Serves Grant County and southwest Wisconsin from Lancaster, across the street from the Grant County Courthouse. Handles probate alongside wills, trusts, and estate planning, with partners Stephen J. Vogelsberg and David M. Helmke listing probate in their practices. Matters are billed hourly, on contingency, or at a flat fee where applicable.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Grant County, Wisconsin
How probate works in Grant County: the Circuit Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Grant County Circuit Court
Grant County · 7th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
130 West Maple Street, Lancaster, WI 53813
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)).
P.O. Box 110
Lancaster, WI 53813
Fax
1-608-723-3101
Departments
- Register in Probate1-608-723-2697 · Takes probate filings
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Grant 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 Grant County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 130 West Maple Street, Lancaster. The court sits in the 7th 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 Grant County
What probate costs in Grant 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 130 West Maple Street, Lancaster. The court is part of the 7th 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 Grant County, Wisconsin are filed at the Register in Probate of the Circuit Court. The court sits in the 7th 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 Grant County Self-Filing Assessment.
What 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 Coroner in Grant County
In Wisconsin a death is registered locally, and in Grant County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Register of Deeds, Grant County as well as by Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Vital Records Office.
Vital Records Office Record
Register of Deeds
Grant County · Register of Deeds
Phone
Hours
Monday-Thursday 7:00 AM-4:30 PM; Friday 7:00 AM-noon
Office
111 South Jefferson Street, Lancaster, WI 53813
Website
Order online
P.O. Box 391
Lancaster, WI 53813
Fax
1-608-723-4048
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
Coroner
Grant County · Grant County Coroner
Phone
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Grant 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 Grant County are recorded with the Register of Deeds at 111 South Jefferson Street, Lancaster, WI 53813. Phone: 1-608-723-2727. Hours: Monday-Thursday 7:00 AM-4:30 PM; Friday 7:00 AM-noon.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 391, Lancaster, WI 53813.
The Register of Deeds charges $30 flat, regardless of page count.
Grant County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, Indecomm and ePN.
Recording Office Record
Register of Deeds
Grant County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Thursday 7:00 AM-4:30 PM; Friday 7:00 AM-noon
Office
111 South Jefferson Street, Lancaster, WI 53813
Website
P.O. Box 391
Lancaster, WI 53813
Fax
1-608-723-4048
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 Grant County
Wisconsin allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Grant 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 Grant 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 the Coulee Region, western Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota from offices in La Crosse and Sparta, rooted in a practice dating to 1900. Guides executors through Wisconsin and Minnesota probate and estate administration, and represents clients in inheritance disputes through mediation, arbitration, or court. Drafts wills, trusts, and business succession plans.
Serves the La Crosse and Holmen areas from offices in downtown La Crosse and Holmen. Its estate planning and elder law group handles probate and trust disputes alongside wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, and represents clients on Medicare, Medicaid, and long-term-care matters. Estate planning is one of twelve practice areas, with tax planning and succession planning for family businesses.
Serves La Crosse, the Coulee Region and the tri-state area from Main Street. Handles uncontested probate and litigates will and trust contests, breach of fiduciary duty and beneficiary-rights disputes, along with guardianships, conservatorships, and special-needs and WisPact trusts. Consultations are offered by phone, video, or in person.
Offices in Fort Atkinson and Jefferson, in Jefferson County, among a dozen across southern Wisconsin. Its probate practice files and serves probate documents, handles intestacy proceedings, coordinates personal representatives, trustees and beneficiaries, and mediates and litigates disputes, alongside guardianship and conservatorship. Nathan Russell founded the firm in 2009.
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)
- Grant County Circuit Court, official page
- Grant County Register of Deeds, official page
- Grant 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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