Back to Kansas
Leavenworth County, KS Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Leavenworth County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Leavenworth County District Court, in Kansas's 1st Judicial District (K.S.A. 4-202). |
| Filing office | Clerk of the district court (K.S.A. 20-343), Leavenworth Justice Center, 601 S 3rd St., Suite 3051, Leavenworth, KS 66048. The clerk's office is on the third floor. |
| Mailing address | Clerk of the District Court, Leavenworth Justice Center, 601 S 3rd St., Suite 3051, Leavenworth, KS 66048. |
| Phone | 913-684-0700. |
| Fax | 913-684-0492. The court lists this fax number for filings by people without lawyers. |
| Hours | The court does not publish the clerk's counter hours. Call 913-684-0700 before traveling. The court publishes a drop box at the Leavenworth Justice Center main entrance for filing after business hours. |
| Filing fee | $131.50 as of August 2026 for a probate estate, made up of the $109.50 statutory docket fee plus the $22 surcharge (K.S.A. 59-104). Other court costs are taxed and billed against the estate as the court directs (K.S.A. 59-104(d)). |
| Local forms | No Leavenworth County probate petition, local probate cover sheet, or probate checklist is published. Use free statewide Kansas Judicial Council forms where they exist, including the case-filing cover sheet and Self-Represented Litigant Certification Form. |
| Filing without a lawyer | The court says a person without a lawyer may file in person, by mail, by fax to 913-684-0492, or by drop box at the Justice Center main entrance. A drop-box filing deposited by 4:00 p.m. local time counts that day. |
| E-filing | Electronic filing is required for Kansas-licensed attorneys under Kansas Supreme Court Rule 122. People handling an estate without a lawyer use the paper, mail, fax, or drop-box channels the court publishes. |
| Case search | Kansas Courts CaseSearch is the statewide free case search. Leavenworth County District Court joined Kansas eCourt on September 12, 2022, so documents in older cases may not appear online. |
| Remote appearance | A phone or video appearance is discretionary under Kansas Supreme Court Rule 103. Use the free Kansas Judicial Council motion and ask the clerk how the assigned judge handles requests. |
| Website | https://www.leavenworthcounty.gov/departments/district_court/index.php |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing anything in Leavenworth County, list the estate's assets, debts, real estate, and account holders. The $131.50 probate estate docket fee as of August 2026 is flat under K.S.A. 59-104, but the estate settlement path depends on what property exists, whether the small estates affidavit under K.S.A. 59-1507b can be used, and what the inventory and valuation must include within 30 days after letters are granted (K.S.A. 59-1201). Sunset searches more than 2,300 institutions to help families find accounts and assets before the filing decision is made.
Then check the local filing details. Leavenworth County District Court publishes its fax number, drop-box location, docket fee chart under K.S.A. 59-104, and copy prices, but it does not publish the clerk's counter hours. Call 913-684-0700 before traveling, especially if the six-month will deadline under K.S.A. 59-617 is close.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate for Leavenworth County is filed with the clerk of the district court at the Leavenworth Justice Center, 601 S 3rd St., Suite 3051, in Leavenworth (K.S.A. 20-343). The Leavenworth County District Court sits in Kansas's 1st Judicial District (K.S.A. 4-202). That district covers Leavenworth County and one other county, but a Leavenworth County estate is opened, docketed, and heard at the Leavenworth Justice Center.
The venue rule is K.S.A. 59-2203. For a Kansas resident who owned real property in the county of residence, proceedings are filed in that county. If the resident owned no real property in the county of residence, proceedings may be filed in the county of residence or in any county where the decedent owned real property. For a nonresident, proceedings may be filed in any county where the decedent left estate to be administered. The first legally commenced proceeding controls statewide, and a case filed in the wrong county is transferred to the proper county rather than dismissed.
Leavenworth County filings from Leavenworth, Lansing, Basehor, Tonganoxie, Easton, and Linwood go to the Leavenworth Justice Center. Do not use county government offices at a different address for a probate petition.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, the will if there is one, account information, debt information, and real estate records. If there is a Kansas will, deal with the six-month deadline first: a will of a Kansas resident cannot pass property unless a petition for probate is filed within six months of death (K.S.A. 59-617).
- If the family is not ready to open an estate, ask the clerk about filing a will and affidavit under K.S.A. 59-618a. Leavenworth County's chart lists Filing Will and Affidavit at $70.50 as of August 2026 (K.S.A. 59-104), while the statewide chart also lists a no-fee line for filing a will after death. Confirm which applies before filing.
- Choose the route. The options include a small estates affidavit under K.S.A. 59-1507b, which is furnished to the bank or other holder and is not filed with the clerk, refusal to grant letters under K.S.A. 59-2287, determination of descent under K.S.A. 59-2250 once six months have run under K.S.A. 59-617, informal administration under K.S.A. 59-3301, and simplified or supervised administration under K.S.A. 59-3202.
- Prepare the petition from the statutory requirements for administration or probate of a will (K.S.A. 59-2219; K.S.A. 59-2220). If you want simplified administration, ask for it in the petition and give reasons (K.S.A. 59-3202). Leavenworth County has no local probate rule or local probate petition form.
- Add the statewide case-filing cover sheet. If you are filing without a lawyer, add the Self-Represented Litigant Certification Form, which Leavenworth County's own self-help page labels as required for self-represented filings.
- File with the clerk of the district court at the Leavenworth Justice Center, Suite 3051 (K.S.A. 20-343). A person without a lawyer may file in person, by mail, by fax to 913-684-0492, or by drop box at the Justice Center main entrance. Put drop-box papers in a securely closed envelope. A drop-box filing deposited by 4:00 p.m. local time counts as filed that day.
- Pay the $131.50 probate estate docket fee as of August 2026, consisting of the $109.50 statutory docket fee plus the $22 surcharge (K.S.A. 59-104), or file a Poverty Affidavit under K.S.A. 59-104(b). Mail and drop-box filings are paid by check or money order. In-person filings may be paid by check, card, money order, or cash. Fax filings are paid by card and need the Rule 119 Fax Transmission Sheet.
- The court fixes the time and place of the hearing (K.S.A. 59-2222). Leavenworth County publishes no probate hearing day or filing-to-hearing window, so ask the clerk at 913-684-0700 how the date is set after filing.
- Give notice. Hearing notice is published once each week for three consecutive weeks, with first publication within 30 days after the hearing order, and copies are mailed within seven days after first publication to known heirs, devisees, and legatees with the petition, attachments, and will (K.S.A. 59-2209). The notice to creditors is published within 30 days after filing the petition (K.S.A. 59-709).
- Mail the surviving spouse the will and the statutory elective-share notice within 10 days when K.S.A. 59-2233 applies.
- Attend the hearing. The hearing date is not earlier than 10 days and not later than 30 days after the last publication (K.S.A. 59-2209). If travel is difficult, file the free Kansas Judicial Council motion to appear by phone or video under Kansas Supreme Court Rule 103 and give notice to every other party. The judge may deny the request.
- The judge admits the will and grants letters testamentary to the executor when appropriate (K.S.A. 59-701), or grants letters of administration when there is no will or no executor can serve (K.S.A. 59-705).
- File the inventory and valuation within 30 days after letters are granted unless the court allows more time (K.S.A. 59-1201).
- Handle claims, debts, and taxes. A demand is barred unless it is presented within the later of four months from the first published notice or, for a known or reasonably ascertainable creditor given actual notice, 30 days after that notice (K.S.A. 59-2239).
- Close with a petition for final settlement and accounting and the court's final decree assigning the estate (K.S.A. 59-2247; K.S.A. 59-2249). If real estate is involved, ask the clerk where the certified copy must go for the county clerk's transfer record. Leavenworth County charges $1.00 per certified document as published in August 2026.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Leavenworth County
Kansas publishes free statewide forms through the Kansas Judicial Council, including the Small Estates Affidavit under K.S.A. 59-1507b, the case-filing cover sheet, the Self-Represented Litigant Certification Form, the Poverty Affidavit under K.S.A. 59-104, the Rule 119 Fax Transmission Sheet, a probate notice of hearing, and a petition for allowance of demand.
Leavenworth County publishes no local probate petition, no local probate cover sheet, no probate checklist, and no local probate rule. The Kansas Judicial Branch lists the 1st Judicial District as having no local rules. That means the petition that opens an estate is drafted from the Kansas Probate Code, including K.S.A. 59-2219 and K.S.A. 59-2220, or with a lawyer's help.
Leavenworth County does host local copies of useful statewide self-representation materials. Its self-help page labels the Self-Represented Litigant Certification Form as required for self-represented filings, and the court also publishes materials explaining what court staff may and may not do.
Fees
Leavenworth County District Court publishes its own docket fee chart under K.S.A. 59-104. As of August 2026, the court lists Probate Estates at $131.50, Probate Descent at $71.50, Filing Will and Affidavit at $70.50, Refusal to Grant Letters at $70.50, Termination of Joint Tenancy at $70.50, Termination of Life Estate at $70.50, Probate Trust at $91.50, Probate Transcript from another county at $45.50, and Probate Transcript from another state at $195.00, all under K.S.A. 59-104. The court also states, as published in August 2026, that it makes no refunds or overpayments of $5.00 or less.
The $131.50 probate estate total as of August 2026 is the $109.50 statutory docket fee plus the $22 surcharge (K.S.A. 59-104). Leavenworth County's chart matches that total. The county's law library fee is not added on top of the probate estate total in this county, because K.S.A. 20-3129 provides for the ordinary law library fee to be deducted from the docket fee.
Copy charges are local and useful for estate settlement. As published in August 2026, photocopies of most court documents cost $0.25 per page, transcript copies cost $0.50 per page, certification costs $1.00 per document, and an extensive request may be charged at $20.00 per hour. The records line is 913-684-0716. For a mail request, the records clerk prepares an estimate first, then you mail the estimated cost and a self-addressed stamped envelope for return.
Other probate expenses, including publication of legal notice, appraiser fees, executor fees, attorney fees, and other required expenses, are additional court costs taxed and billed against the estate as the court directs (K.S.A. 59-104(d)).
Local nuance
Leavenworth County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Justice Center filing location | Probate is filed at the Leavenworth Justice Center, 601 S 3rd St., Suite 3051, not at county government offices. The clerk of the district court is on the third floor (K.S.A. 20-343). |
| Shared district, separate counter | Leavenworth County shares Kansas's 1st Judicial District (K.S.A. 4-202), but each county has its own clerk of the district court (K.S.A. 20-343). A Leavenworth County estate stays at the Leavenworth Justice Center. |
| No local rules | The Kansas Judicial Branch lists the 1st Judicial District as having no local rules. A Leavenworth County probate petition is prepared under the Kansas Probate Code and statewide Supreme Court rules, with no local probate rule or local cover sheet. |
| Four filing channels for people without lawyers | The court publishes in-person filing, mail, fax to 913-684-0492, and the after-hours drop box at the Justice Center main entrance. A new case also needs the case-filing cover sheet and Self-Represented Litigant Certification Form. |
| Plain local filing total | A probate estate costs $131.50 as of August 2026, the $109.50 statutory docket fee plus the $22 surcharge (K.S.A. 59-104). The court publishes that figure and a local rule that it makes no refund of an overpayment of $5.00 or less, as published in August 2026. |
| Law library in the same building | The Leavenworth County Law Library is on the fourth floor of the Justice Center and is open for legal research from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding state-observed holidays. It is free, but visitors must first report to the clerk's office on the third floor, sign a register, and leave a driver's license or other state-issued identification to check out an access fob. |
| Kansas eCourt date | Leavenworth County District Court began operating on Kansas eCourt on September 12, 2022. That date affects whether documents in a Leavenworth County case appear through Kansas Courts CaseSearch. |
| Separate land and transfer offices | A final decree involving real estate may need a certified copy for the county clerk's transfer record (K.S.A. 59-2249). A transfer-on-death deed is recorded during life with the register of deeds (K.S.A. 59-3501; K.S.A. 59-3502). Those are county government offices, not the place to file a probate petition. |
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| September 12, 2022 | Leavenworth County District Court began operating on Kansas eCourt. That is the date from which documents in a Leavenworth County case can appear online through Kansas Courts CaseSearch. |
| November 2025 | Kansas Courts CaseSearch became the statewide search tool for Kansas district court case information. |
| April 3, 2026 | 2026 HB 2393 extended the $22 surcharge authority through June 30, 2030, so the Leavenworth County probate estate total remains $131.50 as of August 2026 under K.S.A. 59-104. |
| April 9, 2026 | 2026 SB 480 changed the nonresident fiduciary rule so a Kansas resident agent may reside anywhere in Kansas, rather than in the county of appointment (K.S.A. 59-1706). |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Leavenworth County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start with the deed. If the Leavenworth County home was held in joint tenancy, termination of joint tenancy is its own filing, which the court lists at $70.50 as of August 2026 (K.S.A. 59-104). If an estate is opened, the spouse should ask about the homestead allowance (K.S.A. 59-6a215), the spouse and minor children allowance (K.S.A. 59-403), and the 10-day elective-share notice under K.S.A. 59-2233. Call 913-684-0700 before going to the Justice Center because counter hours are not published. | Sunset finds accounts, debts, and property information so the family can make an estate settlement plan and prepare the inventory and valuation required by K.S.A. 59-1201. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the estate has $75,000 or less in probate assets and no real estate, the small estates affidavit under K.S.A. 59-1507b may handle personal property without a court case. If letters are needed, an out-of-state personal representative can serve after appointing a Kansas resident agent in writing and filing that appointment with the court (K.S.A. 59-706; K.S.A. 59-1706). Leavenworth County accepts filings by mail and by fax to 913-684-0492 for people without lawyers, and a remote appearance request goes to the judge under Kansas Supreme Court Rule 103. | Sunset helps locate accounts from out of state, generate the packet, and reduce the chance that a family member travels before the court is ready. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | The small estates affidavit under K.S.A. 59-1507b cannot transfer a house. Discuss refusal to grant letters under K.S.A. 59-2287, informal administration under K.S.A. 59-3301, or simplified or supervised administration under K.S.A. 59-3202 with counsel. Refusal to grant letters is listed at $70.50 as of August 2026 (K.S.A. 59-104). If there is a will, the six-month deadline under K.S.A. 59-617 still matters. A notice of a petition to sell real property is required even in a simplified estate (K.S.A. 59-3203(d)). A transfer-on-death deed is a planning tool signed and recorded during life with the register of deeds (K.S.A. 59-3501; K.S.A. 59-3502), not an after-death filing. | Sunset builds the asset and debt picture and connects the family to a local probate attorney when title or a sale has to be cleared through the court. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps in Leavenworth County |
|---|---|
| Leavenworth County District Court self-help resources | The court's own page links resources for people representing themselves, including the Self-Represented Litigant Certification Form that the court labels required for all self-represented filings. |
| Leavenworth County Law Library | Located on the fourth floor of the Leavenworth Justice Center. It is free for legal research and open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding state-observed holidays. Visitors first check out an access fob from the clerk's office on the third floor and leave state-issued identification while using it. |
| Kansas Judicial Branch probate and elder law self-help | The statewide probate information page links probate resources and explains that self-help information is not a substitute for legal advice. |
| Kansas Judicial Council forms | Free statewide forms include the Small Estates Affidavit under K.S.A. 59-1507b, the case-filing cover sheet, the Self-Represented Litigant Certification Form, the Poverty Affidavit under K.S.A. 59-104, and the motion to appear by phone or video under Kansas Supreme Court Rule 103. |
| Kansas Courts CaseSearch | Free statewide case search. Leavenworth County documents can appear online from the court's Kansas eCourt start date, September 12, 2022. For copies, call the records line at 913-684-0716. |
| Kansas Legal Services | A nonprofit law firm providing free and reduced-cost civil legal help to low and moderate income Kansans in all 105 counties, subject to eligibility and case priorities. Intake is 316-267-3975, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The online application is available from 8:00 a.m. Monday through 4:30 p.m. Thursday. |
| Kansas Elder Hotline | Kansas residents age 60 or older may be eligible for free legal advice through Kansas Legal Services at 316-267-3975. |
| Kansas Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service | A lawyer referral route for finding private counsel. Use the live referral service rather than an old public pamphlet link. |
| Court staff limits | Leavenworth County publishes guidance explaining that staff may explain filing process, costs, and hearings and point to resources, but may not act as your lawyer, research the law for you, tell you what a statute means, or speak to the judge for you. Kansas law bars a clerk or deputy clerk from writing pleadings or acting as counsel in a case in that court (K.S.A. 20-3133). |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is especially useful in Leavenworth County when real estate must be sold or title must be cleared, the six-month will deadline under K.S.A. 59-617 is close, the estate is insolvent or contested, the petitioner lives out of state, or the family needs a petition drafted because Kansas has no fill-in petition to open a probate estate. Court staff can explain process and costs, but Kansas law bars a clerk or deputy clerk from writing pleadings or acting as counsel in that court (K.S.A. 20-3133). Sunset connects the family to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance, debts, and other assets before a Leavenworth County estate settlement begins.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset list and family information into an organized probate packet, including the documents and local filing details a family needs before contacting the clerk of the district court at the Leavenworth Justice Center (K.S.A. 20-343).
Find a local probate attorney. When a home must be sold, a will deadline is close, or a dispute is likely, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Kansas probate attorney who can file in the Leavenworth County District Court.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset is paid by partners, not by grieving families, so you can use the estate settlement tools and attorney connection without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Leavenworth County, Kansas?
File with the clerk of the district court at the Leavenworth Justice Center, 601 S 3rd St., Suite 3051, Leavenworth, KS 66048 (K.S.A. 20-343). The clerk's office is on the third floor. The phone number is 913-684-0700 and the fax number is 913-684-0492. Leavenworth County is in Kansas's 1st Judicial District (K.S.A. 4-202), but a Leavenworth County estate is filed at the Leavenworth Justice Center.
How much does it cost to open a probate estate in Leavenworth County?
As of August 2026, opening a probate estate costs $131.50, made up of the $109.50 statutory docket fee plus the $22 surcharge (K.S.A. 59-104). Leavenworth County publishes the same total on its own chart and states, as published in August 2026, that it makes no refund of an overpayment of $5.00 or less. A Poverty Affidavit under K.S.A. 59-104(b) can ask the court to waive all or part of the fee.
Can I e-file a probate case in Leavenworth County if I do not have a lawyer?
Electronic filing is required for Kansas-licensed attorneys under Kansas Supreme Court Rule 122. If you are filing without a lawyer, Leavenworth County District Court says you may file in person, by mail, by fax to 913-684-0492, or in the drop box at the Justice Center main entrance. A new case also needs the statewide case-filing cover sheet and the Self-Represented Litigant Certification Form.
Is there a drop box at the Leavenworth Justice Center?
Yes. The court states that people without lawyers may use the drop box at the Leavenworth Justice Center main entrance to file after business hours. Put papers in a securely closed envelope. A drop-box filing deposited by 4:00 p.m. local time counts as filed that day. After 4:00 p.m., on a Saturday or Sunday, or on a Supreme Court holiday, it counts on the next day that is not one of those days. That cutoff matters if the six-month will deadline under K.S.A. 59-617 is close.
What are the clerk's office hours in Leavenworth County?
The court does not publish counter hours for the clerk of the district court (K.S.A. 20-343). Call 913-684-0700 before traveling. The court does publish a drop box at the Justice Center main entrance for after-hours filing. The law library on the fourth floor is separately published as open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding state-observed holidays, but those are law library hours, not clerk counter hours.
Are there Leavenworth County probate forms or local probate rules?
Leavenworth County publishes no local probate petition, local probate cover sheet, or probate checklist. The Kansas Judicial Branch lists the 1st Judicial District as having no local rules. Statewide Kansas Judicial Council forms include the Small Estates Affidavit under K.S.A. 59-1507b, the case-filing cover sheet, the Self-Represented Litigant Certification Form, the Poverty Affidavit under K.S.A. 59-104, and the Rule 119 Fax Transmission Sheet. Kansas does not publish a fill-in petition to open a probate estate.
How do I get a probate hearing date in Leavenworth County?
The court fixes the time and place of the hearing after the petition is filed (K.S.A. 59-2222). Leavenworth County publishes no probate hearing day or filing-to-hearing wait, and the district has no local rule setting one. Ask the clerk at 913-684-0700 how the date is set. After publication, the hearing must be not earlier than 10 days and not later than 30 days after the last publication (K.S.A. 59-2209).
Do I have to travel to Leavenworth for the hearing?
Possibly not, but the judge decides. Kansas Supreme Court Rule 103 gives the district court discretion to allow a phone or video appearance and tells judges to consider whether the time, expense, or travel of appearing in person outweighs the benefit. You ask by motion, notify every other party, and use the free Kansas Judicial Council form. Leavenworth County publishes no local platform or local remote appearance rule, so ask the clerk at 913-684-0700 how the assigned judge handles requests.
Can I look up a Leavenworth County probate case online?
Yes. Kansas Courts CaseSearch is the free statewide case search. Leavenworth County District Court began operating on Kansas eCourt on September 12, 2022, so documents in cases opened before that date may not appear online even when case information does. For copies, call the records line at 913-684-0716. As published in August 2026, most court document copies cost $0.25 per page, transcript copies cost $0.50 per page, certification costs $1.00 per document, and extensive requests may be charged at $20.00 per hour.
Is there a deadline to probate a will in Kansas?
Yes. A will of someone who died a Kansas resident cannot pass property unless a petition for probate is filed within six months of death (K.S.A. 59-617). Filing a will and affidavit under K.S.A. 59-618a inside that window can preserve the will for later probate. Leavenworth County lists that filing at $70.50 as of August 2026 (K.S.A. 59-104), while the statewide chart also lists a no-fee line for filing a will after death, so call 913-684-0700 to confirm which applies.
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.