OptionalDavidson County courts take e-filings through the Metro Nashville eFlex portal, run on Tybera, for the Circuit, Probate and General Sessions Civil courts. The clerk charges no fee to open an account or file; a third-party fee of 2.25% applies to a card or eCheck payment. On paper: Publication notices and original wills cannot be e-filed; The original will is tendered to the clerk within 5 business days after the petition is filed; Accountings must be e-filed, and the original with its supporting documents goes to the clerk within 5 business days.
Self-represented filing
AllowedA person acting for themselves may file and appear, and a fiduciary may file where a statute allows it; the court may require an attorney where a matter calls for one. The clerk posts estate forms, among them small estate petitions with and without a will, an inventory, accountings and statements in lieu of a final accounting.
Accepted payment
At the counterCash, Credit card, Debit card.The clerk takes cash, major cards and Tap to Pay (Apple Pay or Google Pay), with a 2.25% card service fee. Personal checks and money orders are not taken for small estate petitions, and court costs can also be paid through the clerk's Fee Payment System by card or electronic check.
Hearing schedule
New estate petitions are heard on the Estate Opening docket on available Thursdays at 9:00 AM, and other petitions on the General Petition docket at 10:00 AM. Each docket closes two weeks before the hearing date, and the clerk posts the docket schedules.
Self-help center
1 Public Square, Suite 303 (Resource Center)1-615-862-5207 · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM · Assistance in Interpreter (ILA translator) available in addition to EnglishThe Resource Center routes visitors to the forms they need, points to payments and case lookups, and explains filing and e-filing basics. Staff do not choose or fill out forms or give legal advice.
Fax filingsThe fax line the Probate Court Clerk prints for fax filings under the local fax filing rule.
About the court
Probate in Davidson County is handled by the Seventh Circuit Court, Probate Division, whose clerk is the Circuit Court Clerk, not the Chancery Court Clerk and Master.
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 Davidson County, probate runs through the Probate Court at 1 Public Square, Suite 302, Nashville. The court sits in the 20th Judicial District. Davidson County uses efile.nashville.gov for probate e-filing, while most Tennessee counties file through go.tybera.net.
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 Davidson County
What probate costs in Davidson 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 Probate Court at 1 Public Square, Suite 302, Nashville. The court is part of the 20th Judicial District.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Status report 15 months after appointment, then annually; Closing a solvent estate without a final accounting.
The Probate 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 Probate Court
Probate documents in Davidson County can be filed in person at the Probate Court, by mail, or electronically. Most families handling probate themselves prefer paper filing, though e-filing is available. The court sits in the 20th Judicial District. Electronic probate filing sets Davidson County apart — only 21 Tennessee counties accept it, with the rest filing on paper.
Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Fax filings.
The Resource Center routes visitors to the forms they need, points to payments and case lookups, and explains filing and e-filing basics. Staff do not choose or fill out forms or give legal advice.
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.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
Probate filings go to the Probate Court Clerk (Seventh Circuit Court, Probate Division), not Chancery Court
The Seventh Circuit Court, Probate Division, holds exclusive jurisdiction in Davidson County over estate administration and the probate of wills, and concurrent jurisdiction over conservatorships and guardianships. Its clerk is the Circuit Court Clerk, so estate petitions are filed with the Probate Court Clerk at 1 Public Square, not with the Chancery Court Clerk and Master.
A petition to open an estate must be complete before it is set for hearing
The petition is verified and complete, the notice of hearing names the correct day, time and place and goes to all interested persons, and a copy of any will is attached as an exhibit. A filing found incomplete at hearing is continued indefinitely until it is completed and reset with notice.
The petition lists every beneficiary and every intestate heir
A petition to probate a will names the address, age and relationship of each beneficiary and, in a separate paragraph, each intestate heir, with enough family detail to show why they are heirs. Unless bond is waived, it states the approximate value of the probate assets.
Filed with the opening petition at the Probate 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 Davidson County
In Tennessee a death is registered locally, and in Davidson County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Metro Public Health Department, Vital Records, Davidson County as well as by Tennessee Department of Health - Office of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Davidson County · Metro Public Health Department, Vital Records
Vital Records
Lentz Public Health Center
2500 Charlotte Avenue
Nashville, TN 37209
Local rule
The office issues death certificates for deaths in Nashville and Davidson County from January 1, 1966. A copy showing the cause of death goes to a parent, child or spouse, and any other applicant documents why it is needed.
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 Davidson County are recorded with the Register of Deeds at 300 Deaderick Street, Nashville, TN 37201. Phone: 1-615-862-6790. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 196398, Nashville, TN 37219-6398.
The Register of Deeds charges $10 for the first 2 pages plus $5 for each page beyond 2.
Davidson County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, ePN and Indecomm.
Tennessee uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Davidson 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 Davidson County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Probate 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.
Baker Donelson is a national firm whose Tennessee trusts and estates attorneys work from Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga. The group probates wills, assists executors and trustees in settling estates and trusts, prepares estate tax returns and litigates family and fiduciary disputes. It also handles post-mortem tax planning and guardianship and conservatorship proceedings.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 5 more
Office
1600 West End Avenue, Suite 2000Nashville, TN 37203
Brentwood estate planning and estate administration firm serving Williamson, Davidson and the rest of Middle Tennessee. For executors and trustees it probates wills, prepares affidavits of heirship, collects and values estate assets, and handles will contests. Russ Cook was the first attorney recognized as an estate planning specialist by the Tennessee Board of Certification and Specialization.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 5 more
Estate planning and probate firm with offices in Nashville, Clarksville, Franklin, Springfield, Chattanooga and Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Its attorneys open estates and obtain letters testamentary, handle small estates and real estate transfers, assist trustees with trust administration, and litigate will contests over undue influence and capacity. Fees are flat rates quoted upfront.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 7 more
Franklin probate and estate practice serving Williamson, Davidson and Rutherford counties. Shanone Emmack assists executors in administering estates under court supervision and litigates will contests, executor and beneficiary conflicts, breach of fiduciary duty claims and partition of inherited property. She also handles conservatorships, including emergency conservatorships.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 2 more
Gullett Sanford Robinson & Martin is a downtown Nashville firm of 29 lawyers with a Franklin office, practicing for more than 80 years. Its estate planning and probate team represents families and fiduciaries in probate and trust administration, conservatorships and guardianships, and estate and fiduciary litigation, and builds business succession plans.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 8 more
Office
150 Third Avenue South, Suite 1700Nashville, TN 37201
Martin, Tate, Morrow & Marston, founded in Memphis over 100 years ago, practices from Memphis and Nashville. It assists personal representatives and trustees with estate and trust administration in Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas, including estate tax returns and IRS disputes, and handles will contests, guardianships and conservatorships. Members include ACTEC fellows.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 5 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.
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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.
