Estate Planning & Probate in Hawkins County, Tennessee
Hawkins County estate questions split two ways—planning so your family skips probate, or settling an estate that is already in it. Start with your situation below; both paths use Hawkins County's actual court and recording details.
The Probate Process in Hawkins 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 Hawkins County, probate runs through the Chancery Court at 100 East Main Street, Suite 316, Rogersville. The court sits in the 3rd Judicial District. Hawkins County is one of 21 Tennessee counties that accept probate e-filing; most probate courts in the state still take filings on paper.
Full Hawkins County probate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Hawkins County Chancery Court
Hawkins County · 3rd Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Hawkins County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Recording Office Record
Register of Deeds
Hawkins County
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Recording fee
Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Hawkins County · Hawkins County Health Department
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Certified copy fee
Full death certificate details →
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Medical Examiner
Hawkins County · Hawkins County Medical Examiner
Full coroner or medical examiner details →
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the Chancery Court
Chancery Court begins at 10:00 a.m. on posted court dates; the remaining 2026 dates are October 20 and 27, November 12 and 19, and December 3, 9 and 17. A hearing is set by sending a Notice of Hearing or a letter to the Clerk and Master for a listed date, and proceedings are presumed to be in person.
Under the 3rd Judicial District chancery rules, the Clerk and Master approves applications for letters testamentary and of administration, adjudicates claims and exceptions, takes accounts and settlements, and may shorten the 45-day small estate waiting period. Final orders closing an estate are lodged with the Clerk for review before the Chancellor signs them. A small estate cannot be opened until 45 days after the death. The petition for limited letters is filed with a copy of the death certificate and a TennCare release, and an original will is lodged with the Clerk to support the petition; bond is not required when all other heirs sign a waiver.
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Tennessee
Free Tennessee forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Tennessee.
Last Will and Testament
In Tennessee, a will is signed before 2T.C.A. § 32-1-104Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyT.C.A. § 32-1-104Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Pour-Over Will
In Tennessee, a pour-over will is signed before 2T.C.A. § 32-1-104Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Tennessee allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2Tenn. Code Ann. § 68-11-1805; Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0720-36-.13Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
Financial Power of Attorney
Tennessee requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityT.C.A. §§ 34-6-101 to 34-6-112; §§ 66-22-101, 66-24-101, 66-26-101, 66-26-103Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementT.C.A. §§ 34-6-101 to 34-6-112; §§ 66-22-101, 66-24-101, 66-26-101, 66-26-103Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Tennessee
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Tennessee: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay 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.
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.
Do I Need Probate?
In Tennessee, estates with personal property of $50,000T.C.A. § 30-4-101Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less qualify for the Small Estate Probate Act PetitionT.C.A. § 30-4-101Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 45 daysT.C.A. § 30-4-101Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death, a court procedure short of full probate.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in Tennessee, descendants divide what passes to them per capita with representationTenn. Code §§ 31-2-104(b)(1), 31-2-106Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and an heir must survive the decedent by 120 hoursTenn. Code § 31-3-108Verified Oct 21, 2026View source to inherit.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Tennessee costs an estimated $24,527T.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 percentageVerified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 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 the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
Tennessee Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Hawkins County.
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