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Mobile County, AL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Mobile County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Mobile County Probate Court, judicial division |
| Courthouse address | Mobile County Government Center Annex, 151 Government Street, Mobile, AL 36602 |
| Mailing address | Probate Court of Mobile County, Post Office Box 7, Mobile, AL 36601 |
| Phone | Judicial division main line: (251) 574-6001. Questions about a judicial matter: (251) 574-6010. |
| Fax | Judicial division fax: (251) 574-6005 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | The court publishes recording-window hours as 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. It does not post separate judicial division hours, so call (251) 574-6001 before you travel for an estate filing. The court also publishes holiday closings, including a two day Mardi Gras closure. |
| Filing fee | Mobile County publishes an itemized judicial fee list with no printed effective date. Probating a will is listed as a $45.00 item under Ala. Code § 12-19-90, and a grant of letters of administration is listed as a $45.00 item under Ala. Code § 12-19-90. A court cost deposit is required with the filing, and the court does not publish one estate total. |
| Local forms | Yes. Mobile County publishes a Petitioner Information Sheet, Schedule A for decedent's estates, an expedited handling cover sheet, an administrator handbook, and a degrees of relationship chart. Petition templates are in the attorney section of Benchmark Web. |
| E-filing | Benchmark Web includes electronic filing and judicial forms for attorney access. Paper filing at the Government Center Annex and filing by mail remain available. A self-represented filer should ask the judicial division what it will accept. |
| Case search | Benchmark Web is the court's judicial case system for cases, calendar, parties, and attorneys. It requires an account. Landmark Web is separate and covers land, marriage, election, and older estate-claim records, not open estate cases. |
| Remote appearance | Ask the judicial division when a hearing is set. Mobile County does not publish a probate appearance policy. |
| Website | https://probate.mobilecountyal.gov/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Mobile County probate path, identify the assets, debts, accounts, policies, and real estate connected to the estate. In Mobile County, the court cost deposit depends on the type of proceeding opened, and the practical route depends on what is actually in the estate. Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions to find accounts and policies the family may not know about.
Debts also drive estate settlement timing. Creditors have a six-month claims period under Alabama law, known creditors receive individual notice, and Mobile County's published guidance says the estate generally should not be divided until claims and expenses are paid. A clear asset and debt inventory keeps the estate settlement from stalling after the petition is filed.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Mobile County Probate Court serves the entire county from one probate location: the Mobile County Government Center Annex at 151 Government Street in downtown Mobile. The court serves the city of Mobile and communities such as Prichard, Saraland, Satsuma, Chickasaw, Citronelle, Semmes, Theodore, Tillmans Corner, Bayou La Batre, Dauphin Island, Grand Bay, Mount Vernon, and the surrounding unincorporated county.
Alabama venue for a will is the probate court of the county where the decedent was domiciled at death, and for a person who lived outside Alabama, a county where the decedent left assets (Ala. Code § 43-8-162). The Mobile metro area crosses county lines, so confirm that the decedent was domiciled in Mobile County before filing here.
If there is a will, Alabama also has timing and delivery rules to keep in mind. A will must be filed for probate within five years of death (Ala. Code § 43-8-161), and a person who has the will after death has a duty to deliver it to a person able to secure probate (Ala. Code § 43-8-270).
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm venue. File in Mobile County only if the decedent was domiciled in Mobile County at death, or if a nonresident decedent left assets in Mobile County (Ala. Code § 43-8-162).
- Find the original will, if there is one. The will must be filed within five years of death (Ala. Code § 43-8-161), and a person holding the will must deliver it to someone able to secure probate (Ala. Code § 43-8-270). Mobile County's electronic recording service does not accept wills or codicils, so the original will must physically reach the court.
- Identify the estate's assets and debts before drafting. The petition, deposit, notices, and administration plan depend on what the decedent owned and owed.
- Prepare the petition and local paperwork. Mobile County publishes general judicial documents, including a Petitioner Information Sheet that should be filed with the initial pleadings. Petition templates are in the attorney section of Benchmark Web, and the court states that it cannot provide forms or legal advice.
- File with the Mobile County Probate Court. You may file at the Mobile County Government Center Annex, 151 Government Street, Mobile, AL 36602, or by mail to Probate Court of Mobile County, Post Office Box 7, Mobile, AL 36601. Registered attorneys use Benchmark Web for electronic filing. A self-represented filer should ask the judicial division at (251) 574-6001 what it will accept.
- Pay the court cost deposit. Mobile County's itemized judicial fee list has no printed effective date and lists probating a will as a $45.00 item under Ala. Code § 12-19-90 and a grant of letters of administration as a $45.00 item under Ala. Code § 12-19-90, with separate items for docketing, notices, publication orders, bond approval, and certified copies. Confirm the current total with the judicial division before filing.
- The probate judge acts on the petition. In Alabama, the probate judge is both the judge and filing officer for the probate court. If the court requires bond, ask the judicial division what the bond must say and how it must be filed.
- Handle notice and any hearing. The court publishes online dockets for two courtrooms, including Courtroom 1 on the third floor of the Government Center Annex. Ask when you file whether a hearing is needed and whether the court will allow phone or video participation.
- Receive authority to act. If the will is admitted and an executor is appointed, the court issues letters testamentary. If there is no will or no executor available, the court issues letters of administration. Mobile County's itemized judicial fee list, with no printed effective date, lists each additional certified copy of letters as $2.00 under Ala. Code § 12-19-90.
- Give creditor notice. Mobile County's published guidance calls for notice to creditors to be published once a week for three weeks and for individual notice to known creditors. Claims are barred if not presented within six months (Ala. Code § 43-2-350), and a creditor entitled to actual notice gets 30 days from that notice.
- Administer the estate. Collect assets, pay valid claims and expenses, address taxes if needed, and sell property if the estate requires it. If a Mobile County deed must be recorded, the same probate court's recording windows are on the first floor. The recording schedule is effective January 1, 2011 and lists $2.50 per page, a $1.00 recordation stamp, a $2.00 special recording fee, a $10.00 Mobile County special tax on taxable documents, and deed tax of 50 cents per $500.00 of value conveyed.
- Close with a settlement. Mobile County publishes Schedule A for decedent's estates for accounting work. The court's published guidance says personal representative compensation must be approved by the court unless all interested persons agree and consent, and an objection prompts a hearing.
- If the estate becomes contested or needs equitable relief, keep Mobile County's local rule in mind. Under a local law for Mobile County, the Mobile County Probate Court has general and equity jurisdiction over estate administration concurrent with the circuit court (Ala. Code § 45-49-85.60), so the probate court can hear and decide those estate disputes itself.
Executor duties
- File Mobile County's Petitioner Information Sheet with the initial pleadings, and file an updated sheet if your address or phone number changes while the case is open.
- Ask the judicial division what bond the court will require. Bonds filed after January 16, 2025 must be issued to the sitting judge of probate in that capacity.
- Track the inventory deadline. Mobile County's published steps call for an inventory of the estate within 45 days, and the judicial division should be asked to confirm the current deadline when you are appointed.
- Use Mobile County's Schedule A for decedent's estates when accounting to the court.
- Expect court approval of personal representative compensation unless every interested person agrees and consents. If someone objects, the court sets a hearing on what is reasonable.
- Follow Mobile County's continuance policy if a hearing must move. A continuance motion must be in writing, must state the reason, must state every other party's position, and must include the expedited handling cover sheet if filed within 72 hours of the hearing.
- Consider filing the court's election to receive official notices by e-mail, available since August 19, 2025, especially if you live outside Mobile County.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Mobile County
Mobile County publishes local judicial materials for probate, but not a complete public petition packet. The court publishes a Petitioner Information Sheet that asks to be filed with the initial pleadings, a Schedule A for decedent's estates, an expedited handling cover sheet, an administrator handbook, and a degrees of relationship chart.
The petition templates are in the attorney section of Benchmark Web, and the court states that it cannot provide forms or legal advice. Alabama does not offer one public statewide packet of probate forms, so a self-represented filer should call the judicial division before drafting or mailing paperwork.
Fees
Mobile County publishes an itemized judicial fee list, but the list has no printed effective date and does not give one total for opening an estate. A court cost deposit is required with the filing. The list shows probating a will as a $45.00 item under Ala. Code § 12-19-90 and a grant of letters of administration as a $45.00 item under Ala. Code § 12-19-90. It also lists separate items for docketing, notices, publication orders, bond approval, and certified copies, so do not add the two headline items together and treat that as the filing total.
Mobile County also accepts online payment of outstanding judicial court costs through Benchmark Web after a case exists. That service is for costs already assessed on an existing case, not necessarily the deposit due with a new petition.
Real-estate recording charges are separate from judicial filing costs. Mobile County's recording schedule is effective January 1, 2011 and lists $2.50 per page, a $1.00 recordation stamp, a $2.00 special recording fee, a $10.00 Mobile County special tax on taxable documents, and deed tax of 50 cents per $500.00 of value conveyed.
Local nuance
Mobile County-specific considerations
- Equity jurisdiction. Mobile County is unusual in Alabama because its probate court has general and equity jurisdiction over estate administration, concurrent with the circuit court, under a local law for Mobile County (Ala. Code § 45-49-85.60). A contested or equitable estate dispute can be heard and decided in the Mobile County Probate Court itself. This is Mobile County's local rule and does not describe most Alabama counties.
- Two online systems. Benchmark Web is Mobile County's judicial case system for cases, calendar, parties, and attorneys, and it is where an open estate case belongs. Landmark Web is the records division system for real property records back to 1813, marriage records, election records, and estate claims filed in the Recording division through July 1, 2013.
- Published dockets. The court posts dockets online in separate Monday and Tuesday to Friday listings for two courtrooms. Courtroom 1 is on the third floor of the Government Center Annex, and the recording windows are on the first floor.
- Continuances. Mobile County has a written continuance policy. A motion must be in writing, must state the reason, and must state every other party's position. A motion filed within 72 hours of a hearing must include the expedited handling cover sheet, and the court will act on a faxed motion if the original is filed within 24 hours. If the continuance is granted, the requesting party must notify everyone of the new date and time.
- E-mail notices. Since August 19, 2025, parties in a Mobile County probate matter may elect to receive official court notices by e-mail instead of first class mail by filing the court's election form.
- Local closures. The court publishes holiday closings, and Mobile County's calendar includes a two day Mardi Gras closure.
Recent updates
| Change | What it means |
|---|---|
| E-mail notices available since August 19, 2025 | Parties in a Mobile County probate matter may elect to receive official court notices by e-mail instead of first class mail by filing the court's election form. |
| Bond obligee notice after January 16, 2025 | Bonds filed with the Mobile County Probate Court after that date must be issued to the sitting judge of probate in that capacity. |
| Alabama small estate rules changed October 1, 2025 | Act 2025-431 changed the small estate ceiling mechanism and tied it to the combined statutory allowances (Ala. Code § 43-2-696.02). Ask the probate court or review Alabama-level guidance for the current limit before relying on that route. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Mobile County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start with the Mobile County Probate Court at the Government Center Annex or by mail to Post Office Box 7. If there is a will, the original must go to the court. Mobile County's current itemized judicial fee list, with no printed effective date, lists probating a will as $45.00 under Ala. Code § 12-19-90 and a grant of letters of administration as $45.00 under Ala. Code § 12-19-90, with a court cost deposit due at filing. File the Petitioner Information Sheet with the initial pleadings. Check the deed before choosing the path, because co-ownership affects what the estate has to administer. | Sunset helps locate accounts, policies, and debts before the petition is drafted, so the estate settlement route matches what the spouse actually needs to transfer. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | You can start by mail to Probate Court of Mobile County, Post Office Box 7, Mobile, AL 36601. Since August 19, 2025, a party may elect to receive official court notices by e-mail instead of first class mail. Benchmark Web carries the judicial case, and the judicial division can be reached at (251) 574-6001 or [email protected]. Ask the court whether any hearing can be handled by phone or video. | Sunset assembles the asset picture remotely, so the estate's size, debts, and likely filing route are known before anything is mailed to Mobile. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | The administration opens with the judicial division, and a deed out of the estate is recorded in the same building at the recording windows on the first floor. The recording schedule is effective January 1, 2011 and lists $2.50 per page, a $1.00 recordation stamp, a $2.00 special recording fee, a $10.00 Mobile County special tax on taxable documents, and deed tax of 50 cents per $500.00 of value conveyed. Electronic recording exists for real-estate instruments through approved vendors, but wills, codicils, bonds, and estate claims are excluded from that service. Creditors have six months to present claims (Ala. Code § 43-2-350), and Mobile County's guidance says the estate generally should not be divided until claims and expenses are paid. | Sunset helps surface debts and accounts tied to the property early, so a sale is not delayed by an account or claim the family did not know about. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it may help | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Mobile County Probate Court, judicial division | Use for filing logistics, court-cost questions, Benchmark Web access, hearing questions, and what the court needs from you. The court states that it and its staff cannot provide forms or legal advice. | (251) 574-6001, (251) 574-6010, [email protected] |
| Legal Services Alabama | Free civil legal help for low-income Alabamians, subject to eligibility and case priorities. Its published practice areas include heirs property and estate planning, not a promise of estate-administration representation. | Statewide intake: 866-456-4995. Spanish line: 888-835-3505. Mobile office: 107 St. Francis Street, Suite 2100, Mobile, AL 36602, (251) 433-6560. Call center hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. |
| South Alabama Volunteer Lawyers Program | The pro bono program the Mobile County Probate Court points people to for certain civil matters for low-income people in Mobile, Baldwin, Clarke, and Washington counties. | (251) 438-1102, 118 North Royal Street, Suite 402, Mobile, AL 36602, [email protected] |
| Alabama State Bar Lawyer Referral Service | A referral service for people who can pay for a lawyer and want to be connected with a participating Alabama lawyer. | 1-800-392-5660 |
| AlabamaLegalHelp.org | Legal Services Alabama points the public to this companion self-help and referral site. | AlabamaLegalHelp.org |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is especially useful in Mobile County when the estate includes real property that must be sold, heirs disagree, a will contest is threatened, the estate may be insolvent, or the matter needs equitable relief. Mobile County's petition templates sit behind attorney access in Benchmark Web, the court states that it cannot provide forms or legal advice, and Mobile County's equity jurisdiction means a contested estate matter can be litigated in the probate court itself. Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps organize the accounts, policies, debts, and property that drive a Mobile County estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps turn the asset picture into the information needed for the petition, local Petitioner Information Sheet, creditor notice work, and court-cost planning, while keeping Mobile County's local forms reality in view.
Find a local probate attorney. Mobile County's petition templates are in attorney access, the court cannot advise on forms, and contested matters can stay in the probate court under Mobile County's local equity jurisdiction. Sunset can connect you with a vetted local probate attorney when legal help makes sense.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset is free for families because participating professional partners pay for the platform, so you can start organizing the estate without adding another bill at the beginning.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Mobile County, Alabama?
File with the Mobile County Probate Court at the Mobile County Government Center Annex, 151 Government Street, Mobile, AL 36602. You may also mail filings to Probate Court of Mobile County, Post Office Box 7, Mobile, AL 36601. Mobile County has one probate location for estate filings.
How much does it cost to file probate in Mobile County?
Mobile County publishes an itemized judicial fee list, not one estate total. The current list has no printed effective date and shows probating a will as a $45.00 item under Ala. Code § 12-19-90 and a grant of letters of administration as a $45.00 item under Ala. Code § 12-19-90. A court cost deposit is required when the petition is filed, with additional listed items for docketing, notices, publication orders, bond approval, and certified copies. Confirm the total for your filing with the judicial division at (251) 574-6001.
Can I e-file a probate petition in Mobile County?
Mobile County runs electronic filing through Benchmark Web, and the court presents that route as attorney access that includes filing and judicial forms. Paper filing at the Government Center Annex and filing by mail remain available. If you are handling the estate yourself, ask the judicial division at (251) 574-6001 what it will accept from you. The separate electronic recording service is for real-estate instruments and excludes wills, codicils, bonds, and estate claims.
Does Mobile County have probate forms I can download?
Some local materials are public. Mobile County publishes a Petitioner Information Sheet for the initial pleadings, Schedule A for decedent's estates, an expedited handling cover sheet, an administrator handbook, and a degrees of relationship chart. The petition templates are in the attorney section of Benchmark Web, and the court states that it cannot provide forms or legal advice.
How do I look up a probate case in Mobile County?
Use Benchmark Web, the Mobile County Probate Court's judicial case system for cases, calendar, parties, and attorneys. It requires an account. Do not confuse that with Landmark Web, which covers real property records back to 1813, marriage records, election records, and estate claims filed in the Recording division through July 1, 2013. The court also posts dockets online.
Can I attend a Mobile County probate hearing by phone or video?
That is set by the Mobile County Probate Court for the particular matter. The court does not publish a probate appearance policy, so ask the judicial division at (251) 574-6001 when the hearing is set. If you need a hearing moved, the written continuance policy requires a written motion stating the reason and every other party's position, with the expedited handling cover sheet if filed within 72 hours of the hearing.
Do I have to travel to Mobile to settle an estate in Mobile County?
Not necessarily to start. The court accepts mail filings at Post Office Box 7, Mobile, AL 36601, and since August 19, 2025, a party can elect to receive official court notices by e-mail instead of first class mail. Whether you need to appear for a hearing depends on the matter, so ask the judicial division when you file.
What are the Mobile County Probate Court's hours?
The court publishes hours for its recording windows on the first floor: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. It does not post separate judicial division hours for estate filings, so call (251) 574-6001 before you travel. The court also publishes holiday closings, including a two day Mardi Gras closure.
What happens if the family disagrees about an estate in Mobile County?
Mobile County is unusual. Under a local law for Mobile County, the Mobile County Probate Court has general and equity jurisdiction over estate administration, concurrent with the circuit court (Ala. Code § 45-49-85.60). That means a contested or equitable estate dispute can be heard and decided in the probate court itself. The court also encourages mediation in contested matters.
How long do creditors have to make a claim against an estate in Mobile County?
Claims must be presented within six months or they are barred (Ala. Code § 43-2-350). A creditor entitled to actual notice gets 30 days from that notice. Mobile County's published guidance calls for notice to creditors to be published once a week for three weeks and for individual notice to known creditors.
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.