Vernal practice in the Uintah Basin, seeing clients mainly by appointment. Attorney Gayle F. McKeachnie, practising since 1970, handles probate and the settlement of trusts and estates alongside wills and trusts, and also works in business, real estate (including farm and ranch transactions) and natural resource law.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Uintah County, Utah
How probate works in Uintah County: the District Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Uintah County District Court
Uintah County · 8th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
920 East Highway 40, Vernal, UT 84078
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
Filing
E-filing
Required for attorneysAttorneys and licensed paralegal practitioners must e-file every pleading and paper in a probate case. A self-represented party may file by email, by mail or in person instead, and the courts' MyCase portal does not take probate filings. On paper: Self-represented parties may file by email, mail or in person; A Demand for Notice may be filed on paper when no probate case exists yet; Paper wills may be submitted for safekeeping; Documents in sealed cases are filed on paper.
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedThe clerk's office takes papers in person during business hours. A filer must be at the counter before the office closes, and some courts stop taking filings shortly before closing.
Self-represented filing
AllowedAnyone may file a probate case in Utah without a lawyer. A self-represented filer delivers papers to the clerk's office, mails them, or emails them to the court's filing address. A mailed filing includes a check for the filing fee; for an emailed filing the court sends instructions on how to pay.
Self-help center
- Self-help service1-888-683-0009 · selfhelp@utcourts.gov · Monday-Friday 11:00 AM-5:00 PM · Assistance in Spanish in addition to EnglishThe statewide Self-Help Center serves every Utah county by phone, email and text. Its staff attorneys answer questions about the law and court process and help with court forms; they do not give legal advice or represent anyone in court. The text line is 801-742-1898.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Uintah 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 Uintah County, probate runs through the District Court at 920 East Highway 40, Vernal. The court sits in the 8th Judicial District. Uintah County shares the 8th Judicial District with Daggett and Duchesne.
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 Utah intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Utah estates take 6 months to 12 months to move through this process. Creditors have 3 monthsUtah Code §§ 75-3-801, 75-3-803, 75-3-805, 75-3-806Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Uintah County
What probate costs in Uintah County, Utah 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 District Court at 920 East Highway 40, Vernal. The court is part of the 8th Judicial District.
Utah charges $375Utah Code § 78A-2-301(1)(a)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source 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 Utah are negotiated, typically 2.2%Modeled estimate under Utah Code § 75-3-718 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.5%Modeled estimate under Utah Code § 75-3-718 (reasonable compensation; 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.
Utah allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payUtah Code § 75-3-718 (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.
Probate in Utah typically runs 6 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the District Court
Probate cases in Uintah County, Utah are filed at the District Court. The court sits in the 8th Judicial District.
The statewide Self-Help Center serves every Utah county by phone, email and text. Its staff attorneys answer questions about the law and court process and help with court forms; they do not give legal advice or represent anyone in court. The text line is 801-742-1898.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
Utah has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is availableUtah Code § 75-3-301Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Uintah County Self-Filing Assessment.
What to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the District Court: Official death certificate, submitted with the probate paperwork (Utah Courts instruction — not a statutory requirement); The will and any codicils (where there is a will): the original held by the court, or a copy filed while the applicant keeps the original (Utah Code 75-3-301(3)(a)); Utah District Court Cover Sheet for Probate Actions (1158XX); Acceptance of Appointment as Personal Representative (1008ES) — required before Letters issue (Utah Code 75-3-601); Waiver of Notice (1003ES) and, from a person with equal or higher priority, Renunciation or Nomination (1004ES)Utah Code 75-3-301 (informal application to registrar); 75-3-401, 75-3-402 (formal testacy & appointment petition); 75-3-103, 75-3-601 (qualification & Letters)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Uintah County
In Utah a death is registered locally, and in Uintah County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by TriCounty Health Department Vital Records, Vernal, Uintah County as well as by Utah Office of Vital Records and Statistics.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Uintah County · TriCounty Health Department Vital Records, Vernal
Phone
Hours
Monday 7:30 AM-4:30 PM; Tuesday-Thursday 7:30 AM-5:30 PM; Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
133 South 500 East, Vernal, UT 84078
Website
Certified copies
At the counter
Fees
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $35 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $10 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
State Medical Examiner
Uintah County · Office of the Medical Examiner
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
4451 South 2700 West, Taylorsville, UT 84129
Website
Serves this county
Utah Office of the Medical Examiner
Mail and offices
Fax
1-801-964-1240
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Uintah 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 County Recorder.
Deeds and other real property documents for Uintah County are recorded with the County Recorder at 147 East Main Street, Vernal, UT 84078. Phone: 1-435-781-5398. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
The County Recorder charges $45 flat, regardless of page count.
Uintah County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile and CSC.
Recording Office Record
County Recorder
Uintah County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
147 East Main Street, Vernal, UT 84078
Website
E-recording
available via Simplifile and CSC
Fees
Recording fees
| Flat fee (any length) | $45 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | No transfer tax applies to TOD deeds |
Utah Code 17-71-407 (formerly 17-21-18.5)
Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Death Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Uintah County
Utah allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Uintah County without hiring an attorney. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in Utah are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask an Uintah County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the District 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.
Vernal firm on Vernal Avenue serving Uintah and Duchesne counties in the Uintah Basin. Takes Utah probates, contested or not, from the filing that has a personal representative appointed through gathering assets, paying debts and distributing to heirs. Also drafts wills, trusts and powers of attorney, and will travel to clients in the Basin or along the Wasatch Front.
Provo estate planning practice of attorney Marne Pehrson, with offices in Lehi, Sandy, Salt Lake City, Park City and Heber City, serving Duchesne, Uintah and Daggett counties through virtual meetings and in-person appointments. Drafts wills and trust-based estate plans for parents and homeowners, including guardian nominations for minor children, at flat fees set at the first planning meeting.
Draper estate planning firm with a second office in Kaysville, working with clients throughout Utah. Handles uncontested informal probate for a $2,000 flat attorney fee plus court filing fees, preparing the paperwork to appoint a personal representative; the firm does not take contested probate, will challenges, or inheritance disputes. Also prepares flat-fee will- and trust-based estate plans.
Provo firm of about 20 attorneys serving Utah Valley, with offices in Murray, St. George, and Gilbert, Arizona. Assists executors and administrators through probate, helps trustees meet their deadlines and fiduciary duties, defends trust administrators in litigation, and handles guardianships, conservatorships, Medicaid planning, and elder abuse matters.
Logan firm that has served Cache Valley since 1910 and practices across Northern Utah, with members who have served as county attorneys in Cache and Rich counties. Its estate and tax planning practice prepares wills, probate avoidance trusts, life insurance trusts, defective grantor trusts and irrevocable trusts, and advises on the tax consequences of a plan and on who will administer the estate.
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
(9)·
- Utah Code § 75-3-301
- Utah Code § 75-3-718 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)
- Utah Code § 78A-2-301(1)(a)
- Utah Code §§ 75-3-801, 75-3-803, 75-3-805, 75-3-806
- Utah Code 75-3-301 (informal application to registrar); 75-3-401, 75-3-402 (formal testacy & appointment petition); 75-3-103, 75-3-601 (qualification & Letters)
- Utah Code 17-71-407 (formerly 17-21-18.5)
- Uintah County District Court, official page
- Uintah County Recorder, official page
- Uintah County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Utah 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 Utah
Free tools for settling an estate in Utah: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Utah.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Utah: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysUtah Code §§ 75-3-705, 75-3-706, 75-3-707Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 3 monthsUtah Code §§ 75-3-801, 75-3-803, 75-3-805, 75-3-806Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Utah happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeUtah Code Title 75B, Chapter 2 (Uniform Trust Code)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysUtah Code § 75B-2-811 (formerly § 75-7-811; renumbered eff. 5/7/2025)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
Utah has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is availableUtah Code § 75-3-301Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
Get the Answer
Hire an Utah Probate Attorney
Browse vetted Utah attorneys handling probate matters.
Browse firms
Notify Banks & Financial Institutions
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
