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.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Lauderdale County, Tennessee
How probate works in Lauderdale County: the Probate & Juvenile Court (County Clerk's Office) record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Lauderdale County Probate & Juvenile Court (County Clerk's Office)
Lauderdale County · 25th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
307 South Washington Street, Ripley, TN 38063
Website
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Fax
1-731-635-4301
Departments
- Probate & Juvenile Court (judge chambers)1-731-635-3505 · Lauderdale County Courthouse, 100 Court SquareThe Probate and Juvenile Court is a separate court from the Chancery Court in Lauderdale County.
- Chancery Court (Clerk & Master)1-731-635-1941 · Lauderdale County Courthouse, 100 Court SquareThe Clerk and Master is the clerk of the Chancery Court, which hears equity matters.
About the court
- Lauderdale County has a separate Probate and Juvenile Court, apart from the Chancery Court.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale County, probate runs through the Probate & Juvenile Court (County Clerk's Office) at 307 South Washington Street, Ripley. The court sits in the 25th Judicial District. Lauderdale County shares the 25th Judicial District with Fayette, Hardeman, McNairy and Tipton.
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 Lauderdale County
What probate costs in Lauderdale 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 & Juvenile Court (County Clerk's Office) at 307 South Washington Street, Ripley. The court is part of the 25th Judicial District.
Tennessee 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 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 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 & Juvenile Court (County Clerk's Office)
Probate cases in Lauderdale County are filed at the Probate & Juvenile Court (County Clerk's Office). File in person during business hours or by mail. The court sits in the 25th Judicial District.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Probate & Juvenile Court (judge chambers) and Chancery Court (Clerk & Master).
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 Lauderdale County Self-Filing Assessment.
What to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Probate & Juvenile Court (County Clerk's Office): 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 Lauderdale County
In Tennessee a death is registered locally, and in Lauderdale County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Lauderdale County Health Department as well as by Tennessee Department of Health - Office of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Lauderdale County · Lauderdale County Health Department
Phone
Hours
8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
500 Highway 51 South, Ripley, TN 38063
Website
Fees
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $15 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Medical Examiner
Lauderdale County · Lauderdale County Medical Examiner
Phone
Office
637 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38105
Website
Serves this county
West Tennessee Regional Forensic Center
Mail and offices
Fax
1-901-222-4645
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale County are recorded with the Register of Deeds at 100 Court Square, Ripley, TN 38063. Phone: 1-731-635-2171.
The Register of Deeds charges $10 for the first 2 pages plus $5 for each page beyond 2.
Recording Office Record
Register of Deeds
Lauderdale County
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 Lauderdale County
Tennessee uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Probate & Juvenile Court (County Clerk's Office), 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.
Mobley & Gontarek practices from Nashville and serves clients throughout Tennessee. It settles complex estates and trusts, prepares federal and state estate tax returns, handles estate tax audits, and litigates will contests, undue-influence and elective-share claims and trust disputes for fiduciaries and beneficiaries. Jeff Mobley is an ACTEC Fellow and co-author of the Pritchard wills treatise.
Music City Estate Law has offices in Franklin and Nashville and states that it serves all of Tennessee. It walks executors through Tennessee probate, from the petition and creditor notice to the inventory, the TennCare release and closing, and guides successor trustees through trust administration. The firm also drafts Tennessee dynasty trusts and domestic asset protection trusts.
Oakes Law Firm is a Knoxville solo practice on Kingston Pike that takes clients across Tennessee. R. Seth Oakes guides families through probate after a death, from validating a will to paying debts and taxes and distributing assets, and prepares wills, trusts and estate plans. As a solo practitioner he keeps direct contact with each client.
Parham Estate Law has offices in Memphis and Henderson, serving Shelby, Fayette, Madison and Chester counties and probate clients throughout Tennessee. It guides executors and administrators from appointment and bond through creditors, taxes, distribution and the final accounting, and represents them when beneficiaries dispute the administration.
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)
- Lauderdale County Probate & Juvenile Court (County Clerk's Office), official page
- Lauderdale County Register of Deeds, official page
- Lauderdale 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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