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Long County, GA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Long County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Long County Probate Court, part of the Long County Probate/Magistrate Courts office for website and counter purposes |
| Courthouse address | 75 West Academy Street, Ludowici, GA 31316 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 426, Ludowici, GA 31316 |
| Phone | (912) 545-2131 |
| [email protected] | |
| Fax | Call the court before faxing estate papers; a probate fax is not listed on the court contact page. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Filing fee | Georgia sets probate fees by statute. A decedent's-estate petition has a $175.00 statutory base, effective January 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, plus statutory add-ons including the indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6 and separate service and publication costs. Confirm the current total with the court before filing. |
| Forms | Long County uses the statewide Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms. The court says it can provide blank standard forms; no separate Long County probate packet was found. |
| E-filing | No probate e-filing is published for Long County. Estate papers are filed on paper at the counter or by mail. The civil e-filing link on the shared site is for Magistrate Court matters, not estate matters. |
| Case search | georgiaprobaterecords.com is a case lookup used by participating Georgia probate courts, and Long County appears in its estate county list. If a case does not appear, call the Probate Court. |
| Remote appearance | No probate remote-appearance policy is published. Ask the court at (912) 545-2131 before assuming a hearing can be handled without appearing in Ludowici. |
| Website | https://sites.google.com/site/longcountyprobatecourt/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Long County probate form, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, title documents, beneficiary designations and possible heirs. The right estate settlement path can change if the only asset is a bank account, if the home was co-owned, or if Long County land must be sold.
Sunset can help with asset discovery across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then organize what belongs in the Long County Probate Court filing. That preparation makes the paper filing, service, publication and oath steps easier to complete.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Long County Probate Court at 75 West Academy Street in Ludowici serves Ludowici and the rest of unincorporated Long County. Georgia has one probate court in each county, and Long County estate filings go to this Probate Court, not to a district office or a county clerk.
Administration may be granted only for the estate of a person who lived in Long County at death, or for a nonresident of Georgia who owned property in Long County or had a cause of action against someone here (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31). If the filing is an order that no administration is necessary, venue follows the decedent's Georgia domicile or, for a nonresident, the Georgia county where the real property is located (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40).
For a contested Long County Probate Court decision, a party seeking review files a petition for review in 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 right to a jury preserved (O.C.G.A. § 5-3-5(d)).
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, the original will and codicils if any, asset information, creditor information and the names and addresses of heirs or beneficiaries. Whoever holds the will must file it with the Long County Probate Court with reasonable promptness (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-5).
- Choose the correct Georgia standard form. With a will, probate may be in common form or solemn form under O.C.G.A. § 53-5. Common form does not become conclusive for four years from the order admitting the will (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-19). With no will, use the letters of administration process under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-20. If all heirs agree and debts are resolved, an order that no administration is necessary may fit under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40.
- File on paper with the Long County Probate Court at 75 West Academy Street in Ludowici or mail the packet to P.O. Box 426, Ludowici, GA 31316. There is no published probate e-filing for Long County, and the original will is always a paper document under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
- Pay the filing cost when you file. The statutory base for a decedent's-estate petition is $175.00, effective January 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60, with statutory add-ons including the indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6 and separate service and publication costs. Confirm the current total with the court before filing.
- Complete citation, service and publication. The court issues the citation, and the petitioner must arrange service, acknowledgments or publication as required. Published Long County probate notices run in The Journal Sentinel in Reidsville.
- Take the oath before the probate judge or a clerk. The personal representative's oath cannot be taken before a notary. If you are outside Georgia, ask about GPCSF 53 before traveling.
- Address bond if the estate has no will. An administrator of an intestate estate must give bond unless all heirs consent to waive it (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-50).
- Receive letters testamentary or letters of administration after the court approves the petition, the oath is complete and any bond issue is resolved. Those letters are the authority document for estate settlement tasks such as dealing with banks, insurers and buyers.
- Publish the notice to creditors within 60 days after qualifying, once a week for four weeks, in The Journal Sentinel. Creditors who do not notify the personal representative within three months after the last publication lose equal participation rights (O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41).
- Prepare the inventory, pay valid claims and administer the estate. Unless waived, the personal representative files the inventory with the court and mails it to heirs or beneficiaries within six months after qualification (O.C.G.A. § 53-7-30; O.C.G.A. § 53-7-32).
- When administration is complete, file any required fiduciary compliance report and petition for discharge on GPCSF 33.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Long County
Long County uses Georgia's statewide probate form set, the GPCSF series. The court's own site says the office can give you blank Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms, and no separate Long County probate cover sheet, checklist or local estate packet was found.
| Form | Use in Long County |
|---|---|
| GPCSF 1 | General instructions, including the oath rule for a personal representative. |
| GPCSF 3 | Petition for letters of administration when there is no will. |
| GPCSF 4 | Petition to probate a will in common form under O.C.G.A. § 53-5. |
| GPCSF 5 | Petition to probate a will in solemn form under O.C.G.A. § 53-5. |
| GPCSF 9 | Petition for order declaring no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40. |
| GPCSF 10 | Petition for year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3. |
| GPCSF 32 | Petition by personal representative for waiver of bond or grant of certain powers. |
| GPCSF 33 | Petition for discharge of personal representative. |
| GPCSF 53 | Commission to administer oath for a petitioner outside Georgia. |
A document prepared on a Georgia standard form is acceptable in any Georgia probate court, and a court may decline a substitute that does not conform to the standard form rule (Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.9).
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Long County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Property held with survivorship or a beneficiary designation may pass outside the estate. If the house or accounts were in the decedent's sole name, file on paper with the Long County Probate Court. Year's support can set aside property for a spouse or minor children under O.C.G.A. § 53-3 and must be filed within 24 months of death under O.C.G.A. § 53-3-5. | Sunset helps sort title, accounts, debts and beneficiary designations before the family chooses an estate settlement filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Mail the petition and any original will to the Long County Probate Court, or file at the counter in Ludowici. The oath cannot be notarized, so use GPCSF 53 or travel for the oath. If the only asset is a small intestate bank deposit, ask the financial institution about its direct-payment procedure under O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239. | Sunset helps organize the asset list, generate the Georgia form packet and flag the oath issue before the child makes travel plans. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Selling a Long County home usually requires letters plus sale authority, expanded powers under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-1(b) and GPCSF 32, or a petition for leave to sell on GPCSF 13. If there is no will, the heirs agree and debts are resolved, an order that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40 may vest title in the heirs and require a land-title filing step. | Sunset helps identify heirs, debts and land issues, then connects the family with a Georgia probate attorney if sale authority or heir consent is complicated. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Long County Probate Court | Filing office for Long County estates. Address: 75 West Academy Street, Ludowici, GA 31316. Mail: P.O. Box 426, Ludowici, GA 31316. Phone: (912) 545-2131. Email: [email protected]. |
| Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms | Current statewide GPCSF forms for all Georgia probate courts, including Long County: https://gaprobate.gov/standard-forms/ |
| Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia | Statewide probate court information, Uniform Probate Court Rules and the probate court directory: https://gaprobate.gov/ |
| Georgia probate case lookup for participating courts | Long County appears in the estate case list at https://www.georgiaprobaterecords.com/Estates/SearchEstates.aspx |
| Georgia Legal Services Program | Free civil legal help for people who qualify in Georgia counties outside metro Atlanta, including Long County. Apply online or call statewide intake at 1-833-457-7529: https://www.glsp.org/need-help/ |
| GeorgiaLegalAid.org | Plain-language Georgia legal information about wills, estates and steps after a death: https://www.georgialegalaid.org/ |
| Georgia Courts self-help resources | Judicial Council and Administrative Office of the Courts information for people navigating court without a lawyer: https://georgiacourts.gov/a2j/self-help-resources/navigating-the-courts/ |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset's estate settlement workflow helps families identify banks, investments, insurance, vehicles, real estate leads and debts so the Long County petition is based on a complete asset picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family's answers into a Georgia probate packet using the statewide GPCSF forms, then helps you understand what must be filed on paper with the Long County Probate Court.
Find a local probate attorney. If land must be sold, heirs disagree, a caveat is filed or a petition for review is possible, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Georgia probate attorney who handles Long County matters.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset is paid by partners, not grieving families, so estate settlement support, asset organization and attorney matching can start without an upfront platform fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file for probate in Long County?
File with the Long County Probate Court at 75 West Academy Street, Ludowici, GA 31316, or mail papers to P.O. Box 426, Ludowici, GA 31316. Georgia administration venue is the county where the decedent lived at death, or, for a nonresident of Georgia, a county where the decedent owned property or had a cause of action (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31).
Can I file a Long County probate case online?
No probate e-filing is published for Long County. Estate papers are filed on paper at the Long County Probate Court or by mail. The e-filing link on the shared court site belongs to the Magistrate Court's civil docket, not the Probate Court.
What does it cost to open an estate in Long County?
The statutory base for a decedent's-estate petition is $175.00, effective January 1, 2025, under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60. Statutory add-ons, including the indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6, plus service and publication costs are separate. Call the Long County Probate Court before filing because its posted price list does not show a current effective date for estate petition figures.
Does Long County have its own probate forms?
No separate Long County probate packet was found. The court provides blank Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms, and estate filings use the statewide GPCSF forms under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.9.
How do I look up a Long County probate case?
Use georgiaprobaterecords.com, a case lookup used by participating Georgia probate courts. Long County appears in the estate county list. If the case does not appear, call the Probate Court because the site does not promise that every case will be visible online.
What are the Long County Probate Court hours?
The published hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Call (912) 545-2131 before making a long trip if you need a same-day filing, oath or hearing question answered.
Do I have to travel to Ludowici if I live out of state?
Many papers can be mailed, but the personal representative's oath cannot be taken before a notary. The oath is administered by a probate judge or clerk, and an out-of-state petitioner can use GPCSF 53 for a commission to administer the oath.
Where does the notice to creditors get published in Long County?
The notice to creditors is published in The Journal Sentinel in Reidsville. A personal representative must publish within 60 days after qualifying, once a week for four weeks, and creditors who do not notify the personal representative within three months after the last publication lose equal participation rights (O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41).
What if I disagree with a Long County Probate Court decision?
A party seeking review files a petition for review in 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 right to a jury preserved (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.