Manitowoc law firm on North 8th Street whose attorneys are Manitowoc natives, serving Manitowoc, Two Rivers, Sheboygan, and Fond du Lac. Advises personal representatives on intestate administration, summary administration and formal probate of larger estates, and counsels out-of-state executors handling Wisconsin estates, alongside Medicaid eligibility and guardianship.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Oconto County, Wisconsin
How probate works in Oconto County: the Circuit Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Oconto County Circuit Court
Oconto County · 8th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
301 Washington Street, Oconto, WI 54153
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
AllowedInformal administration may be granted without an attorney. The Register in Probate points filers to the statewide probate forms and the Personal Representative's Guide to Informal Probate.
Fax
1-920-834-7117
Departments
- Register in Probate1-920-834-6838 · Takes probate filingsThe Register in Probate also serves as the Juvenile Court office. A Probate Court Commissioner handles uncontested probate proceedings.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Oconto 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 Oconto County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 301 Washington Street, Oconto. The court sits in the 8th 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 Oconto County
What probate costs in Oconto 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 301 Washington Street, Oconto. The court is part of the 8th Judicial District.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Inventory due within 90 days of letters; estates closed within 12 months of the petition (Local Rule 16).
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 Oconto County, Wisconsin are filed at the Register in Probate of the Circuit Court. The court sits in the 8th 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 Oconto County Self-Filing Assessment.
Oconto County Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
An objection to probate of a will is filed in writing with the Register in Probate (Local Rule 16)
A person objecting to the probate of a will files the objection in writing with the Register in Probate, pays the fee, contacts the office to schedule further proceedings and gives notice to all interested parties.
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 Oconto County
In Wisconsin a death is registered locally, and in Oconto County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Register of Deeds, Oconto County as well as by Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Vital Records Office.
Vital Records Office Record
Register of Deeds
Oconto County · Register of Deeds
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
301 Washington Street, Oconto, WI 54153
Website
Certified copies
At the counter
Fax
1-920-834-6805
Burial and cremation permits
- Issued byBrown County Medical Examiner
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
Oconto County · Brown County Medical Examiner's Office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
3032 Curry Lane, Green Bay, WI 54311
Website
Serves this county
Brown County Medical Examiner
Cremation authorization
Signed by this office
Mail and offices
Fax
1-920-448-4186
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Oconto 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 Oconto County are recorded with the Register of Deeds at 301 Washington Street, Oconto, WI 54153. Phone: 1-920-834-7113. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The Register of Deeds charges $30 flat, regardless of page count.
Oconto County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile.
Recording Office Record
Register of Deeds
Oconto County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
301 Washington Street, Oconto, WI 54153
Website
E-recording
Fax
1-920-834-6805
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 Oconto County
Wisconsin allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Oconto 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 an Oconto 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 Sheboygan from North 8th Street, in practice since 1898 under a succession of firm names. Its estate planning, probate and trusts team handles probate and trust administration after a death, probate avoidance, guardianships, and Medicaid planning including irrevocable Medicaid trusts and estate recovery.
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.
Serves families across Wisconsin from offices in Oregon and Madison in Dane County and Brookfield in Waukesha County. Helps executors and personal representatives administer estates, from locating assets to paying debts and distributing to beneficiaries, and offers mediation and litigation for disputes among heirs. Founder Dan Krause is a Board Certified Estate Planning Law Specialist.
Serves clients throughout Wisconsin from offices in Madison, Janesville, Appleton, and Dodgeville. Advises executors on probate administration and handles trust administration, guardianships and protective placement, and litigation over contested wills and trusts, breach of fiduciary duty, undue influence, and creditor claims in estate proceedings. Founded in Madison in 1931.
Serves clients throughout Wisconsin from offices in Appleton and Green Bay. Helps personal representatives through informal and formal probate, protects other beneficiaries' interests in disputes over estate administration, and brings will contests. Also handles adult and minor guardianships and elder-law and Medicaid planning. Estate planning consultations are offered at no charge.
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)
- Oconto County Circuit Court, official page
- Oconto County Register of Deeds, official page
- Oconto 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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