Family-run firm founded in 1970 on East Division Street in Fond du Lac, with a Milwaukee-area office in Whitefish Bay. Handles probate administration, non-probate transfers such as retitling real estate and transfer on death deeds, beneficiary designations down to Packers season tickets, and special needs trusts including WisPACT, for small and large estates.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin
How probate works in Fond du Lac County: the Circuit Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Fond du Lac County Circuit Court
Fond du Lac County · 4th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
160 South Macy Street, Fond du Lac, WI 54935
Website
Files probate
Register in Probate
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
Required for attorneysAttorneys must e-file probate cases in Wisconsin circuit courts. A self-represented filer may register to e-file or file on paper with the Register in Probate. On paper: Self-represented parties are not required to e-file and may file paper documents (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(b)-(c)); The original will is filed on paper, and a will deposited for safekeeping may not be e-filed (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(9)(i)-(j)).
Self-represented filing
AllowedEstate forms for informal, formal and special administration, summary assignment, summary settlement and transfer by affidavit are on the Wisconsin court system's forms site. The Register in Probate office answers questions about which form to use and does not give legal advice.
Fax
1-920-906-5540
Departments
- Register in Probate1-920-929-3084 · Takes probate filings
About the court
- Located in City/County Government Center.
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Fond du Lac 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 Fond du Lac County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 160 South Macy Street, 2nd Floor, Fond du Lac. The court sits in the 4th 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 Wisconsin intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Wisconsin estates take 9 months to 12 months to move through this process. Creditors have 4 monthsWis. Stat. §§ 859.01, 859.02, 859.07, 859.25Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the opening of the estate.
What Probate Costs in Fond du Lac County
What probate costs in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin 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 Circuit Court at 160 South Macy Street, 2nd Floor, Fond du Lac. The court is part of the 4th Judicial District.
Wisconsin charges $36 - $36 (graduated by the net probate estate)Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2.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 Wisconsin are negotiated, typically 1.8%Modeled estimate under Wis. Stat. § 851.40(1) (just and reasonable compensation for services under chs. 851-879, incl. ch. 865 informal administration; no statutory percentage for attorneys): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source to 2.9%Modeled estimate under Wis. Stat. § 851.40(1) (just and reasonable compensation for services under chs. 851-879, incl. ch. 865 informal administration; no statutory percentage for attorneys): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source of estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Wisconsin sets executor compensation by statute — about $10,000 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 2.0%Wis. Stat. § 857.05(2) (2% commission on inventory value less mortgages and liens plus net principal gains, subject to court approval; a different rate by written agreement; extraordinary services)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Wisconsin 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 Wis. Stat. § 856.25 (bond solely within court discretion; will requests not binding)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Wisconsin typically runs 9 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Circuit Court
Probate cases in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin are filed at the Register in Probate of the Circuit Court. The court sits in the 4th Judicial District.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
Wisconsin has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is availableWis. Stat. Ch. 865 (informal administration by probate registrar)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Fond du Lac County Self-Filing Assessment.
Fond du Lac County Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Document Requirements
Original wills are filed with the Register in Probate within 30 days of death
A will dropped off in person gets a receipt. A will sent by mail gets a receipt only when a self-addressed stamped envelope comes with it.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Circuit Court: Certified copy of the death certificate — NOT a filed document in Wisconsin. No statute or statewide probate form requires one to open an estate or obtain Letters; where a Register in Probate asks to see one, the clerk abstracts it onto form GF-162 and hands the original back (Wis. Stat. § 69.24(1)(a) makes copying a vital record a Class I felony); Original will and any codicils, filed with the court (Wis. Stat. § 856.05 — duty to deliver the will within 30 days of knowledge of the death)Wis. Stat. ch. 856 (formal opening, qualification, letters) & ch. 865 (informal administration); § 856.21 (persons entitled to domiciliary letters — priority); § 865.08 (informal appointment; letters)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Fond du Lac County
In Wisconsin a death is registered locally, and in Fond du Lac County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Register of Deeds, Fond du Lac County as well as by Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Vital Records Office.
Vital Records Office Record
Register of Deeds
Fond du Lac County · Register of Deeds
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 7:45 AM-4:30 PM
Office
160 South Macy Street, 1st Floor, Fond du Lac, WI 54935
Website
Certified copies
At the counter
Order online
P.O. Box 509
Fond du Lac, WI 54936-0509
Fax
1-920-929-3293
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $20 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $3 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Medical Examiner
Fond du Lac County · Fond du Lac County Medical Examiner's Office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
134 Western Avenue, Fond du Lac, WI 54935
Website
Mail and offices
Fax
1-920-929-6818
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Fond du Lac 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 Fond du Lac County are recorded with the Register of Deeds at 160 South Macy Street, 1st Floor, Fond du Lac, WI 54935. Phone: 1-920-929-3018. Hours: Monday-Friday 7:45 AM-4:30 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 509, Fond du Lac, WI 54936-0509.
The Register of Deeds charges $30 flat, regardless of page count.
Fond du Lac County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, Indecomm, ePN and Hopdox.
Recording Office Record
Register of Deeds
Fond du Lac County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 7:45 AM-4:30 PM
Office
160 South Macy Street, 1st Floor, Fond du Lac, WI 54935
Website
P.O. Box 509
Fond du Lac, WI 54936-0509
Fax
1-920-929-3293
Recording fees
| Flat fee (any length) | $30 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
Wis. Stat. 59.43(2)(ag)
Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Death Form · Affidavit of Heirship Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Fond du Lac County
Wisconsin allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Fond du Lac 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 Wisconsin are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Fond du Lac County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Circuit 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.
Serves Winnebago, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Waushara, Waupaca, Marquette, Dodge, and Brown counties from Oshkosh and Berlin, in practice since 2007. Handles probate and estate administration, including when family members disagree, alongside wills, revocable living trusts, powers of attorney, and retirement benefits planning. Attorney Nate Olson leads the practice.
Serves Northeast Wisconsin from its Appleton main office, with appointment-only offices in Green Bay and Clintonville. Represents heirs, beneficiaries, family members, and corporate fiduciaries through probate and trust administration and counsels successor trustees. Also plans for nursing-home and long-term-care costs under Wisconsin Medicaid rules.
Solo practice on State Street in downtown Oshkosh, founded in 2018 by attorney Joe McCleer, who practices exclusively in elder law and estate planning. Handles long-term care and Medicaid planning, asset protection from nursing home costs, special needs planning for beneficiaries on SSI or Medicaid, and will- and trust-based plans, almost always on flat fees.
Serves West Bend and Washington County, plus Dodge, Sheboygan, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Fond du Lac, and Waukesha counties. Guides personal representatives and successor trustees through formal and informal probate and trust administration, and handles will and trust contests involving undue influence, lack of capacity, or breach of fiduciary duty. Practicing in West Bend since 1933.
Serves Wisconsin from seven offices in the state, led by Milwaukee and Madison. The Trusts and Estates group handles formal and informal probate, post-mortem trust administration, claims against estates and trusts, and estate tax returns, and represents personal representatives, trustees, and beneficiaries in will contests, trust disputes, and contested guardianships. Founded in 1904.
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)·
- Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2.
- Wis. Stat. § 857.05(2) (2% commission on inventory value less mortgages and liens plus net principal gains, subject to court approval; a different rate by written agreement; extraordinary services)
- Wis. Stat. §§ 859.01, 859.02, 859.07, 859.25
- Wis. Stat. ch. 856 (formal opening, qualification, letters) & ch. 865 (informal administration); § 856.21 (persons entitled to domiciliary letters — priority); § 865.08 (informal appointment; letters)
- Wis. Stat. Ch. 865 (informal administration by probate registrar)
- Wis. Stat. 59.43(2)(ag)
- Fond du Lac County Circuit Court, official page
- Fond du Lac County Register of Deeds, official page
- Fond du Lac County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin
Free tools for settling an estate in Wisconsin: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Wisconsin.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Wisconsin: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 180 daysWis. Stat. §§ 858.01, 858.13, 858.15, 858.17Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsWis. Stat. §§ 859.01, 859.02, 859.07, 859.25Verified 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 Wisconsin happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeWis. Stat. § 701.0101 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
Wisconsin has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is availableWis. Stat. Ch. 865 (informal administration by probate registrar)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source.
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