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Dade County, GA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Dade County details |
|---|---|
| Court | The Dade County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | 255 West Crabtree Street, Trenton, GA 30752 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 605, Trenton, GA 30752 |
| Phone | (706) 657-4414 |
| Fax | (706) 657-4305 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Closed on state holidays. |
| Filing fee | Georgia sets probate fees by statute. The base fee for a decedent's-estate petition is $175.00, effective January 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, plus statutory add-ons, service costs and publication costs. Confirm the current total with the court before filing. |
| Local forms | No county-specific decedent's-estate packet is published. Dade County uses the statewide GPCSF forms. |
| E-filing | No estate e-filing is published for Dade County. File on paper in person or by mail. The original will is always filed on paper. |
| Case search | Dade County appears in georgiaprobaterecords.com, a portal used by participating Georgia probate courts. If a case does not appear there, call the Probate Court. |
| Remote appearance | No remote appearance policy is published. Ask the court whether a hearing can be handled without traveling to Trenton. |
| Other counter services | The same Probate Court counter also handles marriage license applications, weapons carry license applications and certified vital records. The Dade County page lists a marriage license fee of $77.00 as of August 2026, and weapons carry application charges of $30.00 plus $51.50 for fingerprinting as of August 2026. |
| Website | https://www.dadecounty-ga.gov/164/Probate-Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Georgia probate form, list what the decedent owned, how each asset was titled, known debts, likely heirs, and whether there is an original will. In Dade County, the filing is paper-based, so having the asset list, death certificate, addresses for heirs and the original will ready can prevent repeated trips or mail exchanges with the Trenton office.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery can help families find accounts and benefits before they start estate settlement. That makes it easier to decide whether the Dade County Probate Court needs a will petition, letters of administration, year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3, or an order that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Dade County Probate Court in Trenton serves all of Dade County, Georgia, including Trenton and the county's unincorporated communities. Georgia has a probate court in each county, and Dade County estate filings go to the Dade County Probate Court, not to a regional probate office.
For an administration, the Probate Court can act when the decedent lived in Dade County at death, or when a nonresident of Georgia owned property in Dade County or had a cause of action here (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31). A petition for an order that no administration is necessary is filed in the decedent's Georgia county of domicile, or where the real property is located if the decedent was not domiciled in Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40).
If a party seeks review of a Dade County Probate Court decision, the current route is a petition for review in the superior court within 30 days of the judgment (O.C.G.A. § 5-3-7(b)). The superior court proceeding is de novo, with the jury right preserved (O.C.G.A. § 5-3-5(d)).
The jurisdiction process
- Collect the will, asset list and family information. Whoever has the will must file it with the Probate Court with reasonable promptness under O.C.G.A. § 53-5-5. Gather asset information, debts, heir names and addresses before filing.
- Choose the correct statewide GPCSF petition. With a will, Georgia probate may be in common form or solemn form under O.C.G.A. § 53-5. Common form is not conclusive for four years from the order admitting the will under O.C.G.A. § 53-5-19. With no will, the usual petition is for letters of administration under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-20.
- File on paper in Trenton or by mail. File at the Dade County Probate Court, 255 West Crabtree Street, Trenton, GA 30752, or mail papers to P.O. Box 605, Trenton, GA 30752. No estate e-filing is published for Dade County.
- Pay the filing costs when you file. The statutory base fee for a decedent's-estate petition is $175.00, effective January 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. The total may include statutory add-ons, service costs and publication costs, so call (706) 657-4414 before filing.
- Complete notice, service or publication. The court issues the citation, and the petitioner supplies the service information, acknowledgments or publication arrangements required for the petition. Solemn form probate uses notice under O.C.G.A. § 53-5.
- Take the oath and address bond. Before letters issue, the personal representative takes the oath before a probate judge or clerk, not a notary. An out-of-state petitioner may use GPCSF 53. Bond is required for an intestate administrator unless all heirs consent to waive it under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-50.
- Receive letters and begin administration. After qualification, the court issues letters testamentary or letters of administration. Those letters are the authority document used to collect estate assets, deal with institutions and continue estate settlement.
- Publish creditor notice in Dade County. A personal representative must publish notice to creditors in the Dade County Sentinel within 60 days of qualification, once a week for four weeks. Creditors have three months from the last publication to give notice of claims under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41.
- Inventory, pay claims and distribute. Unless waived, the personal representative files an inventory with the court and mails it to heirs or beneficiaries within six months of qualification under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-30 and O.C.G.A. § 53-7-32. Then the representative pays proper claims and distributes according to the will or Georgia law.
- Close the estate when administration is complete. File any required fiduciary compliance report and, when ready, petition for discharge using GPCSF 33.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Dade County
Georgia uses one statewide set of numbered probate forms, the GPCSF series, adopted for probate court use statewide. A document prepared on a standard form is acceptable in any Georgia probate court, and a court may decline to process a substitute that does not conform to the standard form and certificate requirements in Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.9.
Dade County Probate Court does not publish a separate decedent's-estate cover sheet, checklist or packet. Use the statewide GPCSF forms for common form probate, solemn form probate, letters of administration, year's support, an order that no administration is necessary and discharge. The court's own page also states that there are no standard forms for objections, caveats, answers or motions, so those papers must be drafted for the specific case.
| Form source | How it is used in Dade County |
|---|---|
| Council of Probate Court Judges standard forms | Current GPCSF PDFs for estate filings in the Dade County Probate Court. |
| Supreme Court of Georgia standard forms index | Statewide index and general instructions for Georgia probate forms. |
| Dade County Probate Court page | Local contact, hours and filing office information. No local decedent's-estate packet is posted. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Dade County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Property with survivorship or a beneficiary designation may pass outside the estate. If the home or accounts were in the decedent's sole name, the spouse files on paper with the Dade County Probate Court. Year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3 can set aside property, including a home, and must be filed within 24 months of death under O.C.G.A. § 53-3-5. | Sunset helps identify which assets pass outside probate, which need Dade County court authority, and whether attorney help is sensible before filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Dade County has no published estate e-filing, so paper filings and the original will go to the Trenton office or the court's P.O. box. The oath cannot be notarized; use GPCSF 53 if you need to take it before a court where you live. If the estate is only a Georgia financial-institution deposit, the institution may have a noncourt release process for $15,000.00 or less, current under the 2019 amendment to O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239, after 45 days. | Sunset helps prepare the asset list, find accounts, organize mailing steps and flag when a court filing may not be needed for a bank-only matter. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Selling a house usually requires court authority. A personal representative may seek expanded powers under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-1(b) with unanimous heir consent and published citation, or file GPCSF 13 for leave to sell. If there is no will, no unresolved debt problem and all heirs agree, an order that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40 can vest title in the heirs, with the land order filed in the deed books through the Dade County Clerk of Superior Court. | Sunset helps identify heirs, debts and title issues, then connects the family with a Georgia probate attorney if a sale, heir agreement or land transfer needs legal drafting. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Dade County Probate Court | The filing office for Dade County estates. Use it for local hours, contact information, paper filing and questions about publication or hearing logistics. |
| Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia standard forms | Current statewide GPCSF forms used in Dade County Probate Court. |
| Supreme Court of Georgia standard forms index | Statewide probate form index and general instructions. |
| Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia | Statewide probate court information, including Uniform Probate Court Rules and the probate court directory. |
| georgiaprobaterecords.com | Estate search portal used by participating Georgia probate courts. Dade County appears in the estate search. |
| Georgia Legal Services Program | Free civil legal help for eligible people outside metro Atlanta, including Dade County. Statewide intake line: 1-833-457-7529. |
| GeorgiaLegalAid.org | Plain-language Georgia legal information, including wills and estates topics. |
| Georgia Courts self-help resources | Judicial Council and AOC orientation for people navigating Georgia courts without a lawyer. |
When to hire an attorney
A Georgia probate attorney makes sense in Dade County when land must be sold or divided, heirs disagree, a caveat is filed, creditor issues are unclear, or a petition for review to the superior court is being considered under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-7(b). Sunset connects families to a vetted Georgia probate attorney who handles Dade County matters.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps identify accounts, benefits, property leads and liabilities so the family starts estate settlement with a clearer picture of what exists and what may need court authority.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information needed for Georgia probate forms, including the Dade County filing office, paper filing steps, the original will requirement and the statewide GPCSF forms.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate involves Dade County land, a sale, a caveat, creditor problems or a petition for review, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Georgia probate attorney who handles Dade County matters.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying a fee to Sunset, and decide whether they want attorney help for the parts that require legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file for probate in Dade County, Georgia?
File with the Dade County Probate Court at 255 West Crabtree Street, Trenton, GA 30752, or mail papers to P.O. Box 605, Trenton, GA 30752. This is Dade County, Georgia, not Miami-Dade County, Florida. Administration belongs in the county where the decedent lived at death, or where a nonresident of Georgia owned property or had a cause of action (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31).
Can I file a Dade County probate case online?
No estate e-filing is published for the Dade County Probate Court. File on paper in person or by mail. If there is a will, the original will must be delivered on paper, and self-represented filers are not required to e-file under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
What does it cost to open an estate in Dade County?
Dade County does not publish a county-specific probate fee schedule. Georgia's base fee for a decedent's-estate petition is $175.00, effective January 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, plus statutory add-ons, service costs and publication costs. Call the Dade County Probate Court at (706) 657-4414 to confirm the current total before filing.
Does Dade County have its own probate forms?
No county-specific decedent's-estate forms or packet are published. Dade County uses the statewide GPCSF forms. The court's page states that objections, caveats, answers and motions do not have standard forms, so those papers must be drafted for the case.
How do I look up a Dade County estate case?
Dade County appears in georgiaprobaterecords.com, a portal used by participating Georgia probate courts. Search there first. If the estate does not appear, call the Dade County Probate Court because the portal is not a statewide guarantee of every probate filing.
What are the Dade County Probate Court's hours?
The Probate Court is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. It is closed on state holidays.
Do I have to travel to Trenton if I live out of state?
Not always. You can mail paper filings to the court, but the oath for a personal representative cannot be notarized. It must be administered by a probate judge or clerk, and an out-of-state petitioner can use GPCSF 53 to take the oath before an appropriate court where they live.
Where does the notice to creditors get published in Dade County?
The local legal organ is the Dade County Sentinel in Trenton. A personal representative must publish the creditor notice within 60 days of qualification, once a week for four weeks, and creditors have three months from the last publication to give notice of claims under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41. Confirm the current publication charge with the court when the citation is issued.
What if I disagree with a Dade County Probate Court decision?
A party seeking review files a petition for review in the superior court within 30 days of the judgment under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-7(b). The superior court proceeding is de novo, with the jury right preserved, under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-5(d).
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.