a simple estate, unless held in a trust or with a right of survivorship.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

North Carolina does not revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceN.C.G.S. § 31-5.4; § 36C-6-606Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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