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 Ravalli County, Montana
How probate works in Ravalli County: the District Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Ravalli County District Court
Ravalli County · 21st Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
205 Bedford Street, Suite D, Hamilton, MT 59840
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
Required for attorneysAttorneys must e-file in probate cases in this court through the Montana Courts e-filing system. A Twenty-First Judicial District order has made e-filing mandatory for attorneys in all cases since April 2021. 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.
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.
Hearing schedule
- Probate proceedings are heard on law and motion day at 1:30 p.m.: Wednesdays in Department No. 1 and Thursdays in Department No. 2.
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
1-406-375-6721
About the court
- Ravalli County makes up the whole 21st Judicial District. The clerk's office does not provide notary service and searches records only on a written, prepaid request.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Ravalli 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 Ravalli County, probate runs through the District Court at 205 Bedford Street, Suite D, Hamilton. The court sits in the 21st Judicial District. It is one of 19 Montana counties where probate e-filing is mandatory rather than optional.
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 Ravalli County
What probate costs in Ravalli 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 205 Bedford Street, Suite D, Hamilton. The court is part of the 21st Judicial District.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: In an informal probate the court fixes the attorney's fee only if the attorney and the personal representative disagree, and then after a hearing.
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 cases in Ravalli County, Montana are filed at the District Court. The court sits in the 21st 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 Ravalli County Self-Filing Assessment.
Ravalli 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 to the clerk's filing mailbox or by fax, and the clerk asks that all court filings go to that mailbox.
An emailed filing is a signed and dated PDF attachment. The district rules also ask a person without a lawyer to file documents with original signatures and to put an email address in the caption of every filing.
SourceCourt Appearances
A matter is set on law and motion only after its motion, supporting papers and a proposed order are filed, and filing before the calendar is prepared puts it on the next one.
The Department No. 1 calendar is prepared Tuesdays at 9:00 a.m. and the Department No. 2 calendar Wednesdays at 9:00 a.m. A matter that turns out to be contested, or will take more than 15 minutes, is reset.
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 Ravalli County
In Montana a death is registered locally, and in Ravalli County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Ravalli County Clerk and 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
Ravalli County · Ravalli County Clerk and Recorder
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
215 South 4th Street, Suite C, Hamilton, MT 59840
Website
Fax
1-406-375-6554
Local rule
- A request is in writing and carries a copy of identification. It may be mailed or left in the drive-up drop box.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $7 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Sheriff-Coroner
Ravalli County · Ravalli County Sheriff's Office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
205 Bedford Street, Suite G, Hamilton, MT 59840
Website
Mail and offices
Fax
1-406-375-6707
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Ravalli 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 Ravalli County are recorded with the County Clerk and Recorder at 215 South 4th Street, Suite C, Hamilton, MT 59840. Phone: 1-406-375-6555. Hours: Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM.
The County Clerk and Recorder charges $20 for the first page plus $10 for each additional page.
Ravalli County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile.
Recording Office Record
County Clerk and Recorder
Ravalli County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
215 South 4th Street, Suite C, Hamilton, MT 59840
Website
E-recording
Fax
1-406-375-6554
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 Ravalli County
Montana allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Ravalli 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 Ravalli 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
- Ravalli County District Court, official page
- Ravalli County Clerk and Recorder, official page
- Ravalli 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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