Bullock Law Firm practices from LaFollette in Campbell County and serves Campbell, Anderson, Claiborne, Scott, Union and Knox counties. Adam Bullock guides personal representatives through probate and estate administration, with or without a will, and handles trust administration and revocable trusts. The firm states that most probate fees are paid from the estate with no up-front fee.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Anderson County, Tennessee
How probate works in Anderson County: the Chancery Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Anderson County Chancery Court
Anderson County · 7th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM
Office
100 North Main Street, Suite 308, Clinton, TN 37716
Website
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe Clerk and Master posts small estate forms (the petition for limited letters of authority, the limited letters and a waiver of bond) in PDF and Word. The local rules allow pleadings prepared by the personal representative.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCheck.Fees are paid in advance unless otherwise specified, and checks for the office are payable to Anderson County Clerk and Master. The notice to creditors in the Clinton Courier is paid by a separate check payable to Clinton Courier.
County forms
- Petition for Small Estate Limited Letters of AuthorityThe petition for limited letters of administration or limited letters testamentary in a small estate.
- Limited Letters of Administration / Limited Letters TestamentaryThe limited letters the court issues in a small estate under Tenn. Code Ann. 30-4-101.
- Waiver of Bond - Small EstateA waiver of the bond in a small estate.
P.O. Box 501
Fax
1-865-264-6267
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Anderson 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 Anderson County, probate runs through the Chancery Court at 100 North Main Street, Suite 308, Clinton. The court sits in the 7th Judicial District.
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 Tennessee intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Tennessee estates take 9 months to 15 months to move through this process. Creditors have 4 monthsT.C.A. §§ 30-2-306, 30-2-307, 30-2-310, 30-2-314, 30-2-317Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Anderson County
What probate costs in Anderson County, Tennessee 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 Chancery Court at 100 North Main Street, Suite 308, Clinton. The court is part of the 7th Judicial District.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Requests for fees require written application with supporting affidavits.
The Chancery Court charges $275Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-21-401(c)(1) (as enacted by Pub. Ch. 486, HB 487, 114th Gen. Assemb., eff. 1/1/2026)Verified Oct 17, 2026 to open a probate case. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Tennessee are negotiated, typically 1.7%Modeled estimate under T.C.A. § 30-2-317(a)(1) (reasonable compensation to the personal representative's counsel, a first-priority cost of administration); § 30-2-606; no statutory percentage: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.7%Modeled estimate under T.C.A. § 30-2-317(a)(1) (reasonable compensation to the personal representative's counsel, a first-priority cost of administration); § 30-2-606; no statutory percentage: 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.
Tennessee allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payT.C.A. § 30-2-606 (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.
Tennessee 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 T.C.A. § 30-1-201(a) (bond required unless the will excuses it, the PR is the sole beneficiary, the adult beneficiaries consent, or § 45-2-1005 excuses a bank); § 30-1-201(a)(2) (penal sum)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Tennessee typically runs 9 months to 15 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Chancery Court
Probate cases in Anderson County are filed at the Chancery Court. File in person during business hours or by mail. The court sits in the 7th Judicial District.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
Tennessee has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not available.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Anderson County Self-Filing Assessment.
Anderson 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
Probate reports auto-referred to Clerk and Master; 10-day window to except
Reports submitted for audit are automatically referred to the Clerk and Master for review. If no exceptions are filed within ten (10) days after filing, the report stands approved and is entered on the minutes.
SourceClerk and Master is empowered to handle routine probate matters without specific order of reference
Unless otherwise ordered, the Clerk and Master may hear applications for letters testamentary/administration, adjudicate claims and exceptions, determine spousal/family allowances, preside over homestead and elective share proceedings, and take all accounts and settlements.
SourceDocument Requirements
Pleadings must be prepared by attorneys or the personal representative
Pleadings must be prepared and submitted by attorneys or by the personal representative. Non-attorney Clerk and Master staff cannot provide forms, instructions, or directions.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Chancery Court: Verified petition for letters with the contents required by Tenn. Code Ann. § 30-1-117 (petitioner, decedent, heirs/devisees, value estimate unless bond waived); Original will and any codicils, attached to the petition as an exhibit and lodged for probate (if testate); Proof of will (self-proving affidavit, or affidavit/testimony of an attesting witness) where the will is not self-proving; Oath of the personal representative for faithful performance (before the judge, clerk, or notary) (Tenn. Code Ann. § 30-1-111); Order admitting the will to probate / granting lettersTenn. Code Ann. §§ 30-1-101 (letters required), 30-1-102 / 32-2-101 (venue), 30-1-106 (intestate priority), 30-1-111 (oath), 30-1-117 (verified petition contents)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Anderson County
In Tennessee a death is registered locally, and in Anderson County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Anderson County Health Department as well as by Tennessee Department of Health - Office of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Anderson County · Anderson County Health Department
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
710 North Main Street, Suite A, Clinton, TN 37716
Website
Fees
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $15 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Medical Examiner
Anderson County · Anderson County Medical Examiner
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
2907 Production Lane, Knoxville, TN 37931
Website
Serves this county
Knox County Regional Forensic Center
Mail and offices
Fax
1-865-215-8001
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Anderson 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 Register of Deeds.
Deeds and other real property documents for Anderson County are recorded with the Register of Deeds at 100 North Main Street, Suite 205, Clinton, TN 37716. Phone: 1-865-457-6235. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
The Register of Deeds charges $10 for the first 2 pages plus $5 for each page beyond 2.
Anderson County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile and CSC.
Recording Office Record
Register of Deeds
Anderson County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
100 North Main Street, Suite 205, Clinton, TN 37716
Website
E-recording
Fees
Recording fees
| Base fee (first 2 pages) | $10 |
| Each page beyond 2 | $5 |
| Register's Data Processing FeeRequired with most deeds | $2 |
| Additional Instrument Fee | $5 |
| Electronic Filing (eFile) Submission Fee | $2 |
| Transfer Tax Receipt FeeRequired with most deeds | $1 |
Tenn. Code Ann. 8-21-1001(b)(3)-(5), (c), (j); 67-4-409(a), (d)(3)
Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Heirship Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Anderson County
Tennessee uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Anderson County — the filing sequence, notice requirements, and accounting leave little room for error. Estates under the small-estate threshold are the usual exception.
Probate attorney fees in Tennessee are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask an Anderson County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Chancery 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.
Knoxville firm on Kingston Pike, founded in 1989, working with probate clients in Knox, Blount, Loudon and Anderson counties. It advises and represents executors, administrators, personal representatives and trustees in probate and trust administration, through creditor notices and the final accounting. The firm handles estate and transactional work only and does not take lawsuits.
Elder law firm serving East Tennessee from Knoxville and Johnson City, founded in 2010 by Certified Elder Law Attorney Amelia Crotwell. It plans for long-term care through Medicaid, veterans benefits and Life Care Planning, and guides clients through probate and trust administration when an estate cannot avoid it. Its special needs work includes special needs trusts and conservatorships.
Kramer Rayson, established in 1948, practices from downtown Knoxville and Oak Ridge. Its estate team guides executors through probate, estate and trust administration, from court petitions and asset inventories to creditor claims, tax filings and distributions, and its litigators handle will contests, trust disputes and undue-influence or capacity challenges.
The Law Office of Robert W. Wilkinson practices from Oak Ridge and covers Anderson, Blount, Knox, Morgan, Loudon, Roane and Sevier counties. Robert Wilkinson takes executors through Tennessee probate and handles conservatorships, guardianships, wills, trusts and powers of attorney alongside family law. The office states that probate fees can usually be paid from the estate.
Clinton firm with further offices in LaFollette and Knoxville, serving Anderson, Campbell and Knox counties. In probate it represents the estate, the executor or beneficiaries: identifying assets and debts, notifying beneficiaries and TennCare, filing tax returns and distributing what remains, and it litigates probate disputes. It also petitions for conservatorships.
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
(8)·
- T.C.A. § 30-2-606 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)
- T.C.A. §§ 30-2-306, 30-2-307, 30-2-310, 30-2-314, 30-2-317
- Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-21-401(c)(1) (as enacted by Pub. Ch. 486, HB 487, 114th Gen. Assemb., eff. 1/1/2026)
- Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 30-1-101 (letters required), 30-1-102 / 32-2-101 (venue), 30-1-106 (intestate priority), 30-1-111 (oath), 30-1-117 (verified petition contents)
- Tenn. Code Ann. 8-21-1001(b)(3)-(5), (c), (j); 67-4-409(a), (d)(3)
- Anderson County Chancery Court, official page
- Anderson County Register of Deeds, official page
- Anderson County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Tennessee 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 Tennessee
Free tools for settling an estate in Tennessee: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Tennessee.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Tennessee: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 60 daysTenn. Code Ann. § 30-2-301Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsT.C.A. §§ 30-2-306, 30-2-307, 30-2-310, 30-2-314, 30-2-317Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Tennessee happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeTenn. Code Ann. § 35-15-101 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysTenn. Code Ann. § 35-15-813(b); § 35-15-1005Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
Tennessee has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not available.
Get the Answer
Hire a Tennessee Probate Attorney
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