Missoula firm handling estate planning and probate across western Montana, from wills, trusts, and succession planning to estate administration for personal representatives and beneficiaries. Several attorneys handle estate matters, with a dedicated estate-tax practice for estates carrying gift, generation-skipping, or business-succession complexity.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Missoula County, Montana
How probate works in Missoula County: the District Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Missoula County District Court
Missoula County · 4th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
200 West Broadway, 2nd Floor, Missoula, MT 59802
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
OptionalAttorneys can e-file probate cases in this court through the Montana Courts e-filing system, and no local order makes it mandatory for estates. The system is not open to self-represented filers, who file with the Clerk of District Court on paper. On paper: Self-represented filers cannot e-file at any Montana court; An original paper will is filed with the clerk within 10 calendar days of e-filing a copy.
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedThe clerk's office takes walk-in visitors and prefers appointments; a visitor without one may wait longer. A public computer for record searches is booked by phone.
Self-represented filing
AllowedA person without a lawyer may file a probate case in Montana, on paper with the Clerk of District Court, since e-filing is open only to attorneys. The State Law Library publishes the probate forms, including the affidavit for collecting a small estate's personal property and a small-estate packet. Clerks cannot give legal advice.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCash, Money order, Credit card, Debit card.The clerk's office takes cash, money orders and Visa, Mastercard or Discover cards, and does not take personal checks, cashier's checks or American Express. A card payment carries 1.995% plus a $1.25 processing fee and can be made in person or by phone.
Hearing schedule
- Probate proceedings and other uncontested matters are heard on each department's law and motion day, starting at 8:30 or 9:00 a.m.: Department 1 on Wednesday, Department 2 on Tuesday, Department 3 on Wednesday and Thursday, Department 4 on Tuesday and Department 5 on Thursday.
Self-help center
- Missoula County Self-Help Law Center, Missoula County Courthouse, 200 West Broadway, Room 206, Missoula, MT 598021-406-258-3428 · missoulacountyselfhelp@mt.gov · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-5:00 PMThe Montana courts' Self-Help Law Program serves this county from its Missoula center in the courthouse; call to confirm an appointment, and remote help runs Monday to Thursday. It gives people without a lawyer legal information and court forms free of charge, not legal advice, and staff do not file papers for anyone. Video appointments are booked through the Helena center at (406) 444-9300.
Fax
1-406-258-4899
About the court
- Part of the 4th Judicial District, which also serves Mineral County. The clerk's office is on the second floor of the courthouse, next to the Self-Help Law Center.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Missoula 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 Missoula County, probate runs through the District Court at 200 West Broadway, 2nd Floor, Missoula. The court sits in the 4th Judicial District. Missoula County shares the 4th Judicial District with Mineral.
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 Montana intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Montana estates take 6 months to 12 months to move through this process. Creditors have 4 monthsMCA §§ 72-3-801, 72-3-803, 72-3-804, 72-3-805, 72-3-807Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Missoula County
What probate costs in Missoula County, Montana 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 District Court at 200 West Broadway, 2nd Floor, Missoula. The court is part of the 4th Judicial District.
Montana charges $100MCA § 25-1-201(1)(m); MCA § 25-1-202(1)(a); MCA § 3-1-317Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Montana are negotiated, typically 1.8%Modeled estimate under MCA § 72-3-634 (compensation of persons employed by the personal representative, including attorneys); § 72-3-632 (estate litigation); former § 72-3-633 repealed by Sec. 105, Ch. 313, L. 2019: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.9%Modeled estimate under MCA § 72-3-634 (compensation of persons employed by the personal representative, including attorneys); § 72-3-632 (estate litigation); former § 72-3-633 repealed by Sec. 105, Ch. 313, L. 2019: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Montana allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payMCA § 72-3-631 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Montana requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
Probate in Montana typically runs 6 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the District Court
Probate documents in Missoula County can be filed in person at the District Court, by mail, or electronically. Most families handling probate themselves prefer paper filing, though e-filing is available. The court sits in the 4th Judicial District.
The Montana courts' Self-Help Law Program serves this county from its Missoula center in the courthouse; call to confirm an appointment, and remote help runs Monday to Thursday. It gives people without a lawyer legal information and court forms free of charge, not legal advice, and staff do not file papers for anyone. Video appointments are booked through the Helena center at (406) 444-9300.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
In Montana, informal probate is availableMCA § 72-3-201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, and a self-represented executor can usually handle it for a simple, uncontested estate.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Missoula County Self-Filing Assessment.
Missoula 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
Documents may be filed by email or fax with a per-page fee, and no paper original follows.
An emailed filing is a signed and dated PDF attached to the email, sent to the clerk's filing mailbox; a faxed filing goes to the clerk's fax line.
SourceEvery filing after the one that opens a case shows the department number directly above the cause number.
SourceDocument Requirements
A petition to probate a will has a copy of the will attached, and the original will is filed with the clerk.
The personal representative later files either the certificate required by Mont. Code Ann. 72-3-1006 or a declaration, separately or in the petition for distribution, that no federal estate tax return was required.
SourceCourt Appearances
A matter goes on the law and motion calendar only on a written request to the scheduling clerk at least 24 hours ahead.
The request states the issue, each side's time estimate and the number of witnesses (the rules' Request for Hearing form). A matter expected to run past 20 minutes in all is not set on law and motion, and a contested question of fact is set for its own hearing.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the District Court: Copy of the death certificate, attached to the application (a plain copy — Montana’s own application form does not ask for a certified copy, and accepts alternative documentation of the decedent’s death if no certificate is available); Original will and any codicils, if the decedent left a will (Mont. Code Ann. § 72-3-211, informal probate of will); Verified Application for Informal Appointment of Personal Representative (and Informal Probate of Will) (Mont. Code Ann. §§ 72-3-201 to 72-3-203)Mont. Code Ann. §§ 72-3-201 to 72-3-225 (informal probate & appointment); §§ 72-3-301 to 72-3-321 (formal testacy & appointment); §§ 72-3-501 to 72-3-518 (PR appointment, qualification, bond)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Coroner in Missoula County
In Montana a death is registered locally, and in Missoula County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Missoula County Clerk & Recorder as well as by Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services - Office of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
County Clerk and Recorder
Missoula County · Missoula County Clerk & Recorder
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
200 West Broadway, Missoula, MT 59802
Website
Fees
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $7 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Sheriff-Coroner
Missoula County · Missoula County Sheriff's Office
Mail and offices
Fax
1-406-721-8574
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Missoula 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 County Clerk and Recorder.
Deeds and other real property documents for Missoula County are recorded with the County Clerk and Recorder at 200 West Broadway, Missoula, MT 59802. Phone: 1-406-258-4752. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
The County Clerk and Recorder charges $20 for the first page plus $10 for each additional page.
Missoula County accepts electronic recording through CSC, ePN, Indecomm and Simplifile.
Recording Office Record
County Clerk and Recorder
Missoula County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
200 West Broadway, Missoula, MT 59802
Website
Fees
Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $20 |
| Each additional page | $10 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | No transfer tax applies to TOD deeds |
MCA 7-4-2637 (fees for recording documents); MCA 7-4-2636 (standards for recorded documents); House Bill 192, 69th Legislature (2025) — Ch. 480, L. 2025 — fee increase effective October 1, 2025
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Death Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Missoula County
Montana allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Missoula 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 Montana are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Missoula County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the District Court, 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.
Established in 1974, this Missoula law firm has 12 lawyers practicing general trial practice, banking law, and estate planning. Experienced in representing clients in the preparation of wills, trusts, and durable powers of attorney, as well as representation of trustees, personal representatives, and beneficiaries in trust and probate proceedings.
Missoula firm founded in 1870, serving western Montana from the Fourth Judicial District. Handles probate administration, from asset inventory and creditor notice to debt settlement and distribution, plus estate and trust disputes including will contests and breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims. Drafts wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, and business-succession plans.
Missoula firm founded in 1975 serving western Montana. Handles probate administration for personal representatives and beneficiaries, wills, trusts, and succession planning, alongside its insurance and litigation practice. Estate-tax and business-succession work is led by Gerald W. Steinbrenner, a member of the Western Montana Estate Planning Council.
Hamilton solo practice serving Ravalli County and the Bitterroot Valley. Drafts wills and trusts and handles probate and estate planning; also takes personal injury work. Free consultations on matters within those practice areas.
Handles estate planning, probate, and trust administration for families in Missoula and western Montana. Drafts wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, and represents clients in estate and probate proceedings, guardianships, and conservatorships. Founding attorney Don St. Peter is a past chair of the State Bar of Montana business, estates, trusts, tax and real property section.
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)·
- MCA § 25-1-201(1)(m); MCA § 25-1-202(1)(a); MCA § 3-1-317
- MCA § 72-3-201
- MCA § 72-3-631 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)
- MCA §§ 72-3-801, 72-3-803, 72-3-804, 72-3-805, 72-3-807
- Mont. Code Ann. §§ 72-3-201 to 72-3-225 (informal probate & appointment); §§ 72-3-301 to 72-3-321 (formal testacy & appointment); §§ 72-3-501 to 72-3-518 (PR appointment, qualification, bond)
- MCA 7-4-2637 (fees for recording documents); MCA 7-4-2636 (standards for recorded documents); House Bill 192, 69th Legislature (2025) — Ch. 480, L. 2025 — fee increase effective October 1, 2025
- Missoula County District Court, official page
- Missoula County Clerk and Recorder, official page
- Missoula County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Montana 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 Montana
Free tools for settling an estate in Montana: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Montana.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Montana: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 270 daysMCA §§ 72-3-607, 72-3-609Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsMCA §§ 72-3-801, 72-3-803, 72-3-804, 72-3-805, 72-3-807Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Montana happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeMCA 72-38-101 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysMCA §§ 72-38-813, 72-38-109, 72-38-1005Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
In Montana, informal probate is availableMCA § 72-3-201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, and a self-represented executor can usually handle it for a simple, uncontested estate.
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