Louisville and New Albany, Indiana practice of Bruce A. Brightwell, taking probate cases in Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham, Shelby, Meade, Hardin and Nelson counties. He walks executors from opening the estate through debts, taxes and distribution to closing, and represents clients in probate litigation and will disputes.
Probate in Hardin County
Probate Court Record
Hardin County District Court
Hardin County · 9th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM (phones answered until 3:30 PM)
Office
120 East Dixie Avenue, Elizabethtown, KY 42701
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Hardin County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Hardin County? →Settling an estate in Hardin County →
Probate Litigation Firms Serving Hardin County
A Munfordville solo practice serving Hart, LaRue, Hardin, Green, Barren, Nelson, Taylor, Grayson and Metcalfe counties. Will Clauson gathers the documents needed to open probate, explains the executor's role in estate administration, and negotiates or litigates estate disputes and will or trust contests. He also handles elder law, Medicaid planning and special needs trusts.
A Louisville firm on La Grange Road serving Jefferson, Oldham, Bullitt, Shelby, Spencer and Hardin counties. Its attorneys administer estates from inventory and appraisals through state and federal tax returns and distribution, advise executors and trustees, and litigate will contests, trust mismanagement and breach of fiduciary duty. The firm was founded in 1869.
Owensboro firm founded in 1994 that handles probate statewide from offices in Owensboro, Lexington and Louisville. Its attorneys guide executors and administrators through probate, carry out trust administration tasks, and resolve will contests over undue influence, capacity or unclear language. The firm reports handling well over 500 probate cases.
Lexington firm with offices in Louisville and Frankfort, handling estate matters across Kentucky. The estate group administers estates through probate, advises trust companies administering or resigning as trustee, and litigates will contests, beneficiary disputes and breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims against personal representatives and trustees.
Offices in Louisville, Floyds Knobs, Indiana and an Ashland satellite serve families in Kentucky and Southern Indiana. The firm handles probate and trust administration in both states and represents clients in court when family members or estate claimants dispute an estate. Probate clients choose hourly or percentage billing, and estate planning is a flat fee.
All 9 Kentucky probate litigation firms serving Hardin County →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Kentucky
Free Kentucky forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Kentucky.
$12/month
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Get Started
Free
Last Will and Testament
In Kentucky, a will is signed before 2KRS 394.040Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyKRS 394.040Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Get Started
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Kentucky
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Kentucky: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Kentucky.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Kentucky costs an estimated $23,308Reasonable compensation; no probate-specific attorney fee statute (SCR 3.130-1.5(a) general rule)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 1.5%Modeled estimate under Reasonable compensation; no probate-specific attorney fee statute (SCR 3.130-1.5(a) general rule): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.4%Modeled estimate under Reasonable compensation; no probate-specific attorney fee statute (SCR 3.130-1.5(a) general rule): 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.
Calculate Costs
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in Kentucky, a surviving spouse takes the entire estateKRS § 391.010Verified Oct 21, 2026View source when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per stirpesKRS § 391.040Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
Check the Rules
What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
In Kentucky, creditors have 6 monthsKRS 396.011Verified Sep 8, 2026View source from the personal representative's appointment to present claims; late claims are barred.
Check the Rules
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Kentucky: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysKRS 395.250Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 6 monthsKRS 396.011, 396.015, 396.055, 396.095, 424.340Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 12 months.
See the Steps
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Kentucky pays executors reasonable compensationKRS 395.150(1) (not more than 5% of the personal estate plus 5% of income; real property excluded); KRS 395.150(2) (additional compensation for extraordinary services)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, typically 2.2%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.8%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate.
Calculate the Fee
