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Cass County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Cass County probate information |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Cass County, Division IV, 17th Judicial Circuit |
| Courthouse address | Cass County Justice Center, 1st Floor, 2501 W. Mechanic, Harrisonville, MO 64701 |
| Mailing address | Use the Justice Center street address for mail to the Circuit Clerk's office and the probate division. |
| Phone | (816) 380-8227 |
| Fax | (816) 380-8195 or (816) 380-8225 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., including during the lunch hour |
| Closings line | (816) 380-8511 |
| Court cost to open | Cass County probate schedule revised October 14, 2025: letters of administration, $133.50; letters testamentary with the will admitted, $168.50; small estate, $53.50; small estate with the will admitted, $88.50; refusal to grant letters, $53.50; determination of heirship, $53.50. A small estate over $15,000 must be published (RSMo 473.097). |
| Local forms | Cass County accepts the Jackson County probate forms if the heading is changed to Cass County. A filing information sheet is required for each new case. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through the Missouri eFiling System. The 17th Judicial Circuit's local rule excepts non-lawyer self-represented filers from electronic filing. |
| Case search | Case.net covers Cass County probate cases. The docket is public, but Local Rule 72.1 keeps inventories, settlements, statements of account, vouchers and death certificates from public access unless the person is a party, counsel of record or has a court order. |
| Remote appearance | Whether a hearing is held in person in Harrisonville or in the Judiciary's Virtual Hearing Room is the court's decision. Not all cases are eligible, and the notice of hearing controls. |
| Website | Cass County Circuit Clerk and Courts |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Cass County, identify what the decedent owned, what passed outside probate, what debts are known and whether any real estate is in Cass County. That asset picture determines whether the family is dealing with a full administration, a small estate affidavit, a refusal of letters or another Missouri route.
Sunset's estate settlement process starts with asset discovery across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then uses that information to help prepare the right packet for the Harrisonville counter or for a Missouri probate attorney to review.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Cass County serves estates for decedents domiciled in Cass County. That includes communities such as Harrisonville, Belton, Raymore, Peculiar, Pleasant Hill, Garden City and other Cass County communities.
Cass County is in the 17th Judicial Circuit with Johnson County, and Missouri is divided into forty-six judicial circuits (RSMo 478.011). A shared circuit is not a shared courthouse. Cass County estates are filed at the Cass County Justice Center in Harrisonville, not at the Johnson County courthouse in Warrensburg.
Missouri venue for probating a will and granting letters is the county where the decedent was domiciled (RSMo 473.010). In Cass County the probate docket is Division IV of the 17th Judicial Circuit.
The jurisdiction process
- Build the asset and debt list first. Separate probate assets from accounts, deeds or beneficiary designations that may pass outside the estate, and note whether any Cass County real estate is involved.
- Choose the Missouri route. A full administration appoints a personal representative. A small estate affidavit (RSMo 473.097) or refusal of letters (RSMo 473.090) appoints no personal representative, which matters because a non-lawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7).
- Get the forms. Cass County accepts the Jackson County probate forms if the caption is changed to Cass County. Add the required Missouri filing information sheet, and use the property listing exhibit when the application requires one.
- Deliver the original will to the probate division. The original will goes to the Probate Division in Harrisonville even when other papers are filed electronically by an attorney. Filing the will by itself carries no charge under the Cass County probate schedule revised October 14, 2025.
- File with the clerk of the probate division. Use the Circuit Clerk's office on the first floor of the Cass County Justice Center, 2501 W. Mechanic, Harrisonville, or mail the packet to that address. The clerk cannot accept a new case without the completed filing information sheet (Local Rule 4.3).
- Check redactions and disclosures before filing. In probate cases, Local Rule 72.1 makes the filer responsible for redacting account numbers, identification numbers and other confidential information. Local Rule 3.3 requires any person who used a generative AI tool to research or draft a filing to tell the court which tool was used and how.
- Pay the Cass County court cost. The counter accepts cash, a credit card or a money order payable to the Cass County Circuit Clerk for court costs, while attorneys pay through the electronic system.
- Handle notice and publication. When letters issue, the clerk causes notice to creditors to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks (RSMo 473.033). The Probate Division's schedule names Cass County newspapers for publication, and the newspaper charge is separate from the court cost.
- Follow the hearing notice, receive letters and complete the estate settlement. The court sets any hearing, and the notice of hearing controls whether it is in person or virtual. If you go to the Justice Center, check the closings line in bad weather and plan for the electronic-device rule. After letters issue, the personal representative administers the estate, files required inventory and settlement papers, and completes the estate settlement.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Cass County
Cass County does not maintain a separate Cass County probate packet. Instead, the Probate Division accepts the Jackson County probate forms if the heading is changed to Cass County. The Missouri Judiciary also maintains statewide probate forms, and Cass County's local rule requires the filing information sheet when a new case is opened.
| Form or packet | How it is used in Cass County |
|---|---|
| Jackson County probate forms | Cass County accepts these forms if the heading is changed to Cass County. |
| Checklists for new estates | Use the checklist for the route you are filing, such as testate, intestate, abbreviated matters or determination of heirship. |
| Application for letters | Use the application that matches the estate, including letters of administration or letters testamentary. |
| Consent for independent administration | Used when Missouri law allows independent administration through the will or the required consents (RSMo 473.780 through 473.840). |
| Small estate affidavit | Used for the Missouri small estate route, with the clerk's certificate following the court filing (RSMo 473.097). |
| Refusal of letters applications | Statewide forms include PR 23 for a creditor, PR 33 for a surviving spouse and PR 25 for unmarried minor children. |
| PR 22 Exhibit A | Lists property for refusal of letters, small estate and determination of heirship filings. |
| FI-50 filing information sheet | Required when opening a probate case, and Local Rule 4.3 says the clerk cannot accept a new case without it. |
| Redaction forms | Use the redaction forms when confidential information must be protected, because Local Rule 72.1 makes redaction the filer's responsibility. |
Fees
Cass County has its own Probate Division cost schedule, revised October 14, 2025. The Supreme Court of Missouri sets the state cost structure, including the letters charge, final-inventory add-on, annual charge and copy charges, and counties add statutory local surcharges on top (Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023). Use the Cass County totals below for filings in Harrisonville.
| Decedent estate item, Cass County schedule revised October 14, 2025 | Cost |
|---|---|
| Letters of administration, intestate estate | $133.50 |
| Letters testamentary with will admitted | $168.50 |
| Admit will to probate | $53.50 |
| File the will only | No charge |
| Small estate | $53.50. A small estate over $15,000 must be published (RSMo 473.097). |
| Small estate with will admitted | $88.50 |
| Amended small estate | $35.00 |
| Refusal to grant letters | $53.50 |
| Determination of heirship | $53.50 |
| Ancillary estate | $53.50 |
| Trust registration, successor trustee or accounting request | $63.50 |
| Petition to require administration | $53.50 |
| Adversary proceeding | $60.00 |
| Petition for authorization to obtain medical records | $53.50 |
| Certified mail | $10.00 per envelope |
| Photocopy | $1.00 each |
| Certification | $1.50 per seal, plus $1.00 per page copied to be certified |
The initial court cost is not the entire cost of a full estate. Cass County's schedule revised October 14, 2025 adds a final-inventory charge in decedent estates, plus a $30.00 annual charge for each year the estate remains open.
| Final inventory value, Cass County schedule revised October 14, 2025 | Additional charge |
|---|---|
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $50.00 |
| $100,001 to $150,000 | $100.00 |
| $150,001 to $200,000 | $150.00 |
| $200,001 to $250,000 | $200.00 |
| $250,001 to $300,000 | $250.00 |
| $300,001 to $350,000 | $300.00 |
| $350,001 to $400,000 | $350.00 |
| $400,001 to $450,000 | $400.00 |
| Over $450,000 | $450.00 |
The separate Cass County court costs sheet, effective September 24, 2025, lists probate copy and service charges.
| Copy or service item, court costs sheet effective September 24, 2025 | Cost |
|---|---|
| Probate certification of document | $1.50 |
| Probate photocopy per page | $1.00 |
| Fax use, plus per-page copy charge | $3.00 |
Under the 17th Judicial Circuit local rules dated March 3, 2026, Local Rule 5.2 charges $20.00 for a copy of a sound recording of a court proceeding. The request must be in writing and include the case style and hearing date. Publication is billed by the newspaper, not by the probate division.
Local nuance
Cass County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means in Cass County |
|---|---|
| Probate docket | The probate docket is Division IV of the 17th Judicial Circuit. The estate is filed in Harrisonville even though Cass County shares the circuit with Johnson County. |
| Public access to probate case papers | Local Rule 72.1 keeps inventories, annual and final settlements, statements of account, account statements, vouchers, verifications, agreements of depositories, birth certificates, death certificates and case information filing sheets from public access. They are not produced to anyone other than parties or counsel of record without a court order. |
| Redaction is the filer's job | Local Rule 72.1 makes the filer responsible for removing confidential information such as account numbers and identification numbers before filing. Court personnel do not screen each filing for that issue. |
| Generative AI disclosure | Local Rule 3.3 requires any person who used a generative AI tool to conduct legal research referenced in a pleading or to draft a filing to disclose the tool and how it was used. |
| Electronic devices | Local Rule 11.1 prohibits cell phones, laptops, tablets, cameras and recording devices inside the Cass County Justice Center, except for the categories the rule names. Plan before you go to the first-floor counter. |
| E-filing exception | Local Rule 4.10 requires electronic filing where implemented but excepts non-lawyer self-represented litigants. Attorneys file electronically. |
| Filing information sheet | Local Rule 4.3 requires the JIS party information sheet when a new case is opened, and the clerk cannot accept a new case without it. |
| Format of filings | Local Rule 3.2 sets formatting requirements, including one-sided 8.5 by 11 inch pages, one inch margins, page numbers and enough copies for required service. |
| Recorder of deeds | When a small-estate certificate or refusal order must be recorded for Cass County real estate, the Recorder of Deeds is at 102 E. Wall Street in Harrisonville, a different building from the Justice Center. |
Recent updates
| Date | Local update |
|---|---|
| July 6, 2023 | The 17th Judicial Circuit adopted Local Rule 72.1 for public access to probate case records, keeping inventories, settlements, statements of account, vouchers and death certificates from public access and making redaction the filer's responsibility. |
| September 3, 2024 | Local Rule 3.3 took effect, requiring any person who used a generative AI tool to research or draft a pleading or filing to disclose the tool and how it was used. |
| September 24 and October 14, 2025 | Cass County updated its general court costs sheet effective September 24, 2025, and its Probate Division cost schedule was revised October 14, 2025. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start with whether the home is even in the probate estate. If a refusal of letters fits, Cass County's probate schedule revised October 14, 2025 lists a $53.50 cost for refusal to grant letters. The spouse route is based on Missouri exempt property and the support allowance, not a fixed dollar cap (RSMo 473.090). Cass County accepts the Jackson County surviving-spouse form if the heading is changed to Cass County, and the statewide form is PR 33 with PR 22 Exhibit A for the property listing. If the order affects Cass County real estate, take a certified copy to the Recorder of Deeds at 102 E. Wall Street. | Sunset identifies accounts and assets before the spouse chooses a route, prepares the Cass County packet and helps decide when a vetted Missouri probate attorney should review the plan. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | The Circuit Clerk's office on the first floor of the Justice Center can receive a mailed packet at 2501 W. Mechanic, Harrisonville. Under Cass County's probate schedule revised October 14, 2025, a small estate costs $53.50, or $88.50 if a will is admitted with it, and publication is required when the value listed in the affidavit is more than $15,000 (RSMo 473.097). Include the filing information sheet, because Local Rule 4.3 says the clerk cannot accept a new case without it. The original will must reach the probate division on paper, and filing the will by itself carries no charge. | Sunset helps the adult child find accounts without traveling first, generate the affidavit packet, track what must be mailed to Harrisonville and connect with counsel if the matter no longer fits a no-letters route. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale usually points toward a full administration. Cass County's probate schedule revised October 14, 2025 lists $133.50 for letters of administration without a will and $168.50 for letters testamentary with the will admitted, plus a final-inventory charge once the inventory reaches the listed bands and a $30.00 annual charge for each year the estate remains open. Missouri also limits court appearances by a non-lawyer personal representative (RSMo 473.153.7), so counsel is usually involved when a house sale, hearing or dispute is part of the estate settlement. Keep vouchers and account statements, because settlement papers are built from them and are kept from public access in this circuit under Local Rule 72.1. | Sunset assembles the asset picture, generates the starting packet, and connects the parent with a vetted local probate attorney for the court appearance, sale and estate settlement steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Cass County Circuit Clerk and Courts | Address, first-floor counter information, hours, phone, fax, closings line, cost documents, local rules and links for Cass County court services. |
| Cass County Probate Division forms instruction | Explains that Cass County accepts the Jackson County probate forms if the heading is changed to Cass County. |
| Case.net | Missouri's public browser lookup for court dockets, including Cass County probate cases. Use the decedent's name to find the docket. |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms | Statewide probate forms, including refusal of letters applications, the small estate affidavit, the determination of heirship petition, the property listing exhibit and the filing information sheet. |
| Missouri Revisor of Statutes | Official Missouri statutes, including the sections governing small estates, refusal of letters, creditor claims, notice and inventories. |
| The Missouri Bar Probate Law Resource Guide | A plain-language guide to Missouri probate from The Missouri Bar. It is not a court checklist. |
| Legal Aid of Western Missouri | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Missourians. Cass County applications are taken through the Warrensburg office, the Kansas City offices and online. |
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 makes practical sense in a Cass County full administration when real estate must be sold, an heir objects, a creditor claim is disputed, a hearing is likely or the proposed personal representative lives outside Missouri. A small estate affidavit (RSMo 473.097) or refusal of letters (RSMo 473.090) appoints no personal representative, and the 17th Judicial Circuit's electronic filing rule expects non-lawyer self-represented filers at the counter. Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families identify accounts, balances and possible nonprobate transfers before choosing a Missouri route. That asset map is the foundation of a clean estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset uses the estate information to assemble the forms and supporting documents for the Cass County Probate Division, including the local instruction to change accepted Jackson County form headings to Cass County.
Find a local probate attorney. When a full administration, real estate sale, dispute or court appearance calls for counsel, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Missouri probate attorney who can handle the Harrisonville filing and appearance.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, prepare for the Cass County counter and move the estate settlement forward without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file to probate a will in Cass County?
File with the clerk of the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Cass County at the Cass County Justice Center, 1st Floor, 2501 W. Mechanic, Harrisonville, MO 64701. The original will goes to the probate division in Harrisonville, and filing the will by itself carries no charge under the Cass County probate schedule revised October 14, 2025.
Cass County shares a judicial circuit with Johnson County. Do I have to go to Warrensburg?
No. Cass County is in the 17th Judicial Circuit with Johnson County, but a Cass County estate is filed at the Cass County Justice Center in Harrisonville. Missouri venue for letters is the county where the decedent was domiciled (RSMo 473.010).
When is the Cass County Circuit Clerk's office open, and does it close for lunch?
The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., including during the lunch hour. The court also lists an Inclement Weather and Other Closings Line at (816) 380-8511.
What does it cost to open an estate in Cass County?
Under the Cass County probate schedule revised October 14, 2025, letters of administration cost $133.50, letters testamentary with the will admitted cost $168.50, a small estate costs $53.50, a small estate with the will admitted costs $88.50, refusal to grant letters costs $53.50 and determination of heirship costs $53.50. A small estate over $15,000 must be published (RSMo 473.097). Full estates can also have a final-inventory charge and a $30.00 annual charge for each year the estate remains open under the same schedule.
Does Cass County have its own probate forms?
Cass County does not maintain a separate Cass County probate packet. The Probate Division accepts the Jackson County probate forms if the heading is changed to Cass County. The statewide Missouri filing information sheet is also required for a new case under Local Rule 4.3.
Can I file a Cass County probate case myself, or do I have to e-file?
Attorneys file through the Missouri eFiling System. In the 17th Judicial Circuit, Local Rule 4.10 excepts non-lawyer self-represented filers from electronic filing, so a self-represented probate filer can work with the Harrisonville counter in person or by mail. In a full administration, a non-lawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7).
Can I look up a Cass County estate case online, and can I read the inventory?
You can look up Cass County probate dockets on Case.net. The docket is public, but Local Rule 72.1 keeps inventories, annual and final settlements, statements of account, vouchers and death certificates from public access. Those documents go to parties or counsel of record unless a judge orders otherwise.
Will I have to appear in person in Harrisonville?
The court sets the hearing and the notice of hearing controls. Some Missouri hearings can use the Judiciary's Virtual Hearing Room, but not all cases are eligible. If a virtual hearing is set, the notice will say so. A non-lawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7).
Can I bring my phone into the Cass County Justice Center?
Local Rule 11.1 prohibits cell phones, laptops, tablets, cameras and recording devices inside the Cass County Justice Center, except for the categories the rule names. Plan before you travel to the first-floor counter.
Do I need a lawyer for a Cass County estate?
For a full administration, Missouri law prevents a non-lawyer personal representative from appearing in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7). A small estate affidavit (RSMo 473.097) or refusal of letters (RSMo 473.090) appoints no personal representative, so that restriction does not apply to those no-letters routes.
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.