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Graves County, KY Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Local detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Graves County District Court, sitting in probate under KRS 24A.120. |
| Filing office | Office of Circuit Court Clerk for Graves County. |
| Courthouse address | Graves County Courthouse (Temporary), 1102 Paris Road, Suite 21, Mayfield, KY 42066. |
| Mailing | Use the courthouse address unless the Office of Circuit Court Clerk gives you a different mailing instruction. |
| Phone | (270) 247-1733. |
| Fax | (270) 247-7358 appears in the baseline court directory; the Graves County court page does not publish a fax number, so call before faxing. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday. |
| Fee to open | $80 to open a probate case: a $50 filing fee set by Supreme Court rule effective July 1, 2026 (CR 3.03(1)(c)), plus a $10 Access to Justice Fee (KRS 27A.630) and a $20 court technology fee. Graves County may add a $10 court facilities fee if its fiscal court has adopted the ordinance (KRS 24A.185), and a county law library fee where one is in force (KRS 453.060), so confirm the exact total with the Office of Circuit Court Clerk before you file. |
| Payment | Cash, cashier's check and money order are listed. No out-of-state checks. Cash is required for bond matters under KRS 395.130. The county page also links Pay online with ePay. |
| Local forms | Graves County uses Kentucky's statewide AOC probate forms and does not publish a separate Graves County probate packet. |
| Electronic filing | Since January 1, 2024, attorneys must use Kentucky electronic filing for eligible probate filings. Self-represented filers may register but can still file paper at the Office of Circuit Court Clerk. |
| Court-date lookup | Kentucky offers a public court-date docket generator at https://kcoj.kycourts.net/dockets/ with a not-official-docket caveat. For full Graves County probate case status, contact the Office of Circuit Court Clerk. |
| Remote appearance | Kentucky courts have used Zoom for some proceedings since March 2020. Whether a Graves County District Court probate matter under KRS 24A.120 is in person or remote is set by the court, and the statewide instruction is to contact the Office of Circuit Court Clerk for login information. |
| Accessibility | Designated parking in front of the annex for those with a disability parking permit. Elevator in courthouse. |
| Website | https://www.kycourts.gov/Courts/County-Information/Pages/Graves.aspx |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Mayfield, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, account holders, real estate and possible beneficiaries. The court forms ask for practical details, and a cleaner starting inventory under KRS 395.250 makes estate settlement easier after appointment.
Sunset can help families start that work by searching across 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, then organizing what you find into the probate packet you take or send to the Graves County Office of Circuit Court Clerk. That preparation helps you decide whether estate settlement needs a full appointment, a petition to dispense with administration under KRS 395.455, or attorney guidance.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Kentucky sends a probate matter to the District Court of the county where the person lived at death, under KRS 394.140. If there is no will, administration goes to the same court under KRS 395.030. If the person lived in Graves County, the papers go to the Office of Circuit Court Clerk at the courthouse in Mayfield.
Graves County publishes one filing location for estate matters: the Graves County Courthouse (Temporary), 1102 Paris Road, Suite 21, Mayfield. The courthouse serves Mayfield, Wingo, Fancy Farm, Farmington, Hickory, Lowes, Pryorsburg, Sedalia, Symsonia, Water Valley, Boaz, Cuba and the rest of Graves County.
Graves County is its own 52nd Judicial Circuit and 52nd Judicial District under KRS 24A.030. Kentucky probate is a District Court matter. KRS 24A.120(2) gives District Court exclusive jurisdiction over matters involving probate, and the papers are filed with the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in Graves County, at the Graves County courthouse in Mayfield. If the estate becomes contested, the dispute is filed fresh in Graves Circuit Court as an original adversary proceeding, not as an appeal (KRS 24A.120(2), KRS 394.240).
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the filing path and forms. Use AOC-805 to ask for probate of a will and appointment of an executor or administrator under KRS 394.145, or use AOC-830 if you are asking the court to dispense with administration under KRS 395.455. A full appointment packet may also require AOC-808 Financial Disclosure under KRS 395.015, oath papers and any bond paperwork the court orders under KRS 395.130.
- File with the Office of Circuit Court Clerk at the Graves County Courthouse (Temporary), 1102 Paris Road, Suite 21, Mayfield. Attorneys handling eligible probate filings must file electronically through Kentucky's system since January 1, 2024. A self-represented filer may register for electronic filing, but can still file on paper at the clerk's office.
- Pay the opening fee or confirm the exact total before you file. $80 to open a probate case: a $50 filing fee set by Supreme Court rule effective July 1, 2026 (CR 3.03(1)(c)), plus a $10 Access to Justice Fee (KRS 27A.630) and a $20 court technology fee. Graves County may add a $10 court facilities fee if its fiscal court has adopted the ordinance (KRS 24A.185), and a county law library fee where one is in force (KRS 453.060), so confirm the exact total with the Office of Circuit Court Clerk before you file. Graves County lists cash, cashier's check and money order, no out-of-state checks, and cash required for bond matters under KRS 395.130.
- Follow the notice and hearing directions the clerk gives you. Kentucky District Court has probate jurisdiction under KRS 24A.120, but Graves County does not publish a separate probate hearing day on its county page. Ask the Office of Circuit Court Clerk how the judge will schedule your filing.
- Ask about remote appearance before the court date. Kentucky courts have used Zoom since March 2020, but the statewide instruction is to contact the Office of Circuit Court Clerk for login information. Graves County does not publish a separate District Court probate Zoom login on its county page.
- After appointment, get proof of authority. When the District Court appoints you under KRS 24A.120, the Office of Circuit Court Clerk issues a Certificate of Qualification, form AOC-807, and KRS 395.105 calls the fiduciary's authority letters of appointment. Banks and title companies typically want the Certificate of Qualification and a certified copy of the appointment order.
- Administer the estate. File the inventory within 90 days after qualification on AOC-841 under KRS 395.250. Creditor claims are handled under KRS 396.011. Kentucky no longer requires bond by default, but the court may order one under KRS 395.130.
- Close the estate. Use AOC-850 for an informal final settlement under KRS 395.605 when the requirements are met, or AOC-846 for a settlement under KRS 395.610. If the estate becomes contested, the dispute is filed in Graves Circuit Court as an original adversary proceeding under KRS 24A.120(2), not as an appeal, and a will contest is governed by KRS 394.240.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Graves County
Graves County uses Kentucky's statewide Administrative Office of the Courts probate forms; there is no separate Graves County form set. AOC-805 opens the estate under KRS 394.145, AOC-830 asks the court to dispense with administration under KRS 395.455, AOC-841 is the inventory under KRS 395.250, and AOC-846 or AOC-850 closes the estate under KRS 395.610 or KRS 395.605.
The forms are available through the Kentucky Court of Justice legal forms catalogue, and the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in Mayfield can provide paper copies. The clerk can provide forms and fee totals, but cannot give legal advice or tell you which legal choice to make.
Local nuance
Graves County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Graves County filing |
|---|---|
| Temporary courthouse | The Kentucky Court of Justice lists the filing location as Graves County Courthouse (Temporary), 1102 Paris Road, Suite 21, Mayfield. The temporary label matters because older references may point to the historic courthouse that was destroyed in the December 10, 2021 tornado. Use the current Mayfield address published by the court. |
| Payment methods | Graves County lists cash, cashier's check and money order, with no out-of-state checks and cash required for bond matters under KRS 395.130. The county page does not list credit or debit cards for in-person payment, so call the Office of Circuit Court Clerk before relying on a card. |
| Contested estate matters | Uncontested probate stays in Graves County District Court under KRS 24A.120. If the estate becomes contested, KRS 24A.120(2) and KRS 394.240 send the dispute to Graves Circuit Court as an original adversary proceeding. The 52nd Judicial Circuit local rule says attorneys may attend Motion Hour by Zoom on request to the Circuit Judge's office, but that rule does not create a published remote practice for the underlying District Court probate filing. Contact the Office of Circuit Court Clerk for court-event instructions. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed locally |
|---|---|
| Temporary courthouse remains listed | The Kentucky Court of Justice currently lists Graves County Courthouse (Temporary), 1102 Paris Road, Suite 21, Mayfield, as the court location for the Office of Circuit Court Clerk. |
| 52nd Judicial Circuit Zoom rule | The local circuit rule effective December 16, 2024 allows attorneys to attend Circuit Court Motion Hour by Zoom on request. This is relevant only if a contested probate matter becomes a Graves Circuit Court adversary proceeding under KRS 24A.120 and KRS 394.240. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by separating nonprobate co-owned property from assets that need Graves County District Court action under KRS 24A.120. If appointment is needed, file through the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in Mayfield. If the facts support a petition to dispense with administration, AOC-830 under KRS 395.455 may be the local filing instead. | Sunset helps identify accounts, title issues and debts before you decide which Graves County packet to prepare for estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Kentucky does not use an out-of-court small estate affidavit. The Graves County filing is a court petition to dispense with administration under KRS 395.455, or a full probate filing if appointment is needed. Call (270) 247-1733 before assuming you can handle the hearing remotely through the Office of Circuit Court Clerk. | Sunset organizes the asset list, helps generate the form packet, and can connect you with a Kentucky probate attorney if travel or court appearance questions are a problem. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the home cannot pass outside probate, the parent will usually need appointment in Graves County District Court under KRS 24A.120 before signing sale documents. After appointment, the Certificate of Qualification, form AOC-807, and letters of appointment under KRS 395.105 are the proof of authority to show a bank, buyer or title company. | Sunset helps find accounts, prepare a clearer estate settlement plan, and locate a local probate attorney when real estate needs to be sold. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Office of Circuit Court Clerk, Graves County | Filing office for Graves County District Court probate matters under KRS 24A.120. | Graves County Courthouse (Temporary), 1102 Paris Road, Suite 21, Mayfield, KY 42066. Phone: (270) 247-1733. |
| Kentucky Court of Justice legal forms | Statewide AOC probate forms, including AOC-805 under KRS 394.145, AOC-830 under KRS 395.455, AOC-841 under KRS 395.250, AOC-846 under KRS 395.610 and AOC-850 under KRS 395.605. | https://www.kycourts.gov/Legal-Forms/Pages/default.aspx |
| Kentucky Court of Justice Self-Help Portal | Free guided interviews include Probate Estate and Dispense with Administration under KRS 395.455. | https://www.kycourts.gov/Legal-Help/Pages/Self-Help-Portal.aspx and https://a2j.org/#Kentucky |
| Kentucky Legal Aid | Civil legal aid program listed for Graves County. Ask the program whether your estate question is within its services. | 270-782-1924 or 800-782-1924. https://klaid.org/ |
| Kentucky Free Legal Answers | Online civil legal question service. | https://ky.freelegalanswers.org/ |
| Kentucky Bar Association lawyer referral services | Statewide attorney referral. | https://www.kybar.org/page/lawreferserv |
| Guide to Basic Kentucky Probate Procedures | Plain-language Kentucky probate overview from the AOC. Use current statutes and current forms for deadlines, bond under KRS 395.130 and inventory under KRS 395.250. | https://www.kycourts.gov/Legal-Help/Documents/probateguide.pdf |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a Kentucky probate attorney if family members disagree, a will contest may be filed under KRS 394.240, real estate must be sold, creditor claims under KRS 396.011 are disputed, the estate may need tax advice, or you are unsure whether AOC-830 under KRS 395.455 is enough. Sunset connects families with a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify accounts, property and liabilities before filing in Graves County. A complete asset picture makes estate settlement more organized and helps you avoid filing the wrong packet.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you gather into the Kentucky probate forms used in Graves County, including the appointment packet or a petition to dispense with administration under KRS 395.455 when that route fits.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate is contested under KRS 24A.120, real estate must be sold, or you need help with creditor claims under KRS 396.011, Sunset can connect you with a local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, prepare for the Graves County filing process and understand next steps without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Graves County?
File with the Office of Circuit Court Clerk at the Graves County Courthouse (Temporary), 1102 Paris Road, Suite 21, Mayfield, KY 42066. Graves County District Court handles probate under KRS 24A.120.
Why does the Graves County courthouse address say temporary?
The Kentucky Court of Justice lists the Graves County courthouse location as temporary. Use 1102 Paris Road, Suite 21, Mayfield, unless the Office of Circuit Court Clerk gives you different filing instructions.
How much does it cost to open a Graves County probate case?
$80 to open a probate case: a $50 filing fee set by Supreme Court rule effective July 1, 2026 (CR 3.03(1)(c)), plus a $10 Access to Justice Fee (KRS 27A.630) and a $20 court technology fee. Graves County may add a $10 court facilities fee if its fiscal court has adopted the ordinance (KRS 24A.185), and a county law library fee where one is in force (KRS 453.060), so confirm the exact total with the Office of Circuit Court Clerk before you file.
What payment methods does Graves County list?
Graves County lists cash, cashier's check and money order, no out-of-state checks, and cash required for bond matters under KRS 395.130. The county page does not list credit or debit cards for in-person payment, so call (270) 247-1733 before relying on a card.
Are there Graves County probate forms?
Graves County uses Kentucky's statewide AOC forms. Common forms include AOC-805 for opening an estate under KRS 394.145, AOC-830 for a petition to dispense with administration under KRS 395.455, AOC-841 for the inventory under KRS 395.250, and AOC-850 for informal final settlement under KRS 395.605.
Do attorneys have to use e-filing in Graves County probate?
Yes. Since January 1, 2024, attorneys handling eligible Kentucky probate filings must file electronically. A self-represented filer may register for electronic filing, but can still file paper at the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in Mayfield.
Can I appear remotely for a Graves County probate hearing?
Do not assume either way. Kentucky courts have used Zoom since March 2020, but Graves County does not publish a separate District Court probate login on its county page. Contact the Office of Circuit Court Clerk at (270) 247-1733 for instructions for your scheduled court event.
Can I look up a Graves County probate case online?
Kentucky has a public court-date docket generator at https://kcoj.kycourts.net/dockets/ with a not-official-docket caveat, but it is not a full probate case-record system. For the status of a Graves County estate, contact the Office of Circuit Court Clerk in Mayfield at (270) 247-1733.
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.