What to Do When Someone Dies in Gasconade County, Missouri

How probate works in Gasconade County: the Circuit Court - Probate Division record, what the process costs, and how to file there.

Probate Court Record

Gasconade County Circuit Court - Probate Division

Gasconade County · 20th Judicial Circuit

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM

Office

119 East 1st Street, Room 6, Hermann, MO 65041

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

E-filing

Required for attorneysAttorneys file probate cases through the statewide Missouri eFiling System. The original will is filed on paper with the probate division. On paper: Self-represented filers file on paper with the clerk; the eFiling system is open to Missouri attorneys and approved agency filers.

Self-represented filing

AllowedSelf-represented filers file on paper with the clerk. Statewide probate forms such as the small estate affidavit and the refusal of letters are on the Missouri courts forms page.

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

How Probate Works in Gasconade 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 Gasconade County, probate runs through the Circuit Court - Probate Division at 119 East 1st Street, Room 6, Hermann. The court sits in the 20th Judicial Circuit. Gasconade County shares the 20th Judicial Circuit with Franklin and Osage.

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 Gasconade County

What probate costs in Gasconade 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 119 East 1st Street, Room 6, Hermann. The court is part of the 20th Judicial Circuit.

Missouri's letters fee is tiered on the final inventory value: $115 up to $50,000, then $50 for each further $50,000, capped at $565 at $500,000 and above, and it includes one certified copy of the letters. Admitting a will adds $35, and each extra year the estate stays open adds $30. Counties add local surcharges at filingMo. Sup. Ct. Op. R. 21.01(a)(12)-(13); RSMo §§ 488.012, 483.580Verified Oct 17, 2026View source. 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 Gasconade County, Missouri are filed at the Circuit Court - Probate Division. The court sits in the 20th Judicial Circuit.

Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Associate Clerk's Office.

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 Gasconade County Self-Filing Assessment.

What 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 Coroner in Gasconade County

In Missouri a death is registered locally, and in Gasconade County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Gasconade 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

Gasconade County · Gasconade County Health Department

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM

Office

1714 Wein Street, Hermann, MO 65041

Fax

1-573-486-3745

Verified November 2, 2026 · Source

Coroner or Medical Examiner Record

Coroner

Gasconade County · Gasconade County Coroner

Mail and offices

Mail

Gasconade County Coroner P.O. Box 267 Owensville, MO 65066

Verified November 2, 2026 · Source

Transferring Property in Gasconade 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 Circuit Clerk and Recorder.

Deeds and other real property documents for Gasconade County are recorded with the Circuit Clerk and Recorder at 119 East First Street, Suite 6, Hermann, MO 65041. Phone: 1-573-486-2632. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.

The Circuit Clerk and Recorder charges $26 for the first page plus $3 for each additional page.

Gasconade County accepts electronic recording through CSC.

Recording Office Record

Circuit Clerk and Recorder

Gasconade County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM

Office

119 East First Street, Suite 6, Hermann, MO 65041

E-recording

available via CSC

Fax

1-573-486-5812

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Forms that put a death on the title

Probate Attorneys Serving Gasconade County

Missouri allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Gasconade 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 Gasconade 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.

FirmHermann, MO

Zick, Voss, Politte, Richardson & Brinker, P.C.

Since 1983 · Serves 4 counties

Hermann office of a Washington, Missouri firm practicing since 1983, drawing clients from Gasconade, Warren, and Montgomery counties. David Politte handles decedents' estates, will administration, small estate administration, guardianships and conservatorships, and will and trust contests. He has served as Hermann's city attorney since 2004.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 7 more

Office
123 Bavarian Hills Blvd, Suite BHermann, MO 65041

FirmJefferson City, MO

Brydon, Swearengen & England P.C.

Since 1975 · Serves 14 counties

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.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 5 more

Office
312 E Capitol AveJefferson City, MO 65101
Virtual consultations

FirmOsage Beach, MO

Martin, Birdsong & Andreasen, Attorneys at Law

Since 2009 · Serves 38 counties

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.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateGuardianshipCriminal DefenseFamily Law

Office
5780 Osage Beach Parkway, Suite 225BOsage Beach, MO 65065
Free consultationVirtual consultations

Solo PracticeJefferson City, MO

Melanie G. Moffat LLC

Since 2003 · Serves 10 counties

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.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateConservatorshipand 3 more

Office
507 E High StJefferson City, MO 65101

FirmJefferson City, MO

Newman, Comley & Ruth P.C.

Serves 13 counties

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.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 6 more

Office
601 Monroe St, Suite 301Jefferson City, MO 65101

FirmSpringfield, MO

The Piatchek Law Firm, LLC

Serves the whole state

Springfield firm serving Greene County and southwest Missouri, handling probate in county courts throughout the state. Runs estate administrations, small estates, refusals of letters, heirship determinations and affidavits, guardianship and conservatorship estates, and ancillary probate. Its elder law practice covers Medicaid (MO HealthNet) planning and special needs trusts.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawConservatorshipand 4 more

Office
1546 E Bradford PkwySpringfield, MO 65804
See all 9 firms serving Gasconade County →

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.

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Legal Sources

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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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