Lake of the Ozarks firm with offices in Osage Beach and Columbia, serving the mid-Missouri region including Hickory, Benton and Morgan counties. Guides executors through Missouri probate: filing the will, notifying heirs and creditors, the inventory, paying debts and the final accounting, and drafts wills and trusts. Partner Staci Birdsong also handles minor and adult guardianships.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Camden County, Missouri
How probate works in Camden County: the Circuit Court - Probate Division record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Camden County Circuit Court - Probate Division
Camden County · 26th Judicial Circuit
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
1 Court Circle, Suite 8, Camdenton, MO 65020
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
Required for attorneysAttorneys file probate cases through the statewide Missouri eFiling System. Bonds, wills, codicils and trusts are filed electronically and also delivered in their original paper form. On paper: Self-represented filers file on paper with the clerk; the eFiling system is open to Missouri attorneys and approved agency filers; Bonds, wills, codicils and trusts are filed both electronically and in their original paper form.
Self-represented filing
AllowedCosts for a refusal of letters, a small estate or an annual settlement are paid when the application or settlement is filed. The statewide probate forms are on the Missouri Courts probate forms page.
County forms
- 26th Judicial Circuit Local Rules (filing deposits in Rule 5.1)The circuit's filing deposits, including the deposit for a decedent estate.
Fax
1-573-346-5422
About the court
- Part of the 26th Judicial Circuit serving Camden, Laclede, Miller, Moniteau and Morgan Counties. The circuit clerk's office in Suite 8 of the courthouse handles all probate matters.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Camden 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 Camden County, probate runs through the Circuit Court - Probate Division at 1 Court Circle, Suite 8, Camdenton. The court sits in the 26th Judicial Circuit. The same 26th Judicial Circuit also serves Laclede, Miller, Moniteau and Morgan.
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 Missouri intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Missouri estates take 12 months to 18 months to move through this process. Creditors have 6 monthsRSMo §§ 473.033, 473.360, 473.380, 473.397, 473.403, 473.444Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Camden County
What probate costs in Camden County, Missouri 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 Circuit Court - Probate Division at 1 Court Circle, Suite 8, Camdenton. The court is part of the 26th Judicial Circuit.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: A decedent estate other than a summary proceeding opens with a cost deposit set by local rule.
The Circuit Court - Probate Division charges $115 - $565 (based on estate value)Mo. Sup. Ct. Op. R. 21.01(a)(12)-(13); RSMo §§ 488.012, 483.580Verified 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:
Missouri sets attorney fees by statute — a percentage of the estate's gross value. Every attorney charges the same schedule, so the decision to hire one comes down to complexity, not price.
Missouri sets executor compensation by statute — about $14,050 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 2.8%RSMo § 473.153(1) (statutory minimum: 5% first $5K, 4% next $20K, 3% next $75K, 2.75% next $300K, 2.5% next $600K, 2% over $1M, on personal property administered and court-ordered real estate sales)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Missouri 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 RSMo §§ 473.157 (requirement), 473.160 (waiver by will)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Missouri typically runs 12 months to 18 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Circuit Court - Probate Division
Probate cases in Camden County, Missouri are filed at the Circuit Court - Probate Division. The court sits in the 26th Judicial Circuit.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
Missouri has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is availableRSMo §§ 473.023 (court or clerk grants letters), 473.073 (clerk or court admits the will and grants letters), 473.047 (judge or clerk grants a certificate of probate), 473.065 (self-proved will)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Camden County Self-Filing Assessment.
Camden 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
Cases within the probate division's jurisdiction are filed with the clerk of the probate division.
In Camden County the judge of Division IV also serves as judge of the Probate Division.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Circuit Court - Probate Division: Copy of the death certificate; Original will and any codicils, delivered to the probate division after death (RSMo 473.043); OSCA: "the Original Will must be filed with Probate (RSMo 473.043) before Letters will be granted"; Application for Letters Testamentary / of Administration stating decedent, heirs/devisees, probable value of the estate, the attorney for the applicant, and whether supervised or independent administration is sought (RSMo 473.017.1(1)-(10)); Bond, unless waived by the will or excused by the court (RSMo 473.157, 473.160)RSMo 473.017 (application for letters - content); 473.020 (who may apply / time limits); 473.023 (court or clerk to grant letters); 473.073 (proof required for probate and grant of administration); 473.110 (priority for letters); 473.780-.843 (independent administration)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Camden County
In Missouri a death is registered locally, and in Camden County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Camden County Health Department as well as by Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services - Bureau of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Camden County · Camden County Health Department
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-4:00 PM
Office
1976 North Business Highway 5, Camdenton, MO 65020
Website
Certified copies
Issued the same day
Camden County Health Department
P.O. Box 816
Camdenton, MO 65020
Local rule
- An application and a photo ID or another acceptable identification are required. Out-of-state checks are not accepted; a mailed application takes a local check or a money order.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $14 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $11 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Medical Examiner
Camden County · Camden County Medical Examiner
Phone
Serves this county
Southwest Missouri Forensics
Mail and offices
P.O. Box 1695
Nixa, MO 65714
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Camden 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 Recorder of Deeds.
Deeds and other real property documents for Camden County are recorded with the Recorder of Deeds at 1 Court Circle Northwest, Camdenton, MO 65020. Phone: 1-573-346-4440 ext. 1300. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
The Recorder of Deeds charges $26 for the first page plus $3 for each additional page.
Camden County accepts electronic recording through iCounty.
Recording Office Record
Recorder of Deeds
Camden County
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
1 Court Circle Northwest, Camdenton, MO 65020
E-recording
available via iCounty
Fax
1-573-346-8367
Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $26 |
| Each additional page | $3 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | No transfer tax applies to TOD deeds |
RSMo 59.310.6(1), 59.319, 59.321, 59.800, 50.1190
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Heirship Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Camden County
Missouri allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Camden County without hiring an attorney. 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 Missouri are set by statute as a percentage of the estate's value, so every Camden County attorney charges the same schedule. Price isn't the variable — experience with the Circuit Court - Probate Division and responsiveness are.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Circuit Court - Probate Division, 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.
Lebanon firm practicing in Laclede, Pulaski, Webster, Camden, Dallas, and Wright counties. Helps families with probate and the disposition of property after a loss, estate and probate litigation, and guardianships for adults and minor children, alongside trusts, wills, and probate-avoidance planning. Tom O'Neil has practiced in Lebanon since 1972 and Bob O'Neil since 2002.
Serves Camden and Laclede counties from offices in Lebanon and Camdenton. Handles decedent's estates, guardianships, and conservatorships, and prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, and deeds. Its two attorneys are Gary Smith and Sarah Gustafson, and the firm has represented Missouri families since 1980; Gary Smith also serves as Municipal Judge of Osage Beach.
Serves Cole, Boone, Miller, Moniteau, Osage, Camden, and Gasconade counties from Jefferson City. Represents personal representatives and beneficiaries in probate estates, advises trustees through trust administration, and handles smaller estates by small-estate affidavit or refusal of letters. Appointments can be scheduled in-office, by telephone, or by video conference.
Solo Jefferson City practice taking cases throughout Cole, Callaway, Boone, Osage, Miller, Camden, and surrounding mid-Missouri counties. Handles probate and trust administration after a death, along with wills, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney, and guardianships and conservatorships. Melanie G. Moffat has served the area since 1992 and opened her own practice in 2003.
Jefferson City firm handling probate and trust administration across 13 mid-Missouri counties, from Cole and Boone to Phelps and Pettis. Advises trustees and personal representatives on their duties, appoints guardians and conservators, and prosecutes and defends estate litigation to recover misappropriated assets, including challenges to a will or trust and disputes between heirs.
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)·
- Mo. Sup. Ct. Op. R. 21.01(a)(12)-(13); RSMo §§ 488.012, 483.580
- RSMo § 473.153(1) (statutory minimum: 5% first $5K, 4% next $20K, 3% next $75K, 2.75% next $300K, 2.5% next $600K, 2% over $1M, on personal property administered and court-ordered real estate sales)
- RSMo §§ 473.023 (court or clerk grants letters), 473.073 (clerk or court admits the will and grants letters), 473.047 (judge or clerk grants a certificate of probate), 473.065 (self-proved will)
- RSMo §§ 473.033, 473.360, 473.380, 473.397, 473.403, 473.444
- RSMo 473.017 (application for letters - content); 473.020 (who may apply / time limits); 473.023 (court or clerk to grant letters); 473.073 (proof required for probate and grant of administration); 473.110 (priority for letters); 473.780-.843 (independent administration)
- RSMo 59.310.6(1), 59.319, 59.321, 59.800, 50.1190
- Camden County Circuit Court - Probate Division, official page
- Camden County Recorder of Deeds, official page
- Camden County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Missouri 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 Missouri
Free tools for settling an estate in Missouri: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Missouri.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Missouri: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 30 daysRSMo §§ 473.233, 473.240Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 6 monthsRSMo §§ 473.033, 473.360, 473.380, 473.397, 473.403, 473.444Verified 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 Missouri happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeMo. Rev. Stat. § 456.1-101 et seq. (Missouri Uniform Trust Code)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 120 daysRSMo §§ 456.8-813, 456.10-1005Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
Missouri has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is availableRSMo §§ 473.023 (court or clerk grants letters), 473.073 (clerk or court admits the will and grants letters), 473.047 (judge or clerk grants a certificate of probate), 473.065 (self-proved will)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
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