In Loganville, the Tom Brewer Road location of Tim Stewart Funeral Home was built in 1999. The family-owned home has provided funeral care to the Lawrenceville area since 1979 and also has locations in Lawrenceville and Monroe.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Walton County, Georgia
How probate works in Walton County: the Probate Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Walton County Probate Court
Walton County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM
Office
303 South Hammond Drive, Suite 118, Monroe, GA 30655
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
OptionalThe court accepts probate filings through TrueFiling, with a copy of the will uploaded at filing. The original will and any surety bond are filed on paper, the will within ten days of the e-filing or the petition is dismissed without a refund. A death certificate is uploaded where the filing calls for one, separately from the pleading. On paper: Petitions for year's support and emergency guardianship or conservatorship petitions are not accepted electronically; Self-represented filers may file on paper (Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B)(6)).
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe court requires a self-represented filer to read its pro se instruction page before proceeding. A filer without an attorney serves everyone entitled to notice, files the certificate of service and arranges publication of any notice the court leaves to the filer.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCash, Credit card.Visa and MasterCard are accepted for most services, with a convenience fee. Cash must be exact and is not accepted for every service. Fees are paid at the time of filing.
Fax
1-770-267-1417
About the court
- The court is in the Walton County Judicial Center.
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Walton 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 Walton County, probate runs through the Probate Court at 303 South Hammond Drive, Suite 118, Monroe.
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 Walton County
What probate costs in Walton 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 303 South Hammond Drive, Suite 118, Monroe.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: The court posts its schedule of costs for decedents' estates, guardianships and other proceedings, and no longer charges recording fees.
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 Walton 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.
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 Walton County Self-Filing Assessment.
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 Coroner in Walton County
In Georgia a death is registered locally, and in Walton County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Walton County 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
Walton County · Walton County Vital Records Office
Fees
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $25 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $5 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
Walton County · Walton County Coroner
Phone
Website
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Funeral Homes in Walton County
5 funeral homes and crematories in Walton County, each listed with the services it offers, the faiths it serves, the languages its staff speak, its address and its phone.
Meadows Funeral Home, Inc. serves Walton County from 760 Highway 11 SE in Monroe and states it has served families in Northeast Georgia since 1978. Its staff help families create a funeral or memorial service, and its history page says the home began as a small facility with a single viewing room. The home keeps a 24-hour announcement line beside its main number.
In Monroe, the South Hammond Drive location became the fourth Tim Stewart Funeral Home in 2008. The family-owned home has provided funeral care to the Lawrenceville area since 1979 and also has locations in Lawrenceville and Loganville.
In Monroe, Young Levett Funeral Home has its West Washington Street location, one of its two homes with Covington. The firm serves families in Walton and Newton Counties who have lost loved ones. The Monroe home was the first, opened in 1938, and became part of Young-Levett Funeral Home when new owners purchased Young Funeral Home.
J. F. Phillips Mortuary is a funeral home at 749 E. Hightower Trail in Social Circle, in Walton County. Its location page lists office hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, weekend visits by appointment, and phones answered 24 hours a day.
Funeral homes by city: Loganville, Monroe, Social Circle
Listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any funeral home or crematory.
Transferring Property in Walton 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 Walton County are recorded with the Clerk of Superior Court at 303 South Hammond Drive, Suite 335, Monroe, GA 30655. Phone: 1-770-267-1307. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM.
The Clerk of Superior Court charges $25 flat, regardless of page count.
Walton County requires electronic recording through the GSCCCA eFile Portal; paper documents are not accepted.
Recording Office Record
Clerk of Superior Court
Walton County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM
Office
303 South Hammond Drive, Suite 335, Monroe, GA 30655
Website
E-recording
Fees
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 Walton 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 Walton 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.
A Monroe firm serving Walton County and surrounding counties that prepares wills, probates wills, administers estates, and files petitions for year's support. Takes contested estate matters, including will contests and caveats, undue influence and lack-of-capacity claims, and breach of fiduciary duty claims.
A Covington firm led by Jason McCart, a Newton County native, with offices in Covington, Madison, Monticello, Monroe, and Eatonton. Handles estate planning and probate alongside real estate closings and business entity formation.
A family law firm with its main office in Winder and a second office in Lawrenceville, serving Barrow and surrounding counties. Its estate planning work covers wills, revocable living trusts, advance directives for health care, and powers of attorney.
A Lawrenceville solo practice led by Tim Hurban, providing estate planning, wills, trusts, and probate services to Gwinnett County families for over 15 years.
Serves Gwinnett County and metro Atlanta with estate planning, probate, estate administration, asset protection, and guardianship services.
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)
- Walton County Probate Court, official page
- Walton County Clerk of Superior Court, official page
- Walton 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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