Fischer Funeral Care and Cremation Services is a family owned and operated funeral home on Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Atlanta, serving Atlanta and North Georgia including Chamblee, Dunwoody and Doraville. It offers burial at local cemeteries, cremation options and international shipping, and its staff will meet a family at home to make arrangements. The home has Spanish speaking staff.
What to Do When Someone Dies in DeKalb County, Georgia
How probate works in DeKalb County: the Probate Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
DeKalb County Probate Court
DeKalb County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-11:30 AM and 12:30 PM-4:00 PM (by appointment only)
Office
556 North McDonough Street, 1100 Judicial Tower, Decatur, GA 30030
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Appointment required
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
OptionalThe court takes estate petitions through Odyssey eFileGA rather than TrueFiling: create an account, then select DeKalb County Probate Court as the location, Probate or Mental Health as the category and Estates as the case type. Filers who cannot e-file may mail filings with the fee or book an appointment to bring them in. On paper: Orders to Apprehend; Certificates of Residency; Veteran Certificates of Eligibility; Wills for Safekeeping; original oaths and bonds; Self-represented filers may file on paper (Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B)(6)).
Filing in person
Appointment requiredEvery service is by appointment only. Book at dekalbprobatega.com/appointment-calendar; bring the completed original petition (and the original will, if any), valid identification and the filing fee.
Fax
1-404-371-7055
Departments
- Wills and Estates1-404-371-3022 · B190 Judicial Tower, Basement Floor · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-11:30 AM and 12:30 PM-3:00 PM (by appointment only)
- Mental Health, Guardianships and Auditing1-404-371-2896 · 1000 Judicial Tower, 1st Floor
- Accounting and Records1-404-371-2701Call to schedule an appointment to review records.
About the court
- The court sits in three offices in the same building: estates, marriage and weapons licenses in B190 Judicial Tower (basement floor), and mental health, guardianships, auditing and records in 1000 Judicial Tower (1st floor).
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in DeKalb County
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In DeKalb County, probate runs through the Probate Court at 556 North McDonough Street, 1100 Judicial Tower, Decatur. Probate e-filing in DeKalb County runs through efilega.tylertech.cloud, not the TrueFiling portal used by most Georgia counties.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Georgia intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Georgia estates take 9 months to 12 months to move through this process. Creditors have 3 monthsO.C.G.A. §§ 53-7-40, 53-7-41, 53-7-42, 53-7-43, 9-3-36Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the last publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in DeKalb County
What probate costs in DeKalb County, Georgia comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Probate Court at 556 North McDonough Street, 1100 Judicial Tower, Decatur.
The Probate Court charges $175O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60(e)(1) (2024 Ga. L. Act 515 / SB 232, eff. 1/1/2025)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open a probate case. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Georgia are negotiated, typically 2.1%Modeled estimate under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-6(4) (petition to the probate court for a judgment fixing the attorney's fees and expenses; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.4%Modeled estimate under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-6(4) (petition to the probate court for a judgment fixing the attorney's fees and expenses; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Georgia sets executor compensation by statute — about $25,000 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 5.0%O.C.G.A. § 53-6-60(b)(1)-(4) (2 1/2 percent on sums received and on sums paid out; 10 percent on interest; up to 3% on property delivered in kind; up to 10% of annual income for working land)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Georgia requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-50(a),(c) (bond required of the personal representative of an intestate estate or a temporary administrator; relieved by the unanimous consent of the heirs)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Georgia typically runs 9 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Probate Court
Probate documents in DeKalb County can be filed in person at the Probate Court, by mail, or electronically. Most families handling probate themselves prefer paper filing, though e-filing is available.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Wills and Estates, Mental Health, Guardianships and Auditing, and Accounting and Records.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
In Georgia, informal probate is not availableO.C.G.A. § 53-5-15 ("Probate of a will may be in common form or in solemn form or both") — both are proceedings in the probate court; no registrar/clerk appointment trackVerified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the DeKalb County Self-Filing Assessment.
DeKalb County Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
Most filings can be e-filed; Orders to Apprehend, Certificates of Residency, Veteran Certificates of Eligibility, Wills for Safekeeping and original oaths and bonds cannot.
SourceDocument Requirements
A paper petition must be the original, not a copy, and printed on one side of each page only.
SourceGetting to the Probate Court
Subway
The Decatur MARTA station is next to the courthouse.
Parking
Paid parking in the deck behind the courthouse at 125 West Trinity Place.
What to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Probate Court: Original will (and any codicils), for testate estates (GPCSF 5/4); Acknowledgments of service / consents of heirs or beneficiaries, sworn before a notary or probate clerk (O.C.G.A. § 53-11-6); Oath of personal representative (GPCSF Supplement 4), administered by a probate judge or clerk (not a notary) — the oath is not part of the petition form itself (O.C.G.A. §§ 53-6-16, 53-6-24); Bond on the intestate track, unless all heirs consent to waive it (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-50(a), (c)); executors under a will are not within § 53-6-50 and give no bond by defaultO.C.G.A. § 53-5-20 et seq. (probate of will in solemn form / Letters Testamentary); § 53-6-20 et seq. (Letters of Administration); § 53-6-1 (eligibility), § 53-6-10 (nomination by testator), § 53-6-11 (qualification)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in DeKalb County
In Georgia a death is registered locally, and in DeKalb County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by DeKalb Public Health, Vital Records Office as well as by Georgia Department of Public Health - State Office of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
County Vital Records Office
DeKalb County · DeKalb Public Health, Vital Records Office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:15 AM-4:30 PM
Office
445 Winn Way, Suite 191, Decatur, GA 30030
Website
Certified copies
At the counter
Order online
DeKalb County Vital Records Office
P.O. Box 639
Decatur, GA 30031
Local rule
- Arrive more than 15 minutes before closing time. The North DeKalb Health Center in Chamblee also issues death certificates on Tuesdays.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $25 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $5 |
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Medical Examiner
DeKalb County · DeKalb County Medical Examiner's Office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:00 PM (except holidays)
Office
3550 Kensington Road, Decatur, GA 30032
Website
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Funeral Homes in DeKalb County
22 funeral homes and crematories in DeKalb County, each listed with the services it offers, the faiths it serves, the languages its staff speak, its address and its phone.
Grissom-Clark Funeral Home is on E. Lake Drive SE in Atlanta. The home opened as Grissom Funeral Home in 1974 and took the Grissom-Clark name in 2008. It provides funeral pre-planning and at-need care, and guides families through life insurance, Social Security and VA benefits.
In Atlanta, the Oglethorpe Hill Chapel on Peachtree Road provides burial options and cremation services in the greater Atlanta area. It lists Brookhaven, Chamblee, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and DeKalb, Fulton, Cobb and Gwinnett counties among the communities it serves.
Meadows Mortuary is a funeral home on Flat Shoals Avenue Southeast in Atlanta. Its firm has licensed funeral directors, embalmers, licensed insurance agents and notary publics to assist families in various needs.
Stocks Funeral Home Kirkwood Chapel, Inc. is a funeral home on Hosea L Williams Drive NE in Atlanta, in DeKalb County. Its website posts current obituaries and offers email notifications when new obituaries are listed.
Dressler's Jewish Funeral Care is on Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Chamblee and describes itself as Atlanta born, Atlanta owned and Atlanta managed. Its Chevra Kadisha page explains the Taharah and offers Chevra Kadisha as an option for a loved one. A family that pre-paid or pre-planned with another funeral home or cemetery may still choose Dressler's, which honors most agreements.
Funeral homes by city: Atlanta, Chamblee, Decatur, Lithonia, Scottdale, Stone Mountain, Tucker
Cremation Services in DeKalb County
11 listings
Pre-Need Funeral Plans in DeKalb County
8 listings
Burial Services in DeKalb County
5 listings
Veterans Funeral Services in DeKalb County
3 listings
Funeral Transport in DeKalb County
5 listings
Spanish-Speaking Funeral Homes in DeKalb County
1 listing
Jewish Funeral Homes in DeKalb County
1 listing
Human Composting in DeKalb County
1 listing
Listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any funeral home or crematory.
Transferring Property in DeKalb County
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the Clerk of Superior Court.
Deeds and other real property documents for DeKalb County are recorded with the Clerk of Superior Court at 556 North McDonough Street, Judicial Tower Annex, Room G-130, Decatur, GA 30030. Phone: 1-404-687-3812. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM.
The Clerk of Superior Court charges $25 flat, regardless of page count.
DeKalb County requires electronic recording through the GSCCCA eFile Portal; paper documents are not accepted.
Recording Office Record
Clerk of Superior Court
DeKalb County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM
Office
556 North McDonough Street, Judicial Tower Annex, Room G-130, Decatur, GA 30030
Website
E-recording
Fax
1-404-371-4492
Recording fees
| Flat fee (any length) | $25 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
O.C.G.A. 15-6-77(f)(1)(A)(i)
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Death Form · Affidavit of Heirship Form
Probate Attorneys Serving DeKalb County
Georgia allows independent administrationO.C.G.A. § 53-7-1(b) (unanimous consent to the § 53-12-261 powers, without court authorization); § 53-7-33 (will may dispense with the inventory); § 53-7-69 (and the annual return)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so the personal representative manages, pays and distributes the estate without returning to the court for approval at each step. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in Georgia are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a DeKalb County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Probate Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
Serves Atlanta, Georgia, along with Fulton County, Cobb County, Cherokee County, Forsyth County, DeKalb County, Gwinnett County, and Douglas County.
Family-operated Atlanta firm on North Druid Hills Road serving Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, and Gwinnett counties. Its probate practice covers probate in solemn form (formal, with heir notification), probate in common form, and letters of administration for intestate estates, alongside estate and trust administration.
Founding attorney Ophelia Chan, former staff attorney and assisting judge of Cobb County Probate Court, has served clients in Marietta and the metro Atlanta area for more than 25 years.
A Johns Creek estate planning firm serving individuals, families, and small business owners with wealth preservation, trusts, special needs planning, wills, probate, and elder law services.
Serves Gwinnett County and metro Atlanta with estate planning, probate, estate administration, asset protection, and guardianship services.
A Decatur practice on Sycamore Street drafting wills, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives for health care, and representing executors and beneficiaries in probate and estate administration. Estate planning work is billed at a flat fee disclosed at the start.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Legal Sources
(10)·
- O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60(e)(1) (2024 Ga. L. Act 515 / SB 232, eff. 1/1/2025)
- O.C.G.A. § 53-5-15 ("Probate of a will may be in common form or in solemn form or both") — both are proceedings in the probate court; no registrar/clerk appointment track
- O.C.G.A. § 53-5-20 et seq. (probate of will in solemn form / Letters Testamentary); § 53-6-20 et seq. (Letters of Administration); § 53-6-1 (eligibility), § 53-6-10 (nomination by testator), § 53-6-11 (qualification)
- O.C.G.A. § 53-6-60(b)(1)-(4) (2 1/2 percent on sums received and on sums paid out; 10 percent on interest; up to 3% on property delivered in kind; up to 10% of annual income for working land)
- O.C.G.A. § 53-7-1(b) (unanimous consent to the § 53-12-261 powers, without court authorization); § 53-7-33 (will may dispense with the inventory); § 53-7-69 (and the annual return)
- O.C.G.A. §§ 53-7-40, 53-7-41, 53-7-42, 53-7-43, 9-3-36
- O.C.G.A. 15-6-77(f)(1)(A)(i)
- DeKalb County Probate Court, official page
- DeKalb County Clerk of Superior Court, official page
- DeKalb County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Georgia statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Georgia
Free tools for settling an estate in Georgia: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Georgia.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Georgia: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 180 daysO.C.G.A. §§ 53-7-30, 53-7-31, 53-7-32, 53-7-33Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 3 monthsO.C.G.A. §§ 53-7-40, 53-7-41, 53-7-42, 53-7-43, 9-3-36Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Georgia happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's trust statuteO.C.G.A. § 53-12-1 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysO.C.G.A. §§ 53-12-242, 53-12-243, 53-12-307Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
In Georgia, informal probate is not availableO.C.G.A. § 53-5-15 ("Probate of a will may be in common form or in solemn form or both") — both are proceedings in the probate court; no registrar/clerk appointment trackVerified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
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