A Versailles practice serving Woodford, Fayette and Madison counties and courts across Central Kentucky. Whitney Dunlap III guides executors and beneficiaries from the petition to probate the will through claims against the estate, tax returns, deeding real estate and closing the estate, and represents clients in will contests. He brings over thirty years of litigation experience.
Probate in Clark County
Probate Court Record
Clark County District Court
Clark County · 25th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
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E-filing
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Clark County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Clark County? →Settling an estate in Clark County →
Probate Firms Serving Clark County
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.
Georgetown solo practice on East Main Street serving Scott County and thirteen surrounding central Kentucky counties. Ashley Larmour helps executors and administrators inventory assets, pay debts and taxes, distribute property and resolve beneficiary disputes, and is regularly appointed public administrator. Probate consultations are $175 for an hour.
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.
Carlisle and Paris law office serving Nicholas, Bourbon, and neighboring Central and Eastern Kentucky counties from Scott and Fayette to Mason and Bracken. Andrea Bussell handles probate administration and estate settlement, guardianship and conservatorship, and wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives. Initial consultations cost $75 and can be held in person or by Zoom.
Mount Sterling firm at 26 Broadway, where it has practiced since 1931, serving Montgomery, Bath, Menifee, Rowan, Powell, Clark, Bourbon, Nicholas and Fleming counties. It settles testate and intestate estates in District Court and advises on Medicaid estate recovery. Probate is billed hourly, not as a percentage of the estate, and the firm aims to settle most estates within nine months.
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.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
