What to Do When Someone Dies in Pierce County, Wisconsin

How probate works in Pierce County: the Circuit Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.

Probate Court Record

Pierce County Circuit Court

Pierce County · 7th Judicial District

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM

Office

Room 201, Second Level, 414 West Main Street, Ellsworth, WI 54011

Files probate

Register in Probate

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

AllowedA lawyer is not required for informal probate, summary settlement, summary assignment or special administration; formal probate requires one. The probate office provides guidelines and form packets for these proceedings for a fee, and the forms can also be downloaded from the Wisconsin court system.

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

How Probate Works in Pierce 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 Pierce County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 414 West Main Street, Ellsworth. 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 Pierce County

What probate costs in Pierce 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 414 West Main Street, Ellsworth. The court is part of the 7th Judicial District.

Procedures at this court that affect cost: Probate cases are disposed of within 12 months of the initial filing.

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 Pierce 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 Pierce County Self-Filing Assessment.

Pierce 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 original will with no probate is filed with an Affidavit of No Probate

When no probate is opened, the original will is filed with the Register in Probate with the Affidavit of No Probate form, which the office also has in person. There is no fee for filing the original will.

Source

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 Medical Examiner in Pierce County

In Wisconsin a death is registered locally, and in Pierce County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Register of Deeds, Pierce County as well as by Wisconsin Department of Health Services - Vital Records Office.

Vital Records Office Record

Register of Deeds

Pierce County · Register of Deeds

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM

Office

414 West Main Street, Room 109, Ellsworth, WI 54011

Mail

P.O. Box 267 Ellsworth, WI 54011

Verified November 2, 2026 · Source

Coroner or Medical Examiner Record

Medical Examiner

Pierce County · Pierce County Office of the Medical Examiner

Office

555 Overlook Drive, Ellsworth, WI 54011

Release of remains

1-715-273-5051 · Contact through dispatch

Mail and offices

Fax

1-715-273-1133

Verified November 2, 2026 · Source

Transferring Property in Pierce 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 Pierce County are recorded with the Register of Deeds at 414 West Main Street, Room 109, Ellsworth, WI 54011. Phone: 1-715-273-6748. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.

Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 267, Ellsworth, WI 54011.

The Register of Deeds charges $30 flat, regardless of page count.

Pierce County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, ePN, CSC and Indecomm.

Recording Office Record

Register of Deeds

Pierce County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM

Office

414 West Main Street, Room 109, Ellsworth, WI 54011

Mail

P.O. Box 267 Ellsworth, WI 54011

Verified October 17, 2026 · Source

Forms that put a death on the title

Probate Attorneys Serving Pierce County

Wisconsin allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Pierce 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 Pierce 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.

FirmRiver Falls, WI

Rodli, Beskar, Neuhaus, Murray & Pletcher, S.C.

Serves 1 county

A Pierce County firm headquartered on Main Street in River Falls. Advises personal representatives through formal and informal probate, from inventory and valuation to paying debts and taxes and distributing the estate, and handles guardianships of adults and of disabled children turning eighteen. Probate work is led by attorneys Leo Beskar and Max Neuhaus.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawGuardianship

Office
219 North Main StreetRiver Falls, WI 54022

FirmLa Crosse, WI

Bosshard Parke Ltd.

Since 1900

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.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationBusiness Succession

Office
750 3rd Street NLa Crosse, WI 54601

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.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateTrust LitigationElder Lawand 3 more

Office
205 Fifth Avenue South, Suite 600La Crosse, WI 54601

FirmLa Crosse, WI

Moen Sheehan Meyer, Ltd.

Since 1853

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.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 5 more

Office
201 Main Street, Suite 700La Crosse, WI 54601
Virtual consultations

FirmMilwaukee, WI

von Briesen & Roper, s.c.

Since 1904 · Serves the whole state

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.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 9 more

Office
411 East Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1000Milwaukee, WI 53202

FirmOregon, WI

Krause Estate Planning & Elder Law Center

Since 1999 · Serves the whole state

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.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 6 more

Office
116 Spring StreetOregon, WI 53575
Free consultation
See all 17 firms serving Pierce County →

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.

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Legal Sources

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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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