What to Do When Someone Dies in Ozark County, Missouri

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

Probate Court Record

Ozark County Circuit Court - Probate Division

Ozark County · 44th Judicial Circuit

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-noon and 12:30 PM-4:30 PM

Office

2 Court Square, Gainesville, MO 65655

Self-represented filing

Allowed

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; A filer who is not required to e-file may fax up to 10 pages after paying the filing deposit, under 44th Circuit Local Rule 4.9; a fax received after 4:30 p.m. is filed the next court day.

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

How Probate Works in Ozark 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 Ozark County, probate runs through the Circuit Court - Probate Division at 2 Court Square, Gainesville. The court sits in the 44th Judicial Circuit. Ozark County shares the 44th Judicial Circuit with Douglas and Wright.

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 Ozark County

What probate costs in Ozark 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 2 Court Square, Gainesville. The court is part of the 44th 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 Ozark County, Missouri are filed at the Circuit Court - Probate Division. The court sits in the 44th 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 Ozark County Self-Filing Assessment.

Ozark County Filing Requirements

These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.

Document Requirements

After e-filing, the originals of wills, codicils, commissions, trusts, corporate surety bonds and restricted-account depository agreements are filed on paper with the Circuit Clerk within 72 hours.

Paper copies of settlements, with all attachments, vouchers, receipts and bank records, are due within 72 hours of e-filing as well.

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 Ozark County

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

Ozark County · The Ozark County Health Department

Hours

Monday-Thursday 7:30 AM-5:00 PM

Office

370 3rd Street, Gainesville, MO 65655

Mail

The Ozark County Health Department P.O. Box 180 Gainesville, MO 65655

Fax

1-417-679-3828

Verified November 2, 2026 · Source

Coroner or Medical Examiner Record

Coroner

Ozark County · Ozark County Coroner

Verified November 2, 2026 · Source

Transferring Property in Ozark 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 Ozark County are recorded with the Circuit Clerk and Recorder at 1 Courthouse Square, Gainesville, MO 65655. Phone: 1-417-679-4232. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.

Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 36, Gainesville, MO 65655.

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

Ozark County accepts electronic recording through CSC.

Recording Office Record

Circuit Clerk and Recorder

Ozark County

Hours

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

Office

1 Courthouse Square, Gainesville, MO 65655

E-recording

available via CSC

Mail

P.O. Box 36 Gainesville, MO 65655

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Forms that put a death on the title

Probate Attorneys Serving Ozark County

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

Solo PracticeSpringfield, MO

Dunn Law Firm LLC

Since 2015 · Serves 8 counties

Springfield practice representing clients in Greene, Christian, Webster, Polk, Dallas, Lawrence, Laclede, and Ozark counties. Handles full probate administration, small estate affidavits, creditor and spousal refusal of letters, determination of heirship, and adult and minor guardianship and conservatorship. Evening and weekend appointments can be arranged.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateConservatorshipGuardianship

Office
620 W Republic Rd, Suite 104Springfield, MO 65807

FirmSpringfield, MO

Ozarks Elder Law

Serves 8 counties

Serves southwest Missouri from Springfield and nine more offices, from Bolivar and Lebanon to Branson and Joplin. Handles probate after a death (validating the will, paying debts and final expenses, distributing to heirs), guardianship and conservatorship, special needs planning, Medicaid coverage, and elder abuse matters. Lori Rook is managing attorney; the first consultation is free.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawConservatorshipand 3 more

Office
2832 S Ingram Mill Rd, Suite 100Springfield, MO 65804
Free consultation

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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