Estate Planning & Probate in Lafayette County, Missouri
Lafayette County estate questions split two ways—planning so your family skips probate, or settling an estate that is already in it. Start with your situation below; both paths use Lafayette County's actual court and recording details.
Someone died — settling an estate
Filing probate at the Circuit Court - Probate Division, what it costs, transferring property, and local attorneys.
What to do when someone dies in Lafayette County→Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a Lafayette County home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in Lafayette County→The Probate Process in Lafayette 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 Lafayette County, probate runs through the Circuit Court - Probate Division at 116 S. 10th Street, Lexington. The court sits in the 15th Judicial Circuit. Lafayette County shares the 15th Judicial Circuit with Saline.
Full Lafayette Countyprobate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Circuit Court - Probate Division
Lafayette County · 15th Judicial Circuit
Recording Deeds & Property Documents
Recording Office Record
Recorder of Deeds
Lafayette County · Recorder of Deeds · JoAnn Swartz
Address
Phone
Hours
E-recording
$26 for the first page plus $3 for each additional page; a 2-page TOD deed records for $29; TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax.
Full recording details →Verified September 7, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the Circuit Court - Probate Division
Probate filings must include a Judicial Information Sheet; decedent estates require a death certificate, minor estates a birth certificate, and guardianship/conservatorship cases criminal background checks and credit history reports. Initial small estate filings require a Missouri HealthNet Release. Three divisions: Circuit, Associate, and Probate. Circuit Courtroom (Division One) at the Lafayette County Courthouse, 1001 Main St. (phone 660-259-4315). Circuit Clerk office and probate filing counter at Lafayette Hall, 116 S. 10th St.
Missouri Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Lafayette County.
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