A Richmond firm serving Madison County and central and eastern Kentucky since 1969, with a second office in Beattyville. Its attorneys handle probate and estate administration, including the inventory, property appraisals, identifying heirs and beneficiaries, paying debts, state and federal tax returns and distributing assets. The firm also drafts and amends wills and living wills.
Berea is in Madison County.
More Probate Firms in Madison County
Serves Madison and Estill counties from offices in Richmond and Irvine, as it has since 1995. The firm counsels estate and trust administrators on their legal duties, sees that debts are settled, assets distributed and taxes paid, attends probate court proceedings, and handles will contests, guardianships and conservatorships. It also drafts wills, trusts and powers of attorney.
An elder-law firm with offices in Richmond (Madison County) and London (Laurel County), serving Central and Southeastern Kentucky. Its attorneys administer estates in District Court, including small-estate affidavits, intestate estates and farmland or mineral-rights transfers, and handle will contests and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Owner Scott Collins is a U.S. Army veteran.
A downtown Richmond practice in Madison County, in a renovated 1931 bus station on South Third Street. Attorney Walter G. Ecton Jr. represents clients in estate administration, notification of heirs and creditors, estate taxes and distribution, will contests and guardianships, and drafts wills, trusts and powers of attorney. The practice began in 1929.
Richmond firm serving Madison County and nearby central Kentucky counties, with estate matters settled in the District Court. The firm guides executors and administrators through appointment, the inventory, transfers to heirs and closing, and represents personal representatives and beneficiaries when a will is contested.
Probate in Madison County
Probate Court Record
Madison County District Court
Madison County · 25th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
101 West Main Street, Richmond, KY 40475
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Madison County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Madison County? →Settling an estate in Madison County →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Kentucky
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Do I Need Probate?
In Kentucky, estates with personal property of $30,000KRS 391.030Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less qualify for the Petition to Dispense with AdministrationKRS 391.030Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, a court procedure short of full probate.
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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.
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Can I Self-File Probate?
In Kentucky, informal probate is not availableKRS 395.015; KRS 395.016 (District Court appointment on sworn application; no non-judicial registrar track)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
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