Probate in McMinn County

Probate Court Record

McMinn County Chancery Court

McMinn County · 10th Judicial District

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:00 PM

Office

Courthouse, 6 East Madison Avenue, Athens, TN 37303

E-filing

Self-represented filing

Allowed

How to file probate in McMinn County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

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

Probate Litigation Firms Serving McMinn County

Estate planning and probate firm with offices in Nashville, Clarksville, Franklin, Springfield, Chattanooga and Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Its attorneys open estates and obtain letters testamentary, handle small estates and real estate transfers, assist trustees with trust administration, and litigate will contests over undue influence and capacity. Fees are flat rates quoted upfront.

Serves 9 countiesFree consultationVirtual consultationsEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationElder Law+6

Baker Donelson is a national firm whose Tennessee trusts and estates attorneys work from Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga. The group probates wills, assists executors and trustees in settling estates and trusts, prepares estate tax returns and litigates family and fiduciary disputes. It also handles post-mortem tax planning and guardianship and conservatorship proceedings.

Serves 3 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+4

Mobley & Gontarek practices from Nashville and serves clients throughout Tennessee. It settles complex estates and trusts, prepares federal and state estate tax returns, handles estate tax audits, and litigates will contests, undue-influence and elective-share claims and trust disputes for fiduciaries and beneficiaries. Jeff Mobley is an ACTEC Fellow and co-author of the Pritchard wills treatise.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+5

Parham Estate Law has offices in Memphis and Henderson, serving Shelby, Fayette, Madison and Chester counties and probate clients throughout Tennessee. It guides executors and administrators from appointment and bond through creditors, taxes, distribution and the final accounting, and represents them when beneficiaries dispute the administration.

Since 2009Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTax PlanningConservatorship+4

All 5 Tennessee probate litigation firms serving McMinn County →

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Tennessee

Free Tennessee forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Tennessee.

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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 Tennessee, a will is signed before 2T.C.A. § 32-1-104Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyT.C.A. § 32-1-104Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Tennessee

Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Tennessee: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Tennessee.

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Tennessee costs an estimated $24,527T.C.A. § 30-2-317(a)(1) (reasonable compensation to the personal representative's counsel, a first-priority cost of administration); § 30-2-606; no statutory percentageVerified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 1.7%Modeled estimate under T.C.A. § 30-2-317(a)(1) (reasonable compensation to the personal representative's counsel, a first-priority cost of administration); § 30-2-606; no statutory percentage: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.7%Modeled estimate under T.C.A. § 30-2-317(a)(1) (reasonable compensation to the personal representative's counsel, a first-priority cost of administration); § 30-2-606; no statutory percentage: 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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Who Inherits Without a Will?

Without a will in Tennessee, descendants divide what passes to them per capita with representationTenn. Code §§ 31-2-104(b)(1), 31-2-106Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and an heir must survive the decedent by 120 hoursTenn. Code § 31-3-108Verified Oct 21, 2026View source to inherit.

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What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?

In Tennessee, creditors have 4 monthsT.C.A. § 30-2-306(b) cl. (1)(A) (4 months from first publication or posting), cl. (1)(B) (60 days from actual notice), cl. (2) and § 30-2-310(a) (12-month bar from death); § 30-2-307(a)(1); § 30-2-321Verified Sep 8, 2026View source from first publication of the creditor notice to present claims; late claims are barred.

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How Do I Settle an Estate?

Settling an estate in Tennessee: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 60 daysTenn. Code Ann. § 30-2-301Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsT.C.A. §§ 30-2-306, 30-2-307, 30-2-310, 30-2-314, 30-2-317Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.

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How Much Can an Executor Charge?

Tennessee pays executors reasonable compensationT.C.A. § 30-2-606 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)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.

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