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Dent County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Dent County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Dent County, 42nd Judicial Circuit |
| Courthouse address | Dent County Courthouse, 112 E. 5th Street, Salem, MO 65560 |
| Mailing address | 112 E. 5th Street, Salem, MO 65560 |
| Phone | (573) 729-3931 |
| Fax | (573) 729-9414 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed major holidays |
| Published decedent full administration court cost | $148.50, court-published Dent County amount reviewed August 21, 2026 |
| Published small estate and refusal court cost | $68.50, court-published Dent County amount reviewed August 21, 2026 |
| Local probate forms | No Dent County local probate packet or cover sheet is published. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms where they fit. |
| 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), and most self-represented probate filings are handled in paper format. Ask the clerk whether a particular Dent County probate filing can be submitted electronically. |
| Case search | Case.net, https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Remote appearance | Ask the clerk about hearing format when a hearing is scheduled. |
| Website | Dent County Local Rules and Filing Information page on the Missouri Judiciary website |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Dent County probate path, make a working list of assets, debts, title documents, beneficiary designations, and accounts. Some property may pass outside probate, while other property may require letters testamentary, letters of administration, a small estate affidavit, a refusal of letters, or a later determination of heirship.
Sunset's estate settlement process includes asset discovery across more than 2,300 institutions, so families can find accounts before they decide what to file in Salem. That matters because the court papers, the local court cost, and any recorder of deeds step depend on what the estate actually owns.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Dent County estates are handled at the Dent County Courthouse in Salem. Dent County is in the 42nd Judicial Circuit with Crawford, Iron, Reynolds and Wayne counties, but a shared circuit is not a shared courthouse. A Dent County estate is filed in Salem, not in another 42nd Circuit county.
Missouri venue is based first on the county where the decedent was domiciled. The will is probated and letters are granted in the county of the decedent's domicile, with a separate rule for a decedent who had no Missouri domicile but left Missouri property (RSMo 473.010). For Dent County real estate handled through a small estate affidavit or refusal of letters, the Dent County Recorder of Deeds is a separate office in the same courthouse at 112 E. 5th Street.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the probate assets, nonprobate transfers, debts, real estate, and whether an original will exists. If there is an original will, it must be delivered to the probate division on paper regardless of any electronic filing issue (RSMo 474.510).
- Choose the filing path. Full administration asks for letters testamentary or letters of administration. A small estate affidavit, refusal of letters, or determination of heirship may fit only when the statewide requirements for that path are met.
- Prepare the required statewide forms and local case information. Dent County does not publish a separate local probate packet. The Missouri Judiciary forms page includes FI-50 Confidential Case Filing Information Sheet for probate and non-domestic relations cases, plus statewide forms for small estate, refusal of letters, and heirship filings.
- File with the circuit clerk in Salem, who serves as the clerk of the probate division for Dent County. Use the Dent County Courthouse address, 112 E. 5th Street, Salem, MO 65560, and call (573) 729-3931 if you need to ask about delivery method or a filing not listed on the court-cost schedule.
- Pay the Dent County court cost that matches the filing. Dent County publishes $148.50 for a decedent's full administration, $68.50 for small estates and refusals, and $78.50 for trust matters, each as a court-published Dent County amount reviewed August 21, 2026. Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, also uses an inventory-value structure for decedent estates when final inventory value exceeds $50,000.
- Complete notice requirements if the court opens an administration. The clerk causes the notice of letters to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks, and creditors use the Missouri claims deadlines tied to that notice and to mailed or served notice (RSMo 473.033, RSMo 473.360).
- Attend any hearing the court sets, or ask the clerk what the hearing format requires. A nonlawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney, although the personal representative may prepare and file inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7).
- After appointment, use the issued letters testamentary or letters of administration to collect estate assets, prepare the inventory, handle claims, sell or transfer property when authorized, and keep records for estate settlement.
- Close the estate under the correct Missouri procedure. If real estate is transferred by a small estate affidavit or refusal order, record the clerk's certificate or certified order with the recorder of deeds in each county where the real property is located (RSMo 473.097, RSMo 473.090).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Dent County
Dent County does not publish a separate local probate forms packet, local cover sheet, or Dent County probate checklist. Use the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms when they match your filing, and ask the Dent County clerk which papers are needed for the specific path you plan to file.
| Form or form group | What it is used for |
|---|---|
| FI-50 Confidential Case Filing Information Sheet | Required on each probate and non-domestic relations case filed. |
| PR 16 Affidavit to Establish Title of Distributee, Small Estate, Intestate | Used for a small estate affidavit when the decedent died without a will and the statewide small estate statute applies (RSMo 473.097). |
| PR 22 Exhibit A | Property listing exhibit used with refusal, small estate, and heirship applications. |
| PR 23, PR 25, and PR 33 | Applications for refusal of letters by a creditor, unmarried minor children, or surviving spouse (RSMo 473.090). |
| PR 28 Petition for Determination of Heirship | Used when the statutory heirship path is available after the required waiting period and no administration has been commenced (RSMo 473.663). |
| PR 10 Statement of Reimbursable Attorney Fees | Used for attorney-fee reimbursement information in a probate matter. |
Fees
Dent County publishes a Probate Division court-cost schedule on the Missouri Judiciary's Dent County Local Rules and Filing Information page. Use Dent County's own listed amounts for Salem filings, not another Missouri county's schedule.
| Dent County probate matter | Court-published amount and date |
|---|---|
| Decedent's full administration | $148.50, Dent County amount reviewed August 21, 2026 |
| Small estates and refusals | $68.50, Dent County amount reviewed August 21, 2026 |
| Trust matters | $78.50, Dent County amount reviewed August 21, 2026 |
The same Dent County page gives [email protected] for questions about a court cost not listed. Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, supplies the statewide cost structure for decedent estates, including additional inventory-value charges above $50,000, but Dent County's own published total is the local number to use at the start of a Dent County filing.
Local nuance
Dent County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Dent County filing |
|---|---|
| Salem is the filing location | Dent County is in a five-county circuit, but Dent County probate filings go to the courthouse in Salem. |
| One counter handles probate filings | No separate probate room or probate-only phone line is published for Dent County. Call the circuit clerk at (573) 729-3931. |
| Office mailbox is published | The Judiciary lists [email protected] for Dent County court questions. |
| Local probate court costs are published | Dent County lists $148.50 for decedent full administration, $68.50 for small estates and refusals, and $78.50 for trust matters, each reviewed August 21, 2026. |
| No local probate packet is published | Use the statewide Missouri Judiciary probate forms and ask the clerk which papers apply to your filing. |
| Recorder of deeds is separate | For Dent County real estate, the recorder of deeds is a different office in the same courthouse, with a different phone number, (573) 729-2198. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Dent County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by checking title and beneficiary designations. If the home passes outside probate, the Salem filing may focus on remaining probate assets. If probate authority is needed, the filing goes to the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Dent County. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, title issues, and whether the estate settlement plan needs a court filing or a nonprobate transfer step. |
| out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Ask the Dent County clerk which statewide small estate forms are needed and whether any papers can be handled by mail. The court-published Dent County amount for small estates and refusals is $68.50, reviewed August 21, 2026. | Sunset helps gather asset information, organize the small estate packet, and reduce unnecessary trips to Salem. |
| parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If authority is needed to sell a home titled in the decedent's name, full administration may be needed in Dent County. A nonlawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7). | Sunset helps find estate assets, prepare the family for the attorney conversation, and connect the family with a vetted local probate attorney. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Dent County Local Rules and Filing Information | Dent County's Judiciary page with the probate court-cost schedule and office email. | Missouri Judiciary Dent County page |
| Case.net | Missouri's statewide public case search for circuit court cases, including probate division cases. | https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms | Statewide court-approved probate forms, including the case filing information sheet, refusal of letters, small estate, and heirship forms. | Missouri Judiciary probate forms page |
| Missouri Revisor of Statutes | Official Missouri statutes for probate deadlines, letters, small estates, refusal of letters, and claims. | https://revisor.mo.gov/ |
| Legal Services of Southern Missouri, Rolla office | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Missourians. The Rolla office accepts Dent County applications. | https://www.lsmo.org/page/951/offices |
When to hire an attorney
Counsel is especially important when the estate needs full administration, a home sale, creditor disputes, contested heirs, or a court appearance. 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 inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help families identify accounts, insurance, retirement assets, debts, and other property before choosing a Dent County estate settlement path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps organize the information needed for Missouri probate forms, including the assets, heirs, debts, and title details that drive a filing in the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Dent County.
Find a local probate attorney. When full administration or a hearing requires counsel, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Missouri probate attorney who can handle the court-facing work.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to understand the estate settlement steps, organize documents, and get matched with professional help without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Dent County?
File with the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Dent County at the Dent County Courthouse, 112 E. 5th Street, Salem, MO 65560. Dent County is in the 42nd Judicial Circuit, but Dent County filings are handled in Salem.
What is the Dent County court cost to open a decedent's full administration?
Dent County publishes $148.50 for a decedent's full administration, reviewed August 21, 2026. The court's Dent County page also lists $68.50 for small estates and refusals and $78.50 for trust matters, each reviewed August 21, 2026.
Does Dent County have local probate forms?
No Dent County local probate packet, cover sheet, or checklist is published. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms page for statewide forms such as FI-50, small estate forms, refusal of letters forms, and heirship forms.
Can I e-file a Dent County probate case if I am not represented by a lawyer?
Self-represented filers are not required to e-file under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4). Most self-represented probate filings are handled in paper format, and you should ask the Dent County clerk whether a particular filing can be submitted electronically.
Do I have to bring the original will to the court?
Yes. The original will must be filed with the probate division on paper, regardless of any electronic filing question (RSMo 474.510).
Can I look up a Dent County probate case online?
Yes. Use Case.net, Missouri's statewide public case search, in a browser. Public Case.net is a docket lookup and should not be treated as a complete online document file.
Do I have to travel to Salem for every Dent County probate step?
Not necessarily. Many first questions can be handled by phone at (573) 729-3931 or by using the office email, [email protected]. If an original will, signed filing, payment, or hearing is involved, ask the clerk what the court requires before you travel.
Where do I record a Dent County small estate certificate or refusal order involving real estate?
After the probate division issues the clerk's certificate for a small estate or a certified refusal order, the real estate document is recorded with the recorder of deeds in each county where the real property is located (RSMo 473.097, RSMo 473.090). For Dent County real estate, the recorder of deeds is a separate office in the same courthouse.
Do I need a lawyer for Dent County probate?
A small estate affidavit or refusal of letters does not appoint a personal representative, so those paths are different from full administration. In full administration, a nonlawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney, although the personal representative may prepare and file inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7).
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.