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Chariton County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Chariton County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Chariton County |
| Courthouse address | Chariton County Courthouse, 306 S. Cherry Street, Keytesville, MO 65261 |
| Mailing address | 306 S. Cherry Street, Keytesville, MO 65261 |
| Probate filing office | Circuit Clerk-Recorder's Office, serving as clerk of the probate division |
| Phone | (660) 288-3602 |
| Recorder of Deeds phone | (660) 288-1005, for recording a small-estate certificate or refusal-of-letters order affecting Chariton County real estate |
| Fax | Not listed on Chariton County's own court pages |
| Hours | Chariton County's court pages do not list public probate counter hours. Call (660) 288-3602 before visiting Keytesville. |
| Court cost to open letters | Chariton County does not publish a local total. State components under Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, include $115 when original letters are applied for in a decedent's estate, $50 for each additional $50,000 of final inventory value above $50,000 through $500,000, and a $565 cap; one certified copy of the letters is included. Ask the Keytesville office for the total collected locally. |
| Local forms | No Chariton County probate packet, cover sheet or checklist is posted on the county site. Use the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms and ask the clerk whether anything local is needed. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through the Missouri eFiling System. Self-represented filers are not required to e-file under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4); ask the Keytesville clerk whether any electronic or emailed filing option is available for your filing type. |
| Case search | Case.net, https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Remote appearance | No Chariton County probate remote-appearance rule is posted. Check the hearing notice and the Case.net Scheduled Hearings and Trials tab. |
| Website | https://www.charitonco.com/circuit-court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Chariton County, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, titled property, beneficiary designations and jointly owned property. The right Missouri path depends on what actually needs court authority, not just whether there is a will.
Good estate settlement planning also helps you decide what to ask the Keytesville clerk and what to give a Missouri probate attorney. Sunset can help by searching more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, then organizing the information for the probate packet or attorney review.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Chariton County Courthouse in Keytesville serves probate matters for Chariton County, including Keytesville, Brunswick, Dalton, Marceline, Mendon, Rothville, Salisbury, Sumner and Triplett. Chariton County is part of Missouri's 9th Judicial Circuit with Linn and Sullivan counties, but each county keeps its own courthouse and filing office.
Missouri venue for probating a will and granting letters is generally the county where the decedent was domiciled (RSMo 473.010). If the decedent was domiciled in Chariton County, file the estate in Keytesville with the clerk of the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Chariton County.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the estate path. Review the assets, debts, real estate and beneficiary designations before choosing a full administration, independent administration, small estate affidavit or refusal of letters. A small estate affidavit or refusal of letters does not appoint a personal representative, while a full estate does.
- Prepare the starting papers. Use the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms because Chariton County does not post its own probate packet. Deliver any original will to the probate division. For a full administration, include the petition for letters testamentary or letters of administration and the documents needed for the court to act.
- File in Keytesville. File with the Circuit Clerk-Recorder's Office at the Chariton County Courthouse, 306 S. Cherry Street, Keytesville, MO 65261. Call (660) 288-3602 before mailing or visiting because the county site does not list probate counter hours.
- Pay the court costs collected at the counter. Chariton County does not publish a local probate cost schedule. State components are set by Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, and the Keytesville office can tell you the total collected for your filing.
- Handle notice and publication. In a full administration, the clerk causes notice of letters to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks (RSMo 473.033). Missouri creditors then have six months from first publication, or two months from mailed or served notice if that is later, subject to the separate one-year bar from death (RSMo 473.360; RSMo 473.444).
- Watch for hearing instructions. If the court sets a hearing, follow the notice. No Chariton County probate remote-appearance rule is posted, so check the hearing notice and Case.net rather than assuming the matter can be handled remotely.
- Receive authority if letters are granted. When the court grants letters testamentary or letters of administration, the personal representative receives the Missouri authority document used with banks, title companies and other institutions.
- Administer and close the estate. The personal representative gathers assets, pays allowed claims, files the required inventory and settlements, and distributes the estate under Missouri law or the will. Estate settlement in a full Missouri administration often involves counsel because a non-lawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Chariton County
Chariton County does not post a county-specific probate packet, cover sheet or checklist on its own court pages. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms and file them with the Circuit Clerk-Recorder's Office at the Chariton County Courthouse in Keytesville.
For real estate handled through a small estate affidavit or refusal of letters, the probate division step comes first. After the clerk's certificate or court order is issued, the Recorder of Deeds function in the same office handles the land-title recording step for Chariton County real estate.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by checking how the home is titled and whether any beneficiary deed or joint ownership removes it from the probate estate. If a refusal of letters fits, the filing is made at the Keytesville courthouse under RSMo 473.090. | Sunset helps identify accounts, deeds, debts and beneficiary designations so the spouse can see whether a court filing is needed. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | A small estate affidavit under RSMo 473.097 is filed with the Circuit Clerk-Recorder's Office in Keytesville. Call (660) 288-3602 before mailing papers to ask what the office needs and what total it collects. | Sunset organizes the asset list, helps generate the packet and can connect the family with Missouri counsel if the filing becomes more complicated. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of Chariton County real estate usually points toward full administration unless a Missouri shortcut clearly applies. A non-lawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7). | Sunset helps assemble the estate settlement file, identify property and accounts, and connect the parent with a vetted local probate attorney. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Chariton County Circuit Court | Local court page for the Chariton County courthouse and probate filing office in Keytesville | https://www.charitonco.com/circuit-court; phone (660) 288-3602 |
| Chariton County Circuit Clerk-Recorder | Office that serves as the probate filing counter and Recorder of Deeds office | https://www.charitonco.com/circuit-clerk-recorder; recorder line (660) 288-1005 |
| Case.net | Missouri statewide public case search for docket information and available public case documents | https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms | Statewide probate forms for Missouri probate divisions | Missouri Judiciary probate forms page on courts.mo.gov |
| Mid-Missouri Legal Services | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income residents in Chariton County; intake decides what help is available | 117 North Garth, Columbia, MO 65203; (573) 442-0116; (800) 568-4931; https://www.mmls.org/about-us/service-area/ |
| Missouri Revisor of Statutes | Official Missouri statutes and constitution | https://revisor.mo.gov/ |
| The Missouri Bar Probate Law Resource Guide | Consumer guide from The Missouri Bar | https://missourilawyershelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Probate-Guide-Updated-2024.pdf |
When to hire an attorney
Counsel makes sense in Chariton County when the estate needs letters, a home sale, disputed heirs, creditor issues or any court appearance by the personal representative. Missouri law allows a personal representative to prepare and file their own inventories and settlements, but a personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7). Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 institutions to help families locate accounts, insurance, benefits and other assets that may affect the Missouri estate settlement path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family intake into an organized probate packet for Chariton County, using the statewide Missouri forms where appropriate and keeping local filing details together.
Find a local probate attorney. When the case needs letters, a court appearance or a real estate sale, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Missouri probate attorney who can handle the court side.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, find assets and get connected to probate help without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Chariton County?
File Chariton County probate matters with the Circuit Clerk-Recorder's Office at the Chariton County Courthouse, 306 S. Cherry Street, Keytesville, MO 65261. The first-reference court name is the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Chariton County.
What phone number should I call for Chariton County probate?
Call the Circuit Clerk-Recorder's Office at (660) 288-3602 for probate filing questions. If you need to record a small-estate certificate or refusal-of-letters order affecting Chariton County real estate, the Recorder of Deeds line is (660) 288-1005.
How much does it cost to open a Chariton County estate?
Chariton County does not publish a local probate cost schedule on its county court pages. Ask the Keytesville office for the total collected for your case. The state cost structure for original letters is set by Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023.
Does Chariton County have local probate forms?
No Chariton County probate packet, cover sheet or checklist is posted on the county court pages. Use the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms and ask the Keytesville clerk whether anything local is needed for your filing.
Can I e-file a probate case in Chariton County if I am not a lawyer?
Attorneys file through the Missouri eFiling System. Self-represented filers are not required to e-file under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4). Chariton County does not post a separate self-represented probate e-filing policy, so ask the clerk whether any electronic or emailed filing option is available for your filing type.
Can I look up a Chariton County probate case online?
Yes. Use Case.net, Missouri's statewide public case search. Public users can view docket entries and available public case documents filed on or after July 1, 2023 from the Docket Entries tab; older documents must be requested from the Keytesville court.
Will I have to travel to Keytesville for probate?
It depends on the filing and whether the court sets a hearing. If you are out of state, call the clerk before mailing papers and speak with a Missouri probate attorney if the estate needs a personal representative, a hearing or a real estate sale.
Does Chariton County allow remote probate hearings?
No Chariton County probate remote-appearance rule is posted. If a hearing is scheduled, check the hearing notice and the Case.net Scheduled Hearings and Trials tab to see how the court set the matter.
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Chariton County?
For a full administration, a non-lawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7), although the personal representative may prepare and file inventories and settlements. A small estate affidavit or refusal of letters does not appoint a personal representative, so those paths may be different.
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.