What to Do When Someone Dies in Macon County, Missouri

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

Probate Court Record

Macon County Circuit Court - Probate Division

Macon County · 41st Judicial Circuit

Hours

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

Office

101 East Washington Street, Building 2, Suite 1, Macon, MO 63552

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

AllowedAn attorney is required to open a probate case, except for a refusal of letters filed by a creditor, spouse or unmarried minor child. Under 41st Circuit Local Rule 4.7, a self-represented filer first signs a certificate of having viewed the Representing Yourself in Missouri Court website, and uses its forms where it has them.

Accepted payment

  • At the counterCash, Credit card, Money order.Court costs are paid by cash, credit card, money order or bank draft. Personal checks are accepted only with the court's approval.

Hearing schedule

  • Probate law day is the first Tuesday of each month.

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

How Probate Works in Macon 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 Macon County, probate runs through the Circuit Court - Probate Division at 101 East Washington Street, Building 2, Suite 1, Macon. The court sits in the 41st Judicial Circuit. The same 41st Judicial Circuit also serves Shelby.

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 Macon County

What probate costs in Macon 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 101 East Washington Street, Building 2, Suite 1, Macon. The court is part of the 41st Judicial Circuit.

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 Macon County, Missouri are filed at the Circuit Court - Probate Division. The court sits in the 41st 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 Macon County Self-Filing Assessment.

Macon 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

A new probate case is filed with the Probate Division Party Information Sheet and the court costs.

Source

Document Requirements

A decedent estate is filed with a copy of the death certificate.

Source

A full decedent estate holding real estate files a notarized broker's or auctioneer's price opinion of each tract's fair market value.

Source

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 Macon County

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

Macon County · Macon County Health Department

Office

503 North Missouri, Macon, MO 63552

Fax

1-660-385-2014

Verified November 2, 2026 · Source

Coroner or Medical Examiner Record

Coroner

Macon County · Macon County Coroner

Verified November 2, 2026 · Source

Transferring Property in Macon 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 Macon County are recorded with the Recorder of Deeds at 101 East Washington Street, Building 3, Suite 300, Macon, MO 63552. Phone: 1-660-385-2732. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:00 PM.

The Recorder of Deeds charges $26 for the first page plus $3 for each additional page.

Macon County accepts electronic recording through CSC.

Recording Office Record

Recorder of Deeds

Macon County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:00 PM

Office

101 East Washington Street, Building 3, Suite 300, Macon, MO 63552

E-recording

available via CSC

Fax

1-660-395-4022

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Forms that put a death on the title

Probate Attorneys Serving Macon County

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

FirmHannibal, MO

Wasinger Parham, L.C.

Since 1974 · Serves 13 counties

Serves northeast Missouri and west central Illinois from Hannibal, practicing in thirteen Missouri counties including Marion, Ralls, Pike, Monroe, and Shelby. Handles probate estate administration, guardianships and conservatorships for minors, the elderly, and people with disabilities, and will and trust litigation. Six attorneys practice at the firm, founded in 1974.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 5 more

Office
2801 St MarysHannibal, MO 63401

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

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

Solo PracticeLaurie, MO

Renken Law Firm

Serves the whole state

Laurie practice of attorney Andrew W. Renken, serving the Lake of the Ozarks and Camden, Miller, Morgan, and Laclede counties, and taking estate planning cases throughout Missouri. Handles probate administration, guardianships, and conservatorships, and prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, and living wills. Evening and weekend appointments are available.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateConservatorshipGuardianshipand 2 more

Office
724 N Main StLaurie, MO 65037

FirmColumbia, MO

Simmons, Henderson & Associates LLC

Serves the whole state

Columbia firm serving clients throughout Missouri. Handles probate decedent estates from small estates to full administration, administers trusts after a death, and litigates will and trust contests, breach of fiduciary duty, accountings, and removal of fiduciaries. Also handles guardianships, conservatorships, and special needs planning; new probate clients get a complimentary consultation.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 8 more

Office
1109 Club Village Dr, Suite 101Columbia, MO 65203
Free consultation

Solo PracticeJefferson City, MO

Law Office of Todd Miller, LLC

Serves the whole state

Jefferson City practice of attorney Todd Miller, who serves clients across Missouri and has handled probate and estate disputes in more than 30 counties. Guides personal representatives through petitions, creditor payments, distributions, and court deadlines, and represents heirs in will contests and beneficiary disputes. Also handles Medicaid planning, guardianships, and conservatorships.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 3 more

Office
1305 Southwest Blvd, Suite AJefferson City, MO 65109

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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