Brentwood estate planning and estate administration firm serving Williamson, Davidson and the rest of Middle Tennessee. For executors and trustees it probates wills, prepares affidavits of heirship, collects and values estate assets, and handles will contests. Russ Cook was the first attorney recognized as an estate planning specialist by the Tennessee Board of Certification and Specialization.
Franklin is in Williamson County.
More Estate Law Firms in Williamson County
Evans Petree PC has practiced in Memphis since 1907, with a second Memphis office and one in Brentwood. Its tax, trusts and estate planning group represents executors, trustees and administrators in probate and trust administration, prepares fiduciary tax returns, and handles will contests and breach of fiduciary duty actions.
Harris Shelton keeps a Covington office in Tipton County beside its Memphis, Brentwood and Oxford, Mississippi offices. Its trusts and estates group represents fiduciaries and families after a death in probate administration, fiduciary and estate tax compliance, will contests, estate and trust litigation, and conservatorships.
Patterson Bray has offices in Memphis and Brentwood, serving Shelby County and Nashville-area clients. Its estate attorneys handle probate and post-death administration of estates and revocable living trusts, and its estate litigators take on will contests, undue influence and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Lindsay Jones is President of the Planned Giving Council of Greater Memphis.
Probate in Williamson County
Probate Court Record
Williamson County Chancery Court
Williamson County · 21st Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Files probate
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Williamson County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Williamson County? →Settling an estate in Williamson 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.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Tennessee allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-11-1805; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0720-36-.13Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
Financial Power of Attorney
Tennessee requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityT.C.A. §§ 34-6-101 to 34-6-112; §§ 66-22-101, 66-24-101, 66-26-101, 66-26-103Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementT.C.A. §§ 34-6-101 to 34-6-112; §§ 66-22-101, 66-24-101, 66-26-101, 66-26-103Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
Pour-Over Will
In Tennessee, a pour-over will is signed before 2T.C.A. § 32-1-104Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
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.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Tennessee, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 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; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in Tennessee takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 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; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
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.
What Are the Estate Laws in My State?
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 and takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 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. Estates under $50,000T.C.A. § 30-4-101Verified Sep 8, 2026View source can use a small-estate procedure instead.
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.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Tennessee runs $3,150Estimate: 10 hours at $315, Clio's Tennessee Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $4,725Estimate: 15 hours at $315, Clio's Tennessee Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $903Estimate: 3 hours at $301, Clio's Tennessee Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,806Estimate: 6 hours at $301, Clio's Tennessee Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
