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Bollinger County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Bollinger County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Bollinger County, 32nd Judicial Circuit |
| Courthouse address | 204 High St., Marble Hill, MO 63764 |
| Mailing address | No separate mailing address is published for the Circuit Clerk. Use 204 High St., Marble Hill, MO 63764. |
| Phone | (573) 238-1900, extension 6 |
| Fax | Call before sending a fax. Public listings conflict on whether (573) 238-2773 is the Circuit Clerk phone or fax. |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call ahead because no lunch closure or filing cutoff is posted in the local materials. |
| Court cost | No Bollinger County probate cost schedule is posted on the local court information page. Court Operating Rule 21.01 sets the state component at $115 when original letters are applied for, plus $50 for each additional $50,000 of final inventory value above $50,000 up to $500,000, with total fees under that section capped at $565.00, effective September 1, 2023. Ask the clerk for the total collected at the counter. |
| Local forms | No Bollinger County-specific probate packet, cover sheet or checklist is posted. Use the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms page unless the clerk directs otherwise. |
| E-filing | Attorneys use the Missouri eFiling System. Self-represented filers are not required to e-file and should ask the clerk which probate filings, if any, the system accepts from them. |
| Case search | Case.net is the statewide public case lookup for Missouri circuit courts, including probate divisions. |
| Remote appearance | No current Bollinger County probate remote-appearance rule is posted in the local materials. Ask the clerk when a hearing is set. |
| Website | Missouri Judiciary local information page for Bollinger County |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a filing path in Bollinger County, list the decedent's probate assets, debts, liens, beneficiary designations and jointly owned property. That first asset map controls whether you need letters testamentary or letters of administration, a small estate affidavit, a refusal of letters or another Missouri procedure.
Sunset's estate settlement workflow includes 2,300-institution asset discovery, which can help you find accounts before you ask the Marble Hill clerk's office for the right court cost total and form set.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Marble Hill courthouse serves probate matters venued in Bollinger County. Bollinger County is in the 32nd Judicial Circuit with Cape Girardeau and Perry counties, but each county keeps its own courthouse and filing counter.
Missouri venue starts with the county where the decedent was domiciled. If the decedent had no Missouri domicile, venue can be in a county where Missouri property was left, with special treatment when the major part of the Missouri estate is real estate (RSMo 473.010). Once letters are granted in Bollinger County, estate proceedings stay in Bollinger County (RSMo 473.010).
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm that Bollinger County is the right venue under Missouri's domicile rule before you prepare a petition or affidavit (RSMo 473.010).
- Identify the path. A full administration seeks letters testamentary or letters of administration. A small estate affidavit is available only when the net entire estate qualifies under the $40,000 limit, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097). A refusal of letters may fit a surviving spouse, unmarried minor children or, on the creditor path, the statutory creditor limit (RSMo 473.090).
- Prepare the Missouri probate forms and any local cover material the clerk requests. Bollinger County does not post a county-specific probate packet, so start with the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms page.
- File at the Bollinger County Courthouse, 204 High St., Marble Hill. If there is an original will, deliver the original will to the probate division on paper.
- Pay the court cost collected for the filing. If original letters are requested, the state component is set by Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, and the clerk can tell you the Bollinger County total collected for your case.
- Watch for the court's hearing or review instructions. In a full administration, a personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney, although the personal representative may prepare and file their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7).
- After letters are issued, the clerk causes notice of the appointment and creditor notice to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks (RSMo 473.033). Missouri creditor deadlines include the six-month or two-month claims rule after notice, and the one-year bar from death (RSMo 473.360, RSMo 473.444).
- Use the issued letters to collect assets, give notices, pay allowed claims and manage property. The inventory is due within thirty days after letters are granted unless the court allows more time (RSMo 473.233).
- If a small estate certificate or refusal-of-letters order affects Bollinger County real estate, record the required certified copy with the Recorder in the same courthouse building after the probate filing step (RSMo 473.097, RSMo 473.090).
- Close the estate settlement by filing the required accounting, settlement or independent-administration closing papers for the Missouri path the court authorized.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Bollinger County
Bollinger County does not post a county-specific probate packet, cover sheet or checklist. The local Missouri Judiciary page for Bollinger County lists domestic-relations and general self-represented forms, not probate forms.
Use the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms page for Missouri PR-series probate forms, then call the Bollinger County clerk before filing to ask whether the office wants any additional local cover information. Do not use the domestic-relations forms on the Bollinger County local page for an estate settlement.
Local nuance
Bollinger County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| One courthouse for probate and recording | Probate filings go to the Bollinger County Courthouse at 204 High St. in Marble Hill. The Recorder is also in the courthouse, so recording a small estate certificate or refusal-of-letters order for Bollinger County real estate stays in the same building. |
| No posted probate packet | The local court information page does not publish Bollinger County probate forms. Start with the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms page and ask the clerk whether any local cover information is required. |
| Phone and fax caution | Use (573) 238-1900, extension 6, for the Circuit Clerk. Call before faxing because public listings conflict on whether (573) 238-2773 is a phone number or fax number. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Bollinger County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | First confirm whether the home passes outside probate by title. If a court order is still needed for remaining assets, the spouse may compare full administration, refusal of letters and small estate options under Missouri law. | Sunset helps identify accounts, title clues and debts before the spouse asks the Marble Hill clerk which papers and court cost total fit the filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the net entire estate qualifies under the $40,000 limit, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097), a small estate affidavit may avoid appointment of a personal representative. If real estate is involved, the clerk's certificate is followed by recording with the Bollinger County Recorder. | Sunset organizes asset discovery and document collection so the child can decide whether travel to Marble Hill is needed or whether counsel should handle the filing. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually requires authority that a title company will accept, often letters in a full administration or a recorded small-estate or refusal order if the Missouri shortcut fits. The filing belongs at the Bollinger County Courthouse if Bollinger County is the proper venue. | Sunset helps assemble the estate settlement packet, identify liens and connect the parent with a Missouri probate attorney when court appearance or sale authority is needed. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it provides | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Bollinger County local court information | Local Missouri Judiciary page with filing information links and non-probate form links for Bollinger County. | Missouri Judiciary local information page for Bollinger County |
| Case.net | Statewide public case lookup for Missouri circuit courts, including probate division dockets. | https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms | Statewide probate form page for Missouri probate filings. | Missouri Judiciary probate forms page |
| Missouri Revisor of Statutes | Official Missouri statutes and constitution, including probate provisions in chapters 472 through 474. | https://revisor.mo.gov/ |
| The Missouri Bar Probate Law Resource Guide | Consumer guide published by The Missouri Bar. | https://missourilawyershelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Probate-Guide-Updated-2024.pdf |
| Legal Services of Southern Missouri | Free civil legal aid intake for eligible low-income Missourians in Bollinger County. | https://www.lsmo.org/page/951/offices |
When to hire an attorney
In Missouri, a personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney, although the personal representative may prepare and file their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). Counsel is especially useful when Bollinger County letters are needed, a hearing is set, real estate must be sold, heirs disagree or creditor claims are expected. Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across 2,300 institutions to help families build a practical asset list before choosing a Missouri probate path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the estate settlement information you gather into an organized packet for the small estate, refusal of letters or full administration path you and your attorney select.
Find a local probate attorney. When Bollinger County court appearance, letters, real-estate sale authority or contested issues require counsel, Sunset connects you with a vetted Missouri probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools and attorney connection at no cost.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate papers in Bollinger County?
File with the clerk serving the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Bollinger County at the Bollinger County Courthouse, 204 High St., Marble Hill, MO 63764.
What phone number should I use for the Bollinger County probate clerk?
Use (573) 238-1900, extension 6, for the Circuit Clerk. Call before sending anything by fax because public listings conflict on the fax number.
Does Bollinger County have local probate forms?
No Bollinger County-specific probate packet, cover sheet or checklist is posted on the local court information page. Use the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms page and ask the clerk whether any local cover information is required.
Can I e-file a Bollinger County probate case if I am not a lawyer?
Self-represented filers are not required to e-file in Missouri. Attorneys use the Missouri eFiling System. If you are filing without counsel, ask the Bollinger County clerk which probate filing types, if any, the system accepts from self-represented filers.
What does it cost to open letters in Bollinger County?
No Bollinger County probate cost schedule is posted in the local court information. For original letters, Court Operating Rule 21.01 sets the state component at $115, plus $50 for each additional $50,000 of final inventory value above $50,000 up to $500,000, with total fees under that section capped at $565.00, effective September 1, 2023. Ask the clerk for the total collected in Bollinger County.
Can I look up a Bollinger County probate case online?
Yes. Use Case.net, Missouri's statewide public case lookup for circuit courts. Public Case.net shows docket information, but it should not be treated as a promise that every document in the estate file is viewable online.
Do I have to travel to Marble Hill for a Bollinger County probate hearing?
If a hearing is set, ask the clerk whether the judge will allow phone or video appearance for that hearing. No current Bollinger County probate remote-appearance rule is posted in the local materials.
Where do I record a small estate certificate or refusal-of-letters order for Bollinger County real estate?
After the probate step, record the required certified copy with the Bollinger County Recorder. The Recorder is in the same courthouse building at 204 High St. in Marble Hill.
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.