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Chatham County, GA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Chatham County probate information |
|---|---|
| Court | Chatham County Probate Court, Coleman Courthouse, Room 509 |
| Courthouse address | 133 Montgomery Street, Room 509, Savannah, GA 31401 |
| Mailing address | Probate Court of Chatham County, 133 Montgomery Street, Room 509, Savannah, GA 31401 |
| Phone | (912) 652-7264. Use Option 4 for decedent's estate questions and Option 1 for research and records. |
| Fax | (912) 652-7262 |
| Hours | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Thursday, 8:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. because of staff meetings. Filings are accepted until 4:30 p.m. The Record Room closes at 4:30 p.m. Closed on Chatham County holidays. |
| Filing fee | Under the Chatham County Probate Court schedule effective October 1, 2025, and the statewide fee statute effective January 1, 2025, a petition on GPCSF 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 or 10 is $205.00, built from the $175.00 base under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60 plus add-ons including the indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6. Other decedent's estate petitions listed on the schedule are $190.00 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. Service and publication are extra. |
| Local forms | Chatham requires Georgia's statewide GPCSF standard forms and publishes its own supporting forms, fee charts, publication templates, heir worksheet and plain-language guides. |
| E-filing | No probate e-filing. The court accepts pleadings with correct fees by mail, by drop box at the court's entry or by appointment. Original wills are paper filings under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). |
| Case search | The court links Georgia Probate Records, a portal used by participating Georgia probate courts. Chatham is in that portal's estates search. https://georgiaprobaterecords.com/Default.aspx |
| Remote appearance | The court publishes appointment booking for filing and Record Room visits, but no remote hearing procedure. Ask the court about any hearing. |
| Website | https://courts.chathamcountyga.gov/Probate |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Chatham County, identify what the decedent owned, how each asset is titled, whether there is a will, who the heirs or beneficiaries are and what debts may exist. That first inventory determines whether you are preparing a will petition, letters of administration, year's support, an order that no administration is necessary or another Georgia filing.
Chatham's process is paper-based, and fees, service and publication depend on the exact petition. Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps put accounts, balances and likely contacts in one place before estate settlement starts, so the filing packet and the Chatham fee calculation are less likely to miss something.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Chatham County Probate Court in Room 509 of the Coleman Courthouse in Savannah serves all Chatham County probate matters. That includes Savannah, Bloomingdale, Garden City, Pooler, Port Wentworth, Thunderbolt, Tybee Island and unincorporated Chatham County. Georgia has a probate court in every county, and Chatham estate filings go to this Probate Court, not to another county office.
Venue is based on the decedent's connection to the county. The Probate Court may grant administration for a person who was a Chatham County resident at death, or for a nonresident who owned property in Chatham County (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31).
Chatham is an Article 6 probate court. The Council of Probate Court Judges lists Chatham on the Article 6 roster, and the court's own page describes its expanded jurisdiction. In an Article 6 civil case, a party may demand a jury trial under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-121, and appeals go to the Court of Appeals of Georgia or the Supreme Court of Georgia under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-123. The Article 6 definition appears at O.C.G.A. § 15-9-120.
The jurisdiction process
- File the original will with reasonable promptness if there is one. The paper original goes to the Chatham County Probate Court, Room 509, Coleman Courthouse, 133 Montgomery Street, Savannah (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-5).
- Choose the Georgia filing route and statewide form. A will may be probated in common form or solemn form on GPCSF 4 or GPCSF 5 (O.C.G.A. § 53-5). With no will, use a letters of administration petition on GPCSF 3 when administration is needed (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-20).
- Use the standard GPCSF form, but follow Chatham's shortcut. The court generally prepares notices, orders and letters itself, so those pages are usually not filed. The filer still prepares publication notices, the Certificate of Order for Year's Support when real property is awarded (O.C.G.A. § 53-3-5), and the final order on a petition for an order declaring no administration is necessary (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40).
- State how heirs or beneficiaries will be served and include service fees. Since October 1, 2025, Chatham charges sheriff service at $50.00 per person unless certified mail at $15.00 per person is expressly requested in the petition. For a petition for letters of administration, the court's chart effective October 1, 2025, lists first class mail service at $5.00 per person.
- File by mail, by drop box at the court's entry or by appointment. The office accepts filings Monday through Friday, excluding holidays, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except Thursday when the office opens at 8:45 a.m. There is no Chatham probate e-filing.
- Pay the filing fee when you file (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60(d); Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.14). Under the Chatham schedule effective October 1, 2025, a petition on GPCSF 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 or 10 is $205.00 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, and other listed decedent's estate petitions are $190.00 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. Card payments carry a 5 percent convenience fee under the court policy effective August 1, 2022.
- If an heir cannot be located, use the court's heir or beneficiary research request before asking for publication. The Record Room search is $10.00 per person under the court's posted service. If location efforts fail, file an Affidavit of Diligent Search to ask for service by publication.
- Handle publication through the Savannah Morning News when required. The filing party normally prepares and sends the notice to the newspaper with the fee. The court sends the ad for a petition for year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3 and a petition for declaration of death.
- Take the oath before the probate judge or a clerk, not a notary (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-24). If the petitioner lives outside Georgia, use GPCSF 53 so a court where the petitioner lives can administer the oath.
- Post bond unless it is waived or not required. Bond for an administrator is governed by O.C.G.A. § 53-6-50, and Chatham publishes a plain-language probate bond guide.
- Receive letters testamentary or letters of administration after the court approves the petition and qualification steps are complete. Certified copies of letters are $10.00 each under the Chatham schedule effective October 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60.
- Publish the creditor notice within 60 days of qualification, once a week for four weeks, in the Savannah Morning News. Creditors who do not notify the personal representative within three months of the last publication lose equal participation rights as described in O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41. Chatham's fee charts effective October 1, 2025, list this ad at $65.00.
- File the inventory within six months of qualification unless it is waived, and file returns or fiduciary compliance reports when required (O.C.G.A. §§ 53-7-30, 53-7-32). Chatham publishes its own inventory and annual return forms.
- Administer assets, pay allowed claims and close the estate. A petition for discharge on GPCSF 33 is $190.00 under the Chatham schedule effective October 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, plus any final return and required publication.
Executor duties
These are Chatham County practice points that sit on top of the statewide duties of a Georgia personal representative.
| Duty | Chatham County practice |
|---|---|
| Inventory and returns | File the inventory within six months of qualifying unless waived, and file annual returns when required. Chatham publishes its own Inventory of Estate Assets and Annual Return of Personal Representative forms. Under the court schedule effective October 1, 2025, each is $40.00 when assets or financial transactions are reported and no fee when none are reported (O.C.G.A. § 53-7-30; O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60). |
| Creditor notice | Publish the creditor notice in the Savannah Morning News, Chatham County's legal-notice newspaper. Under the court's fee charts effective October 1, 2025, the notice to debtors and creditors is $65.00. Statewide, the notice must be published within 60 days of qualification, once a week for four weeks, and creditors have three months from the last publication to notify the personal representative (O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41). |
| Letters and copies | Get certified copies of letters from the Record Room for banks, brokerages and title companies. Under the court schedule effective October 1, 2025, certified copies of letters are $10.00 each, and certified copies of other estate documents are $10.00 plus $1.00 per page (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60). |
| Real property orders | Where real property is set aside by year's support or passes through an order that no administration is necessary, a certified copy of the order is recorded in deed records in each Georgia county where the decedent owned land (O.C.G.A. § 53-3-5; O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40). |
| Discharge | Close the estate with GPCSF 33. Under the court schedule effective October 1, 2025, the petition for discharge is $190.00 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, plus any required final return and a one-time publication listed at $35.00 in the same fee charts. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Chatham County
Chatham estates use Georgia's statewide GPCSF standard forms, and the Chatham County Probate Court states that it requires the standard forms for matters covered by them. Those forms are available from the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia at https://gaprobate.gov/standard-forms/ and are governed by Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.9.
Chatham also publishes its own filing help. The most useful items include a Determination of Heirs Worksheet, a Duties and Responsibilities of Personal Representatives booklet, a What is a Probate Bond guide, a creditor claim form, an Estate Research or Copy Request, an Heir or Beneficiary Research Request, a fee waiver application, an Affidavit of Diligent Search, notice-by-publication templates and publication schedules.
Chatham's practical shortcut is important: the court generally does not require you to prepare the notices, orders or letters that appear inside the standard forms, so you can leave those pages out on most filings. The court names three exceptions. You prepare the Certificate of Order for Year's Support when real property is awarded (O.C.G.A. § 53-3-5), any notice that must be published, and the final order with the full legal description on a petition for an order declaring no administration is necessary (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40).
Fees
Chatham is one of the Georgia counties that publishes a current, detailed probate fee schedule and per-petition fee calculation charts. The court's posted charts are effective October 1, 2025, and they apply the statewide fee statute that took effect January 1, 2025 (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60).
| Item | Published Chatham County amount |
|---|---|
| Petition on GPCSF 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 or 10 | $205.00 under the schedule effective October 1, 2025. The schedule shows the $175.00 base under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, plus a $15.00 indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6, plus $15.00 for law library and alternative dispute resolution add-ons. |
| Other petition concerning a decedent's estate, including GPCSF 2, 8, 13, 17, 18, 32, 33, 71 or 72 | $190.00 under the schedule effective October 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. The schedule notes that temporary letters of administration do not carry the $15.00 indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6. |
| Motion, response, request, citation, caveat or objection | $75.00 under the schedule effective October 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. The court's chart says non-substantive motions are not charged. |
| Fiduciary compliance report with assets | $40.00 under the schedule effective October 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. A report with no assets is no fee. |
| Certified copy of letters | $10.00 each under the schedule effective October 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. |
| Copies | $1.00 per page under the schedule effective October 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. |
| Record Room research fee | $10.00 for mailed requests or onsite requests requiring research under the schedule effective October 1, 2025. |
| Publication examples | Under the fee charts effective October 1, 2025, notice to debtors and creditors is $65.00, year's support publication is $125.00, certain heir publication notices are $125.00 or $185.00 depending on petition type, and discharge publication is $35.00. Longer notices may cost more. |
| Payment | The court accepts cash, money orders in the exact amount, cashier's checks in the exact amount, Discover, Visa and MasterCard. Under the court's payment policy effective August 1, 2022, card payments carry a 5 percent convenience fee. The court does not accept personal checks or American Express. |
Local nuance
Chatham County-specific considerations
| Chatham practice | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Article 6 court | Chatham is an Article 6 probate court, and its own page says it has expanded jurisdiction, concurrent jurisdiction with the superior courts in certain matters, jury trials for proper issues and appeals to the Georgia appellate courts (O.C.G.A. §§ 15-9-120, 15-9-121, 15-9-123). |
| Paper filing only | There is no probate e-filing in Chatham County. File by mail, drop box at the court's entry or appointment. Pleadings mailed without fees are returned without filing. |
| Form shortcut | The court generally prepares notices, orders and letters on most standard-form petitions. Filers still prepare the Certificate of Order for Year's Support when real property is awarded, publication notices and the final order on a petition for an order declaring no administration is necessary (O.C.G.A. § 53-3-5; O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40). |
| Thursday opening and filing cutoff | The office opens at 8:45 a.m. on Thursdays because of staff meetings, and filings are accepted only until 4:30 p.m. on business days. |
| Service choice affects cost | Since October 1, 2025, if personal service on an heir or beneficiary is required, the court charges sheriff service at $50.00 unless certified mail at $15.00 is expressly requested in the petition. |
| Heir search | The Record Room can run an heir or beneficiary search at $10.00 per person under the court's posted service, useful when a petition cannot identify a current address. |
| Publication | The Savannah Morning News publishes probate legal notices for Chatham County. The court publishes templates and schedules, and its fee charts effective October 1, 2025, list common publication amounts. |
| No county probate e-mail intake | The court publishes a contact form and phone menu, but no filing email address for estate petitions. |
Recent updates
| Change | Date | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Revised fee schedule and per-petition fee calculation charts | Effective October 1, 2025 | The Chatham County Probate Court lists $205.00 for petitions on GPCSF 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 or 10 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, and $190.00 for other listed decedent's estate petitions under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. Service and publication are calculated separately. |
| Personal service fee practice changed | Effective October 1, 2025 | If personal service on an heir or beneficiary is required, the court charges sheriff service at $50.00 unless certified mail at $15.00 is expressly requested in the petition. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Chatham County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | A home held jointly with right of survivorship may pass outside probate, but sole-name accounts or other assets may still require a Chatham filing in Room 509. A surviving spouse should also consider year's support, which can set aside property and must be filed within 24 months of death (O.C.G.A. § 53-3-5). Under Chatham's schedule effective October 1, 2025, the year's support petition is $205.00 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, first class mail notice is listed at $5.00 per person, and the publication check is listed at $125.00 payable to the Savannah Morning News. | Sunset finds accounts across its 2,300-institution search, organizes the asset picture and helps assemble the Chatham filing packet for estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the parent lived in Chatham County, the filing is still in Savannah. Chatham has no probate e-filing, so the petition and any original will travel on paper by mail, drop box or appointment. Mailed pleadings without fees are returned without filing. The oath cannot be notarized; use GPCSF 53 if a court where the child lives will administer it (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-24). If an heir address is missing, the Record Room search is $10.00 per person under the court's posted service. | Sunset locates accounts remotely, builds the packet and helps the family decide what can be handled by mail and what needs a Savannah appointment. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A house sale usually means letters and certified copies for the title company. Under Chatham's schedule effective October 1, 2025, certified letters are $10.00 each under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. If powers or a bond waiver are needed, GPCSF 32 is $190.00 under the same schedule, and the related publication can be $185.00 under the court's fee charts effective October 1, 2025. A petition for leave to sell on GPCSF 13 is also $190.00 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. If there is no will, all heirs agree and the debts issue is resolved, an order declaring no administration is necessary may be available, and the order is recorded in deed records where the land is located (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40). | Sunset assembles the asset and debt picture, prepares the probate packet and connects the family with a vetted local probate attorney when the sale or title work needs one. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Chatham County Probate Court | Decedent's estate filing information, fees, forms, filer guidance and Record Room access. Staff can explain procedure but cannot give legal advice. | Room 509, 133 Montgomery Street, Savannah. (912) 652-7264, Option 4 for estates and Option 1 for records. https://courts.chathamcountyga.gov/Probate/DecedentsEstate |
| Chatham County Probate Court, Attorney and Pro Se Filer Resources | Chatham's guidance for paper filing, service choices, publication templates, publication schedules and fee charts. | https://courts.chathamcountyga.gov/Probate/FilerResources |
| Chatham County Law Library | Public legal reference library with print and online material, including Westlaw. It is a research library, not a probate help desk. | 133 Montgomery Street, Room 503, Savannah. (912) 652-7336. Posted hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. https://courts.chathamcountyga.gov/Resources/LawLibrary |
| Georgia Legal Services Program, Savannah regional office | Free civil legal help for people who qualify. Chatham County is in the Georgia Legal Services Program service area. | 6602 Abercorn Street, Suite 203, Savannah, GA 31405. (912) 651-2180. Statewide intake: 1-833-457-7529. https://www.glsp.org/need-help/ |
| Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia standard forms | Current Georgia GPCSF probate forms and general instructions used in every Georgia probate court, including Chatham. | https://gaprobate.gov/standard-forms/ |
| Supreme Court of Georgia standard forms index | Statewide index for Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms and General Instructions. | https://www.gasupreme.us/probate-court-standard-forms/ |
| Georgia Probate Records | Online records portal used by participating Georgia probate courts. Chatham is in its estates search. | https://georgiaprobaterecords.com/Default.aspx |
| GeorgiaLegalAid.org | Plain-language legal information and a find-an-attorney-by-county tool. | https://www.georgialegalaid.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
Chatham County Probate Court accepts self-represented filings, and its filer resources page is written for attorneys and people filing without a lawyer. Counsel makes sense when heirs disagree, a caveat is likely, a house must be sold, a bond or powers issue will affect title, an heir cannot be located, or the estate settlement includes business interests or contested creditor claims. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions so the family can see accounts, balances and likely next steps before filing in Chatham County. That asset picture makes estate settlement more organized from the first petition.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset uses the information you provide to help assemble the Georgia probate packet for the Chatham County Probate Court, including the right statewide GPCSF forms and the local filing details that affect paper filing, fees, service and publication.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate involves a house sale, missing heirs, a caveat, bond, powers, creditor issues or Article 6 litigation, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Georgia probate attorney familiar with Chatham County practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, identify assets, prepare for probate and understand when attorney help is worth it. Sunset is paid by partners, not by grieving families.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Chatham County?
File with the Chatham County Probate Court in Room 509 of the Coleman Courthouse, 133 Montgomery Street, Savannah, GA 31401. The court accepts probate pleadings by mail, by drop box at the court's entry or by appointment.
Can I e-file a probate case in Chatham County?
No. Chatham probate filings are paper filings. The court accepts pleadings with the correct fees by mail, by drop box or by appointment. The original will also goes to the Probate Court on paper under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
What does it cost to open an estate in Chatham County?
Under the Chatham County Probate Court schedule effective October 1, 2025, a petition to probate a will or for letters of administration on GPCSF 3, 4, 5, 7, 9 or 10 is $205.00 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, with the indigent defense fee governed by O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6. Other petitions in a decedent's estate listed on the schedule are $190.00 under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. Service and publication are extra.
What are the Chatham County Probate Court's hours?
The court is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Thursday from 8:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. because of staff meetings. Filings are accepted until 4:30 p.m., and the Record Room closes at 4:30 p.m.
Can I look up a Chatham County estate case online?
Yes. The court links Georgia Probate Records, a records portal used by participating Georgia probate courts, and Chatham is in that portal's estates search: https://georgiaprobaterecords.com/Default.aspx. You can also request records from the Record Room in person or by mail.
Does Chatham County have its own probate forms?
Yes. Chatham requires Georgia's statewide standard forms and adds its own supporting forms and guides, including a Determination of Heirs Worksheet, a creditor claim form, an estate research and copy request, a fee waiver application and publication templates.
Which newspaper publishes probate notices in Chatham County?
The Savannah Morning News publishes legal notices for the Chatham County Probate Court. The filing party normally prepares the notice and sends it to the newspaper, except on a petition for year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3 and a petition for declaration of death, where court staff send the ad.
Do I need a lawyer to file in Chatham County Probate Court?
No. The court publishes resources for attorneys and people filing without a lawyer. Clerks can help with procedure, but they cannot give legal advice or prepare pleadings for you.
Do I have to travel to Savannah to open an estate?
Not for the filing itself. A signed, verified petition with the correct fees can be mailed or placed in the drop box. The oath is different: it must be administered by a probate judge or clerk, not a notary (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-24). A petitioner outside Georgia can use GPCSF 53 so a court where they live administers the oath.
Where does an appeal from Chatham County Probate Court go?
Chatham is an Article 6 probate court. A party to a civil case may demand a jury trial under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-121, and an appeal goes to the Court of Appeals of Georgia or the Supreme Court of Georgia under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-123.
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.