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Hale County, AL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Hale County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Hale County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | Hale County Courthouse, 1001 Main Street, Room 9, Greensboro, AL 36744 |
| Mailing | Use the courthouse address unless the probate office gives different mailing instructions, especially for an original will or petition. |
| Phone | (334) 624-8740 |
| Fax | (334) 624-1715 |
| Hours | County offices close for lunch from 12:00 to 1:00. Call the probate office for opening hours, filing cutoffs, and holiday closures before you bring or mail documents. |
| Filing fee | Hale County does not post a dated probate case filing fee schedule online. Alabama uses a statutory probate fee structure, and local charges can affect the total, so call the probate office before filing. |
| Local forms | Hale County does not publish downloadable estate petition forms on its county forms page. |
| Electronic filing | Hale County has not posted an electronic filing option for estate petitions. Call the probate office to ask what it will accept. |
| Case search | Hale County provides an online lookup for land records, probate case records, historical records, and the R.E.A.A.C.T. property-fraud alert tool at https://www.altags.com/Hale_Probate/. |
| Remote appearance | Ask the probate office when the hearing is set whether the probate judge will allow phone or video attendance. |
| Website | https://www.halecountyal.gov/probate-judge |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Hale County, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, known creditors, real property, and any accounts that may pass outside probate. That list helps you decide whether the estate needs full administration, whether a will must be presented, and what authority the personal representative will need.
Sunset's estate settlement process includes 2,300-institution asset discovery, so families can look for bank, investment, insurance, and other accounts before choosing a local filing path. Bring that information when you contact the Hale County Probate Office or a probate attorney.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Hale County Probate Court in Greensboro serves Hale County for estate filings. File in the probate court for the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, or, for a decedent who lived outside Alabama, in an Alabama county where the decedent left assets (Ala. Code § 43-8-162).
The Hale County Probate Office is the filing counter for the probate court, and the probate judge acts on estate petitions. A second Moundville address appears on a Hale County recording-fee document, but Hale County does not identify it as an estate filing location, so call the Greensboro probate office before going anywhere else.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the original will, death certificate, asset list, creditor list, and the names and addresses of heirs or devisees before you contact the Hale County Probate Office.
- Choose the petition path with the help of an attorney if needed. Alabama uses executor when a will names the person to serve, administrator when there is no will or no willing executor, and personal representative as the umbrella term.
- Prepare the estate petition and supporting documents. Hale County does not publish a downloadable estate petition packet, so obtain current requirements from the probate office or counsel.
- File the petition with the Hale County Probate Office at the Hale County Courthouse in Greensboro, and ask the office for the current filing cost before submitting the packet.
- If there is a will, deliver the original will for probate. A person holding a will after death has a duty to deliver it to a person able to secure probate (Ala. Code § 43-8-270).
- Follow the probate office's notice instructions. Alabama estate administration includes published notice to creditors, and creditor claims are governed by the Alabama nonclaim rules (Ala. Code § 43-2-350).
- Attend any hearing set by the probate judge. If travel is difficult, ask the probate office when the hearing is set whether phone or video attendance may be allowed.
- After the probate judge grants authority, obtain letters testamentary if there is a will or letters of administration if there is no will.
- Administer the estate by collecting assets, paying allowed expenses and claims in the required order, handling any real-property sale or deed recording requirements, and keeping records for final settlement.
- Close the estate through the procedure the Hale County Probate Court requires, including any final accounting, receipts, waivers, or settlement filings requested by the probate office.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Hale County
Hale County's general county forms page lists county-wide items such as election, motor vehicle, and vital-record request forms. It does not publish downloadable estate petitions, letters applications, probate cover sheets, or summary distribution forms.
Call the Hale County Probate Office before filing to ask what petition format, copies, signatures, notarizations, and fee payment method the office requires. If the estate settlement involves a contested will, a sale of real property, or uncertain heirs, have an Alabama probate attorney prepare the filing.
Local nuance
Hale County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Hale County estate |
|---|---|
| Executor and personal representative deeds | Hale County's recording rules say an original or certified copy of the will or letters testamentary must be filed before an executor's deed or personal representative's deed is recorded. This matters when estate settlement includes selling or transferring Hale County real property. |
| Online probate lookup | Hale County's online portal includes probate case records as well as land records, historical records, and the R.E.A.A.C.T. property-fraud alert tool. If the portal does not show the record you need, call the probate office. |
| Lunch closure | County offices close for lunch from 12:00 to 1:00. Call ahead for full office hours before bringing an original will, filing packet, or fee payment. |
Recent updates
| Change | What changed |
|---|---|
| Small-estate law update | Act 2025-431 changed Alabama summary distribution rules effective October 1, 2025. The current small-estate ceiling is $47,000 and remains the operative figure through at least March 31, 2027 (Ala. Code § 43-2-696.02). |
| Hale County recording fees update | Hale County publishes a recording-fee update effective November 1, 2025. That document covers land-document recording charges, not a probate case filing fee schedule. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Hale County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by identifying how the home is titled and whether any assets require probate authority. If a deed must be recorded from the estate, Hale County's recording rule may require the will or letters testamentary with the deed. | Sunset helps find accounts, organize title and debt information, and prepare questions for the probate office or attorney before filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Call the Hale County Probate Office before traveling. If the decedent was domiciled in Hale County and the assets fit Alabama's summary distribution requirements, the filing begins in Greensboro. | Sunset helps assemble asset information, locate the will if one exists, and generate an estate settlement packet for local review. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Expect a full probate filing if the estate needs authority to sell or convey real property. The probate judge may issue letters, and the later deed recording may require the will or letters testamentary under Hale County recording rules. | Sunset helps identify assets and liabilities, organize real-property information, and connect the family with a vetted probate attorney when a sale is involved. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Hale County Probate Office | Answers office-procedure questions, accepts estate filings, gives current fee and hearing instructions, and provides local routing. The office cannot prepare your documents or give legal advice. | Hale County Courthouse, 1001 Main Street, Room 9, Greensboro, AL 36744. Phone: (334) 624-8740. Fax: (334) 624-1715. |
| Hale County online records lookup | Provides lookup access for land records, probate case records, historical records, and the R.E.A.A.C.T. property-fraud alert tool. | https://www.altags.com/Hale_Probate/ |
| Legal Services Alabama | Free civil legal help for low-income Alabamians, subject to eligibility and case priorities. Listed practice areas include heirs property and estate planning, not estate administration representation. | Statewide intake: 866-456-4995. Spanish intake: 888-835-3505. Intake hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
When to hire an attorney
A probate attorney makes sense in Hale County when the will may be contested, heirs disagree, a home must be sold, creditors are significant, the estate may need removal of the administration to the circuit court, or the family is unsure whether a deed can be recorded. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across 2,300 financial institutions and helps families build the asset list needed for Hale County estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns what you know about the decedent, heirs, assets, and debts into an organized packet you can review with the Hale County Probate Office or an attorney.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Hale County estate has real property, disputes, missing heirs, or creditor concerns, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand next steps, and prepare for probate without paying Sunset for estate settlement support.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Hale County?
File with the Hale County Probate Office at the Hale County Courthouse, 1001 Main Street, Room 9, Greensboro, AL 36744. Call (334) 624-8740 before you bring or mail an original will or petition.
What are the Hale County Probate Office hours?
County offices close for lunch from 12:00 to 1:00. Hale County does not post full probate office opening and closing times on the probate page, so call ahead before filing.
Does Hale County publish probate forms online?
No estate petition forms are posted on Hale County's general forms page. Ask the probate office or an Alabama probate attorney what petition and supporting documents are needed for your filing.
Can I file a Hale County estate petition electronically?
Hale County has not posted an electronic filing option for estate petitions. Call the probate office to ask how it wants the petition, original will, copies, and payment delivered.
Can I look up a Hale County probate case online?
Yes. Hale County's online lookup includes probate case records, land records, historical records, and the R.E.A.A.C.T. property-fraud alert tool at https://www.altags.com/Hale_Probate/.
What is the probate filing fee in Hale County?
Hale County posts a land-document recording fee update, but not a dated probate case filing fee schedule. Alabama probate fees are governed by a statutory structure, with local charges affecting the total, so call the probate office for the current amount before filing (Ala. Code § 12-19-90).
Can I attend a Hale County probate hearing by phone or video?
Hale County does not post a local remote-appearance rule for probate hearings. Ask the probate office when the hearing is set whether the probate judge will allow phone or video attendance.
What if the Hale County estate includes real property?
Real property often makes probate more document-heavy. Hale County's recording rules say an original or certified copy of the will or letters testamentary must be filed before an executor's deed or personal representative's deed is recorded.
Do I have to travel to Greensboro to start probate?
Start by calling the Hale County Probate Office. The office can tell you whether it will accept mailed documents, what must be original, what fee is due, and how any hearing will be handled.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.