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Union County, GA Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Union County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | The Union County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | 65 Courthouse Street, Suite 8, Blairsville, GA 30512 |
| Mailing | Use the courthouse address unless the court gives you different mailing instructions. |
| Phone | (706) 439-6006 |
| Fax | (706) 439-6009 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed for lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.; walk-in customer service ends at 4:00 p.m. |
| Filing fee | The statutory base 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 including the $15.00 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. |
| Local forms | No Union County probate forms, cover sheet or local packet are listed. Use the statewide Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms. |
| E-filing | Plan to file on paper at the counter or by mail. The original will and any codicil must be delivered on paper under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B). |
| Case search | Union County links to georgiaprobaterecords.com, a records portal used by participating Georgia probate courts. The court states Union County online records from 2014 to the present are available there. |
| Remote appearance | No remote appearance policy is listed. Ask the Probate Court before relying on phone or video attendance. |
| Website | https://www.unioncountyga.gov/294/Probate-CouRt |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Union County, list the assets, debts, account titles, beneficiary designations, real estate and any known creditor issues. The right Georgia form depends on whether there is a will, who the heirs are, whether creditors must be served, and whether the family needs letters testamentary or letters of administration to complete the estate settlement.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions, which can help you identify accounts before you choose a petition, estimate whether publication or bond may matter, and decide whether the estate settlement can stay simple or needs attorney help.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Union County Probate Court at 65 Courthouse Street, Suite 8, Blairsville, serves estate filings venued anywhere in Union County, including Blairsville. Georgia has one Probate Court in each county, so a Union County estate is filed with the Union County Probate Court, not with another county office.
Administration may be granted only for someone who lived in Union County at death, or for a nonresident of Georgia who owned property in Union 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 Georgia real property is located if the decedent was not domiciled in Georgia (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40).
Union County is not an Article 6 probate court under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-120. A party seeking review of a 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 proceeding is 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 and beneficiary addresses, and any real estate information before going to the Union County Probate Court in Blairsville.
- If someone has the will, file the original will with the Probate Court with reasonable promptness (O.C.G.A. § 53-5-5). The original will and any codicil must be delivered on paper.
- Choose the correct statewide GPCSF petition. With a will, Georgia allows probate in common form or solemn form (O.C.G.A. § 53-5); common form is not 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 path under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-20.
- File the petition on paper at 65 Courthouse Street, Suite 8, Blairsville, GA 30512, or ask the court about mailing the packet. Plan around the lunch closure from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. and the 4:00 p.m. end of walk-in customer service.
- Pay the filing cost when filing. The statutory base 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 any separate service or publication costs.
- Complete notice and service. The court issues the citation; solemn form requires notice to heirs under O.C.G.A. § 53-5-22. Ask the Union County Probate Court which newspaper handles legal notices and what the publication charge is.
- Take the fiduciary oath before the Probate Judge or a clerk. The oath cannot be taken before a notary; an out-of-state petitioner can use GPCSF 53 to take the oath before a court of record.
- Address bond if required. An administrator of an intestate estate must give bond unless the heirs unanimously consent to waive it (O.C.G.A. § 53-6-50).
- After qualification, obtain letters testamentary or letters of administration, then use certified copies to collect estate assets, work with banks, handle title issues and manage the estate settlement.
- Publish the creditor notice within 60 days after qualification, once a week for four weeks. Creditors who do not notify the personal representative within three months after the last publication lose equal participation under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41.
- File the inventory with the court and mail it to heirs or beneficiaries within six months after qualification unless the duty is waived or extended (O.C.G.A. § 53-7-30 and O.C.G.A. § 53-7-32).
- Pay valid claims, distribute remaining property, file any required fiduciary compliance report, and petition for discharge using GPCSF 33 when the estate is ready to close.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Union County
Georgia uses one statewide set of numbered probate forms, the GPCSF series, adopted by the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia and approved by the Supreme Court of Georgia. A document prepared on a standard form is acceptable in any probate court in the state, and a court may decline to process a substitute that does not conform to the standard form under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.9.
Union County does not list a county-specific probate cover sheet, checklist or local packet for decedent's estates. For estate settlement in Blairsville, start with the statewide form that matches the request: letters of administration, probate of a will in common form or solemn form under O.C.G.A. § 53-5, 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.
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Union County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Property with survivorship or a beneficiary designation may pass outside the estate. If the home or accounts were solely titled, file in the Union County Probate Court using the statewide forms. Year's support can set aside property for a spouse or minor children, including a home, and must be filed within 24 months of death (O.C.G.A. § 53-3 and O.C.G.A. § 53-3-5). | Sunset helps identify account ownership, beneficiary designations and real estate issues before the family chooses the estate settlement path. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Plan for paper filing with the Union County Probate Court. The oath cannot be notarized, so use GPCSF 53 if you need to take the oath before a court of record outside Georgia. If the only asset is a bank deposit, a Georgia financial institution may pay up to $15,000.00 after the 2019 amendment to an intestate decedent's account directly to the proper family member on an affidavit, without a court filing (O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239). | Sunset helps locate accounts, organize mailing and court packets, and decide whether the family needs letters or can use a non-court transfer route. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Authority to sell usually comes from the Union County Probate Court through expanded powers under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-1(b) and GPCSF 32, or through a petition for leave to sell on GPCSF 13. If there is no will, all heirs agree, and the estate owes nothing or creditors consent, an order that no administration is necessary can vest title in the heirs with no dollar limit (O.C.G.A. § 53-2-40), and a certified copy affecting Union County land is recorded with the Union County Clerk of Superior Court. | Sunset helps identify title issues, creditors and heir information, then connects the family with attorney help when a sale or title order is needed. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Union County Probate Court | Filing office for Union County estates: 65 Courthouse Street, Suite 8, Blairsville, GA 30512, (706) 439-6006. The court page gives hours, phone, fax and the local records portal link. |
| Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms | The Council of Probate Court Judges provides the current GPCSF forms used in all Georgia probate courts: https://gaprobate.gov/standard-forms/. |
| Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia | Statewide probate court information, Uniform Probate Court Rules and the court directory: https://gaprobate.gov/. |
| Georgia probate records portal used by participating courts | Union County links to https://www.georgiaprobaterecords.com/ for online records from 2014 to the present. |
| Georgia Legal Services Program | Free civil legal help for people who qualify in Georgia counties outside metro Atlanta, including Union County. Start at https://www.glsp.org/need-help/ or call 1-833-457-7529. |
| GeorgiaLegalAid.org | Plain-language 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 orientation for people navigating Georgia courts: https://georgiacourts.gov/a2j/self-help-resources/navigating-the-courts/. |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is often useful in Union County when the estate includes mountain land, timber, vacation property or a house that must be sold, when heirs disagree, when a caveat is filed, or when a party is considering a petition for review in the superior court under O.C.G.A. § 5-3-7(b). Georgia probate courts accept self-represented filings, but legal advice can prevent delays when title, creditor or family issues overlap. Sunset connects families with a vetted Georgia probate attorney who handles Union 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 benefits that may affect the Union County estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps organize the information needed for the Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms, including heirs, assets, debts, the will, service addresses and the local filing office in Blairsville.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate includes real property, a sale, a caveat, missing heirs or a petition for review, Sunset can connect the family with a Georgia probate attorney who handles Union County matters.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to understand the estate settlement tasks, organize documents and decide whether they need court filing help or attorney support.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file for probate in Union County, Georgia?
File with the Union County Probate Court at 65 Courthouse Street, Suite 8, Blairsville, GA 30512. Georgia administration venue is the county where the person lived at death, or, for a nonresident of Georgia, a county where the person owned property or had a cause of action (O.C.G.A. § 15-9-31).
Can I file a Union County probate case online?
Plan to file on paper in person or by mail. The Union County Probate Court page does not give an e-filing link for estate filings, and the original will and any codicil must be delivered on paper under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.3.12(B).
What does it cost to open an estate in Union 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. Add statutory charges, including the $15.00 indigent defense fee under O.C.G.A. § 15-21A-6, plus any service and publication costs. Call (706) 439-6006 before filing to confirm the current total.
Does Union County have its own probate forms?
No Union County estate packet, cover sheet or local form is listed on the court page. Use the statewide Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms, the GPCSF series, under Uniform Probate Court Rule 5.9.
How do I look up a Union County probate case?
Use georgiaprobaterecords.com, a records portal used by participating Georgia probate courts. The Union County Probate Court states that Union County online records from 2014 to the present are available there.
What are the Union County Probate Court hours?
The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It closes for lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., and walk-in customer service ends at 4:00 p.m.
Do I have to travel to Blairsville if I live out of state?
You may be able to file papers by mail, but the oath cannot be taken before a notary. Georgia requires the oath to be administered by a probate judge or clerk, and an out-of-state petitioner can use GPCSF 53 to take the oath before a court of record where the petitioner lives.
What if I disagree with a Union County Probate Court decision?
Union County is not an Article 6 probate court under O.C.G.A. § 15-9-120. A party seeking review 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 proceeding is de novo, with the jury right preserved (O.C.G.A. § 5-3-5(d)).
How long will probate take in Union County?
The court does not list a hearing calendar or filing-to-hearing window for estate cases. Timing depends on the petition, service, publication, creditor notice and whether anyone objects. After a personal representative qualifies, creditor notice is published within 60 days and creditors have three months from the last publication to notify the personal representative under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41.
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.