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Murray County, GA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Murray County details |
|---|---|
| Court | The Murray County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | 115 West Fort Street, Chatsworth, GA 30705 |
| Mailing address | Use the courthouse address. No separate mailing address is posted by the court. |
| Phone | (706) 695-3812 |
| Fax | (706) 517-1340 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday, 8:00 a.m. to noon. |
| Filing fee | 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, plus statutory add-ons and separate service and publication costs. Call the court for the current total before filing. |
| Local forms | No county-specific probate forms are posted. Murray County uses the statewide Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms. |
| E-filing | No estate e-filing option is posted for Murray County. Plan to file on paper by mail or at the counter, and deliver the original will on paper under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). |
| Case search | Murray County estate cases can be searched at georgiaprobaterecords.com, a portal used by participating Georgia probate courts. If the case is not listed, call the Probate Court. |
| Remote appearance | No video or telephone hearing policy is posted. Ask the court whether your matter can be handled without appearing in person. |
| Website | https://www.murraycountyga.org/95/Probate-Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Murray County probate path, list the assets, debts, account titles, beneficiary designations, and any land or vehicles. Georgia estate settlement depends on what passes outside probate, what is titled only in the decedent's name, whether heirs agree, and whether creditors must be served or paid.
Sunset's asset discovery checks more than 2,300 financial institutions, which can help you find accounts before filing at 115 West Fort Street. A clearer asset picture makes it easier to choose between letters, year's support, an order that no administration is necessary, or another Georgia filing.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Murray County Probate Court is the filing office for estates in Murray County. One courthouse location in Chatsworth serves the county seat, the unincorporated communities, and farmland across the rest of the county.
Georgia has a probate court in every county, and Murray County estate filings go to its own Probate Court, not to the Clerk of Superior Court. Administration may be granted only for a person who lived in Murray County at death, or for a nonresident of Georgia who owned property in Murray 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 in the county where real property is located if the decedent was not domiciled in Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40).
A party seeking review of a Murray County Probate Court decision files 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 hears the matter de novo, with the jury right preserved (O.C.G.A. § 5-3-5(d)).
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the will, death certificate, asset list, debt list, heir information, and addresses before starting the Murray County estate settlement filing.
- If there is a will, file the original will with the Murray County Probate Court with reasonable promptness (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-5). Choose probate in common form or solemn form under O.C.G.A. § 53-5, or, if there is no will, prepare the appropriate administration filing.
- Use the statewide GPCSF form that matches the situation. Common estate filings include GPCSF 3, GPCSF 4, GPCSF 5, GPCSF 7, GPCSF 9 for no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40, GPCSF 10 for year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3, and GPCSF 32 if powers or waivers are requested.
- File on paper at 115 West Fort Street, Chatsworth, GA 30705, or by mail. No Murray County estate e-filing option is posted. The original will and any codicil must be delivered on paper under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
- Pay the filing cost 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, plus statutory add-ons and separate service and publication costs. Call the court for the current total.
- Handle service, acknowledgments, or publication as the Probate Court directs. Solemn form probate requires notice under O.C.G.A. § 53-5, and publication in Murray County runs through The Chatsworth Times when a citation or notice must be published.
- Take the oath before the judge or clerk. The oath cannot be notarized. If you live outside Georgia, use GPCSF 53 so a court where you live can administer the oath.
- Address bond unless it is waived or not required. After the court approves the petition and the personal representative qualifies, the court issues letters testamentary or letters of administration.
- After qualification, publish the notice to creditors within 60 days, once a week for four weeks, in The Chatsworth Times, and track the three months after the last publication for creditor notices under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41.
- Administer the estate by collecting assets, paying valid expenses and claims, maintaining records, and filing the inventory or other fiduciary compliance report unless waived. Georgia requires the inventory within six months unless the duty is relieved or extended (O.C.G.A. § 53-7-30; O.C.G.A. § 53-7-32).
- When the estate is ready to close, distribute what remains and file the appropriate discharge paperwork, commonly GPCSF 33, with the Murray County Probate Court.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Murray County
Murray County Probate Court does not post county-specific probate forms for decedent estates. Use the statewide Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms, often called the GPCSF forms, from the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia.
Common Murray County estate settlement filings include GPCSF 3 for letters of administration, GPCSF 4 for probate of a will in common form under O.C.G.A. § 53-5, GPCSF 5 for probate of a will in solemn form under O.C.G.A. § 53-5, GPCSF 7 for solemn form with letters of administration with will annexed, GPCSF 9 for an order declaring that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40, GPCSF 10 for year's support under O.C.G.A. § 53-3, GPCSF 13 for leave to sell property, GPCSF 32 for waiver of bond or grant of powers, GPCSF 33 for discharge, GPCSF 53 for an out-of-state oath, and GPCSF 1 for general instructions.
A document prepared on a 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 | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | First identify what passes by survivorship or beneficiary designation. If property remains in the decedent's sole name, file on paper with the Murray 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. Publication runs in The Chatsworth Times when required. | Sunset helps identify accounts, title clues, and beneficiary designations so the spouse can choose the right estate settlement path before filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | No Murray County estate e-filing option is posted, so mail or bring the petition and any original will to 115 West Fort Street. The oath cannot be notarized; use GPCSF 53 to have a court where you live administer it. If the estate is only a bank or credit union deposit, ask the institution about the direct payment route under O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239 before opening a court case. | Sunset organizes the asset list, flags accounts that may avoid probate, and helps prepare the packet for paper filing in Chatsworth. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A house sale may require letters with 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 the estate owes nothing or creditors consent, an order that no administration is necessary under O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40 can vest title in the heirs. An order affecting Murray County land is recorded with the Murray County Clerk of Superior Court. | Sunset helps build the asset inventory, identify heirs and debts, and connect the family with a Georgia probate attorney if the sale needs court authority. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Murray County Probate Court | The filing office for Murray County estates. Address: 115 West Fort Street, Chatsworth, GA 30705. Phone: (706) 695-3812. Hours: Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday, 8:00 a.m. to noon. Website: https://www.murraycountyga.org/95/Probate-Court. |
| Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms, Council of Probate Court Judges | Current statewide GPCSF forms used for Murray County estate filings. Website: https://gaprobate.gov/standard-forms/. |
| Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia | Statewide probate court information, Uniform Probate Court Rules, standard forms, and court directory. Website: https://gaprobate.gov/. |
| Georgia probate portal used by participating courts | Murray County participates in the estate search at https://www.georgiaprobaterecords.com/Estates/SearchEstates.aspx. If the case is not listed, call the Probate Court. |
| Georgia Legal Services Program | Free civil legal help for people who qualify in Georgia counties outside metro Atlanta, including Murray County. Apply online or call 1-833-457-7529. Website: https://www.glsp.org/need-help/. |
| GeorgiaLegalAid.org | Plain-language Georgia legal information about wills, estates, and steps after a death. Website: https://www.georgialegalaid.org/. |
| Georgia Courts self-help resources | Judicial Council and Administrative Office of the Courts orientation for people navigating Georgia courts without a lawyer. Website: https://georgiacourts.gov/a2j/self-help-resources/navigating-the-courts/. |
When to hire an attorney
You may be able to file a straightforward Murray County estate without a lawyer, but counsel is often worth it when the estate includes land or mountain acreage, heirs disagree, a caveat is filed, a house must be sold, or someone is considering a petition for review in the superior court under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-7(b). Sunset connects families with a vetted Georgia probate attorney who handles Murray County matters.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify accounts, balances, and property clues before the Murray County estate settlement filing is prepared.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family information into an organized Georgia probate packet, including the statewide GPCSF forms that fit the will, heirs, assets, and debts.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Murray County estate has land, disagreement, a caveat, or a house sale, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Georgia probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, find assets, and understand next steps without paying Sunset for access.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file for probate in Murray County?
File with the Murray County Probate Court at 115 West Fort Street, Chatsworth, GA 30705. 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 Murray County probate case online?
No estate e-filing option is posted for Murray County. Plan to file on paper by mail or at the Probate Court counter. If there is a will, the original will and any codicil must be delivered to the Probate Court on paper under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
What does it cost to open an estate in Murray County?
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, plus statutory add-ons and separate service and publication costs. Murray County does not post a county fee schedule, so call (706) 695-3812 for the amount to bring or mail.
Does Murray County have its own probate forms?
No county-specific estate forms are posted. Use the statewide GPCSF forms from the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia, including GPCSF 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 13, 32, 33, and 53, depending on the filing.
How do I look up a Murray County estate case?
Use georgiaprobaterecords.com, a portal used by participating Georgia probate courts. Murray County participates in the estate search. If you do not find the case, call the Murray County Probate Court.
What are the Murray County Probate Court hours?
The court is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday, 8:00 a.m. to noon. Plan around the Friday noon closing if you are mailing papers, bringing an original will, or coming from outside Chatsworth.
Do I have to travel to Chatsworth if I live out of state?
Not always. Many filings can be mailed, but the oath cannot be notarized. If you are outside Georgia, GPCSF 53, Commission to Administer Oath, is the form used to have the oath administered by a court where you live.
Where does the notice to creditors get published in Murray County?
The personal representative must publish the notice to creditors within 60 days of qualification, once a week for four weeks, in the official newspaper of the county, and creditors have three months from the last publication to notify the personal representative of claims under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41. In Murray County, the legal organ is The Chatsworth Times. Ask the court for the current publication charge.
What if I disagree with a Murray 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 right to a jury 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.