Walk-ins acceptedThe Clerk and Master no longer schedules in-person appointments, and filers come to the office during business hours.
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe probate page lists what to bring for a standard estate and for a small estate affidavit, and the office posts a Probate Information Sheet for self-represented filers. Clerk and Master staff prepare the filing documents from that information.
Accepted payment
At the counterCash, Money order.The office takes cash, money orders and bank-certified checks, and does not take personal or business checks, debit cards or credit cards. Payments are made payable to Blount County Clerk & Master, and the filing fee is collected when the case is set up.
County forms
Probate Information SheetThe information sheet the office asks for with every standard estate and small estate filing, with the names and mailing addresses of the beneficiaries or heirs.
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 Blount County, probate runs through the Chancery Court at 930 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville. The court sits in the 5th 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 Blount County
What probate costs in Blount 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 930 East Lamar Alexander Parkway, Maryville. The court is part of the 5th Judicial District.
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 Blount County are filed at the Chancery Court. File in person during business hours or by mail. The court sits in the 5th 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.
Small estate affidavit requires 45-day wait after death
The office takes a small estate affidavit for an estate of personal property only (no real estate) valued at $50,000 or less, no sooner than 45 days after the date of death. No letters of administration or letters testamentary issue in a small estate.
Original will and death certificate required at filing
The original Last Will and Testament must be filed and permanently remains with the court. An original death certificate and a completed Probate Information Sheet (with names and full mailing addresses of all beneficiaries) are also required.
Personal representatives must appear in person with photo ID
Every personal representative named in the will appears in person with photo identification and the names and full mailing addresses of the beneficiaries. The decedent must have been a Blount County resident at death.
Document preparation within seven business days of submission
After materials are submitted, the probate clerk prepares the filing documents within seven business days and notifies the personal representative to come in, review and sign them before a notary. The case then goes to the judge for the order opening the estate.
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 Blount County
In Tennessee a death is registered locally, and in Blount County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Blount County Health Department as well as by Tennessee Department of Health - Office of Vital Records.
Death certificates are issued from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., for deaths up to six years back. For an older death, the Tennessee Office of Vital Records issues the copy.
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 Blount County are recorded with the Register of Deeds at 349 Court Street, Maryville, TN 37804. Phone: 1-865-273-5880. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
The Register of Deeds charges $10 for the first 2 pages plus $5 for each page beyond 2.
Tennessee uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Blount 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 a Blount 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.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 5 more
Kizer & Black has practiced from Maryville since 1968, serving clients in and around Blount County and throughout East Tennessee. Its estate and elder practice handles estate and trust administration, will contests and other estate litigation, alongside estate planning. P. Andrew Sneed handles wills and elder law; the firm does not offer free consultations.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 3 more
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateConservatorshipGuardianshipand 5 more
Griffin Law Group, PLLC practices from Sparta, with a second office in Knoxville, across the Upper Cumberland's Thirteenth, Fifteenth and Thirty-First Judicial Districts. Its probate attorneys open testate and intestate estates and guide the personal representative through inventory, creditor claims and distribution. Founder Brandon Griffin also handles conservatorships.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateConservatorshipBankruptcyand 3 more
Mason & Associates practices from Gallatin in Sumner County, serving clients throughout Tennessee and Kentucky in elder law and estate planning only. It handles probate and trust administration, with a free 30-minute probate consultation by phone, in person or by video, and conservatorship petitions. Jake Mason is board-certified in both elder law and estate planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 6 more
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.
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.
Enter the estate value to see Tennessee attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
Examples:
General information about probate costs, not legal or financial advice. Fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value or net property after debts. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
$
See whether you can file probate yourself
Enter the estate value to see whether Tennessee lets a self-represented person open probate, what the court requires, and what each route costs.
General information about filing probate without a lawyer, not legal advice. Both routes are priced by the probate cost estimator on the same estate; the attorney fee is the one line that differs. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
