An eight-attorney Paducah firm on Jefferson Street in McCracken County. Holly Homra handles probate, estate planning and Medicaid planning, and J. Ronald Jackson, a CPA, concentrates on wills, trusts, estate tax planning and probate.
What to Do When Someone Dies in McCracken County, Kentucky
How probate works in McCracken County: the District Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
McCracken County District Court
McCracken County · 2nd Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
300 Clarence Gaines Street, Paducah, KY 42003
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
Required for attorneysAttorneys must e-file probate, guardianship and conservatorship cases through KYeCourts. A self-represented filer files on paper at the circuit court clerk's office. On paper: Self-represented filers file on paper at the circuit court clerk's office; KYeCourts takes their e-filings in small claims cases only; An attorney not yet certified for e-filing may file on paper with AOC Form 108, Affidavit of Necessity, to meet a jurisdictional deadline.
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe Kentucky Court of Justice Self-Help Portal prepares the Petition for Probate of Estate and the Petition to Dispense with Administration. Print the completed form and file it with the circuit court clerk in the county where the estate is handled.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCash, Check, Money order.Two-party checks are not accepted.
Fax
1-270-575-7029
Departments
- Circuit Court1-270-575-7280
- Bookkeeping1-270-575-7383
About the court
- Located at McCracken County Courthouse. Parking at Seventh and Washington St.
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in McCracken 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 McCracken County, probate runs through the District Court at 300 Clarence Gaines Street, Paducah. The court sits in the 2nd Judicial District.
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 Kentucky intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Kentucky estates take 12 months to 18 months to move through this process. Creditors have 6 monthsKRS 396.011, 396.015, 396.055, 396.095, 424.340Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the opening of the estate.
What Probate Costs in McCracken County
What probate costs in McCracken County, Kentucky 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 District Court at 300 Clarence Gaines Street, Paducah. The court is part of the 2nd Judicial District.
Kentucky's District Court probate filing fee is $50, with a $10 access-to-justice fee, a $20 court technology fee and, in most counties, a $10 court facilities fee, about $90 in total. The fee does not vary with estate size. Recording the admitted will with the county clerk is a separate $33KRS 24A.170(1); CR 3.03(1)(c) and (1)(m) as amended by Sup. Ct. Order 2026-15 (eff. 2026-07-01); KRS 27A.630(1); KRS 24A.185(2); AOC Circuit Court Clerks' Accounting ManualVerified Oct 17, 2026View source. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Kentucky are negotiated, typically 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 estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Kentucky allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payKRS 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. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Kentucky requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
Probate in Kentucky typically runs 12 months to 18 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the District Court
Probate cases in McCracken County, Kentucky are filed at the District Court. The court sits in the 2nd Judicial District.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Circuit Court and Bookkeeping.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
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.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the McCracken County Self-Filing Assessment.
What to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the District Court: Certified copy of the death certificate — commonly requested by the Circuit Court Clerk at intake, but NOT required by KRS 395.015, KRS 394.145 or the AOC-805 form itself; confirm with the county Circuit Court Clerk; Original will and any codicils, presented to the District Court for probate and recorded by the county clerk (KRS 394.140; KRS 394.300); Written application/petition under oath listing the surviving spouse and heirs-at-law (AOC-805), filed in duplicate (KRS 395.015)KRS 395.015 (application for appointment; general financial disclosure statement, as amended by 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 134 eff. 7/15/2026); KRS 395.105 (letters of appointment; when appointment effective); KRS 395.110 (copy of order effectual as letters); KRS 395.120 (oaths/declaration); KRS 394.140-394.145 (probate of will; combined application)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Coroner in McCracken County
In McCracken County certified copies of the death certificate come from Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services - Office of Vital Statistics; the Local Health Department files the certificate and issues no copies to the public.
Vital Records Office Record
Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services - Office of Vital Statistics
McCracken County · State vital records office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM ET (except state holidays)
Office
275 East Main Street, Frankfort, KY 40621
Website
Certified copies
From Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services - Office of Vital Statistics; the Local Health Department files the certificate and issues no copies to the public
Vital Statistics
275 East Main Street 1E-A
Frankfort, KY 40621
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $6 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
McCracken County · McCracken County Coroner's Office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
300 Clarence Gaines Street, Paducah, KY 42003
Website
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in McCracken 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 County Clerk.
Deeds and other real property documents for McCracken County are recorded with the County Clerk at 301 South 6th Street, Paducah, KY 42003. Phone: 1-270-448-1540. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 609, Paducah, KY 42002-0609.
The County Clerk charges $46 for the first 5 pages plus $3 for each page beyond 5.
McCracken County accepts electronic recording through CSC, Simplifile and ePN.
Recording Office Record
County Clerk
McCracken County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
301 South 6th Street, Paducah, KY 42003
Website
E-recording
available via CSC, Simplifile and ePN
P.O. Box 609
Paducah, KY 42002-0609
Recording fees
| Base fee (first 5 pages) | $46 |
| Each page beyond 5 | $3 |
| Legal Process TaxRequired with most deeds | $4 |
KRS 64.012(1)(a), KRS 64.012(3)(a), KRS 142.010(1)(d), KRS 142.050
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Heirship Form
Probate Attorneys Serving McCracken County
Kentucky uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in McCracken County — the filing sequence, notice requirements, and accounting leave little room for error. Estates under the small-estate threshold are the usual exception.
Probate attorney fees in Kentucky are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a McCracken County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the District 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 Benton solo practice on Poplar Street serving Marshall County and Paducah in McCracken County. Don Thomas guides personal representatives through probate, from notifying heirs and creditors to paying final taxes and distributing property, and handles will contests. He was an elected county attorney and later a district judge.
Paducah solo practice serving clients in Kentucky and Illinois. Heather Jones helps a personal representative offer the will for probate in the county court, file the required documents and issue the notices needed to administer the estate. She also drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney and directives, and handles family law.
Downtown Paducah civil firm representing clients throughout Kentucky and Southern Illinois, with four attorneys in its estate planning and probate practice. They guide fiduciaries through probate and trust administration, attend probate court, prepare inventories, estate and inheritance tax returns and final settlements, and litigate and resolve estate disputes.
From Murray, the firm serves Calloway County and western Kentucky communities including Benton, Mayfield, Paducah, Cadiz and Eddyville. It guides personal representatives through probate, from the inventory to creditor claims and distribution of assets, and handles disputes that arise. Attorney Dominik Mikulcik, a former 42nd Judicial Circuit staff attorney, practices estate planning and probate.
A Paducah firm on Broadway in McCracken County. It advises executors, administrators and trustees on their fiduciary duties through probate and estate administration, including court filings and appearances, estate and inheritance tax returns, and final settlements and accountings; its litigators handle estate disputes. Founded in 1998 as Bradley & Freed, P.S.C.
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
(9)·
- KRS 24A.170(1); CR 3.03(1)(c) and (1)(m) as amended by Sup. Ct. Order 2026-15 (eff. 2026-07-01); KRS 27A.630(1); KRS 24A.185(2); AOC Circuit Court Clerks' Accounting Manual
- KRS 395.015 (application for appointment; general financial disclosure statement, as amended by 2026 Ky. Acts ch. 134 eff. 7/15/2026); KRS 395.105 (letters of appointment; when appointment effective); KRS 395.110 (copy of order effectual as letters); KRS 395.120 (oaths/declaration); KRS 394.140-394.145 (probate of will; combined application)
- KRS 395.015; KRS 395.016 (District Court appointment on sworn application; no non-judicial registrar track)
- KRS 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)
- KRS 396.011, 396.015, 396.055, 396.095, 424.340
- KRS 64.012(1)(a), KRS 64.012(3)(a), KRS 142.010(1)(d), KRS 142.050
- McCracken County District Court, official page
- McCracken County Clerk, official page
- McCracken County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Kentucky 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 Kentucky
Free tools for settling an estate in Kentucky: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Kentucky.
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.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Kentucky happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeKRS 386B.1-010 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysKRS 386B.8-130Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
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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