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Greene County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Greene County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Greene County, 31st Judicial Circuit |
| Courthouse address | Judicial Courts Facility, 1010 N. Boonville Avenue, Springfield, MO 65802 |
| Mailing | Same address, addressed to the Probate Division. No PO Box is published. |
| Phone | (417) 868-4027 for the Probate Division. The Circuit Clerk's main line is (417) 868-4074. |
| Fax | None. Fax service was discontinued as of September 1, 2022. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed weekends and holidays. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is published. |
| Court cost | $330.00 advance deposit to open a decedent's estate under the schedule revised June 30, 2025, effective July 1, 2025. Refusal of letters is $70.50 under the schedule revised June 30, 2025. A small estate affidavit is $70.50 without a will or $105.50 with a will, plus $75.00 for publication where total assets exceed $15,000 (RSMo 473.097), under the schedule revised June 30, 2025, effective July 1, 2025. |
| Local forms | Yes. The court publishes its own probate forms in Deceased, Adult, Minor and Other categories. A Filing Information Sheet is required with every probate case. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through the Missouri eFiling System. Self-represented filers file on paper, in person or by mail. Probate case filings are not accepted by email. |
| Case search | Case.net, https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Remote appearance | Webex requests are submitted through the Probate Division's email link. The court publishes no general remote-appearance order or rule for probate hearings. |
| Website | https://www.greenecountycourts.org/probate-court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Greene County probate route, list the accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts and likely nonprobate transfers. The route may change if the home was co-owned, if a beneficiary deed was recorded, or if the assets fit a refusal of letters or small estate affidavit instead of a full administration.
Sunset's estate settlement process includes asset discovery across more than 2,300 financial institutions, so you can see what exists before you file at the Probate Division. That matters in Greene County because the court publishes different local packets and court costs for letters, small estate affidavits, refusals of letters and heirship matters.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Greene County is the entire 31st Judicial Circuit. Probate filings for Greene County are handled at one courthouse location, the Probate Division inside the Judicial Courts Facility at 1010 N. Boonville Avenue in Springfield.
Missouri has forty-six judicial circuits (RSMo 478.011). Venue for probate is generally the county where the decedent was domiciled, so a Greene County resident's estate is opened in Greene County (RSMo 473.010). The same local probate division serves Springfield and the Greene County municipal divisions listed in the circuit rules, including Ash Grove, Battlefield, Fair Grove, Republic, Springfield, Strafford, Walnut Grove and Willard.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the estate assets, debts and nonprobate transfers before choosing a route. A refusal of letters, a small estate affidavit and a full administration use different Greene County packets and different court costs.
- Get the court's own forms from the Greene County probate forms pages or from the Probate Division counter. Complete the Filing Information Sheet, which the court requires with every probate case.
- Deliver the original will to the Probate Division on paper if there is one. An attorney may file through the Missouri eFiling System, but the original will still has to reach the Probate Division.
- File with the Clerk of the Probate Division at the Judicial Courts Facility, 1010 N. Boonville Avenue, Springfield, in person or by mail. Probate case filings are not accepted by email.
- Pay the court cost for the route. A decedent's estate requires a $330.00 advance deposit under the schedule revised June 30, 2025, effective July 1, 2025. A refusal of letters is $70.50 under the schedule revised June 30, 2025. A small estate affidavit is $70.50 without a will or $105.50 with a will, plus $75.00 for publication where total assets exceed $15,000 (RSMo 473.097), under the schedule revised June 30, 2025, effective July 1, 2025.
- Handle notice and publication. In a full administration, the clerk causes the notice of letters to be published (RSMo 473.033). For a Greene County small estate affidavit, the court schedule collects the $75.00 publication charge when total assets exceed $15,000 (RSMo 473.097), under the schedule revised June 30, 2025, effective July 1, 2025.
- Wait for the court's setting or order. Greene County publishes no regular probate hearing day or filing-to-hearing window, so the Probate Division sets the matter through the case.
- If you need to appear remotely, submit a Webex request through the Probate Division's email link and ask what the division requires. The court publishes no general remote-appearance rule for probate hearings.
- Receive the authority document. Letters testamentary or letters of administration issue after appointment, and the court cost for the route includes one certified copy; additional certified copies are $0.25 per page plus $3.00 per document under the schedule revised June 30, 2025.
- Administer and close the estate. File the inventory and settlements, use the court's Annual/Final Settlement and closing forms where they apply, and file supporting documentation for annual and final settlements electronically unless the court gives permission to use hard copies.
- If Greene County real estate changes title through a small estate affidavit, refusal order or other probate order, record the required certified document with the Greene County Recorder of Deeds at 940 N. Boonville Avenue in Springfield.
Executor duties
Greene County adds local filing and audit requirements to the statewide duties of a personal representative. Since June 1, 2022, all supporting documentation for annual and final settlements, including bank statements and vouchers, must be electronically filed with the court, and hard copies are not accepted without permission from the court.
| Local duty | What Greene County publishes |
|---|---|
| Settlement backup | The Probate Division requires supporting documentation for annual and final settlements to be filed electronically, including bank statements and vouchers. |
| Audit standards | The court's Settlement Review for Auditing checklist tells filers to match the beginning balance to the inventory, keep check numbers in order, explain missing checks, identify each payee and purpose, and use estate-titled bank statements. |
| Disallowed items to watch | The audit checklist calls out ATM withdrawals and reimbursements to the personal representative without a court order as items not allowed. |
| Redaction | The Probate Division's redaction guidance says probate applications need only age or year of birth, account numbers should be limited to the last four digits, and estate values, asset values, financial institution names and names and addresses of personal representatives are not redacted. |
| Local forms | The court publishes an Inventory Form, Annual/Final Settlement, Claim Against Estate and Final Court Cost Estimate. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Greene County
Greene County publishes its own probate forms in four categories: Deceased, Adult, Minor and Other. Use the court's local forms and packets where they exist, and include the Filing Information Sheet because the court states that probate cases require either a non-domestic or domestic sheet.
| Form category | Examples published by Greene County |
|---|---|
| Opening a decedent's estate | Application for Letters of Administration, Application for Letters Testamentary or Administration With Will Annexed, Application for Probate of Will and an Application for Probate of Will packet. |
| Small estate | Affidavit to Establish Title of Distributee, Small Estate, Intestate packet; Affidavit to Establish Title of Distributee, Small Estate, Testate packet; Order of Court Dispensing with Filing of Bond in Small Estate; Bond of Distributees; and Creditor's Bond. |
| Refusal of letters | Application of Surviving Spouse for Refusal of Letters packet, Application of Unmarried Minor Children for Refusal of Letters packet and Application of Creditor for Refusal of Letters packet. |
| Heirship | Petition for Determination of Heirship, Order for Hearing on Petition for Determination of Heirship and Notice of Hearing to Determine Heirship. |
| Administration and closing | Inventory Form, Annual/Final Settlement, Statement of Account of Independent Personal Representative, notices of settlement filings, Petition for Order of Complete Settlement, Judgment Order of Complete Settlement, Finding and Order of Discharge and Final Court Cost Estimate. |
| Real estate and personal property sales | Petition for an Order to Sell Real Property, Order to Sell Real Property, Report of Sale of Real Property, Order Approving and Confirming Report of Private Sale of Real Estate, Petition for Sale of Personal Property and Order to Sell Personal Property. |
The statewide Missouri probate forms page may also be useful, but Greene County's own form titles and packets are the safest starting point for a local filing. Do not rely on a statewide form number unless the court's current form page shows it.
Fees
Greene County publishes a Probate Division schedule of court costs revised June 30, 2025. The local amounts below are the Greene County amounts to use for an estate settlement filing in Springfield, not another Missouri county's schedule.
| Item | Greene County amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Decedent's estate | $330.00 advance deposit | Under the schedule revised June 30, 2025, effective July 1, 2025. The deposit opens the estate and does not include every later cost. |
| Admit will only | $70.50 | Under the schedule revised June 30, 2025. |
| Refusal of letters | $70.50 | Under the schedule revised June 30, 2025. Includes one certified copy. |
| Small estate affidavit without will | $70.50 | Under the schedule revised June 30, 2025, effective July 1, 2025. Includes one certified copy. |
| Small estate affidavit with will | $105.50 | Under the schedule revised June 30, 2025, effective July 1, 2025. Includes one certified copy. |
| Small estate publication charge | $75.00 | Added where total assets exceed $15,000 (RSMo 473.097), under the schedule revised June 30, 2025, effective July 1, 2025. |
| Determination of heirship | $315.00 advance deposit | Under the schedule revised June 30, 2025. |
| Certified copies | $0.25 per page plus $3.00 per document | Under the schedule revised June 30, 2025. |
| Authenticated copies | $0.25 per page plus $6.00 per document | Under the court's records-request schedule. |
| Plain copies | $0.25 per page | Under the court's records-request schedule. |
The state component underneath the local schedule comes from Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023. It includes an additional court cost tied to final inventory value once the real and personal property inventory exceeds $50,000, plus a charge for each additional 12 months a decedent's estate remains open, so the opening deposit is not the total cost of administration.
Where service is required, the court also publishes service-cost rules. A $10.00 special process server fee may apply under the court notice implementing RSMo 57.280 and RSMo 488.435, and sheriff service fees are payable to the Greene County Sheriff's Office for filings requiring sheriff service, effective August 28, 2025.
The Probate Division also publishes maximum rates it will allow on fee applications: $325.00 per hour for attorney time and $140.00 per hour for paralegal time, effective October 2023. Those local maximums sit alongside the Missouri compensation statute, which sets minimum percentage compensation for the personal representative and for the estate's attorney (RSMo 473.153).
Local nuance
Greene County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means in Greene County |
|---|---|
| Separate Probate Division office | The Probate Division has its own office inside the Judicial Courts Facility and is separate from the Circuit Clerk. File probate matters with the Clerk of the Probate Division. |
| Correct phone line | Use (417) 868-4027 for probate. The Circuit Clerk's main line, (417) 868-4074, is not the probate line. |
| No fax | Fax services were discontinued as of September 1, 2022. Do not use older materials that list a probate fax number. |
| No email filing | Probate filings are accepted in person, by mail or by an attorney through the Missouri eFiling System. Non-lawyer email filings ended under Administrative Order 2026-AO06, effective March 30, 2026. |
| Attorney e-filing | All documents filed by attorneys in probate matters must be filed electronically under Local Rule 4.3. |
| Will contest location | Estate openings, refusals of letters and probate matters go to the Probate Division. A will contest is filed as a civil action in the Circuit Clerk's office. |
| Refusal form help | Court clerks may give limited assistance completing forms for an order of refusal of letters (RSMo 473.091), but they cannot give legal advice (RSMo 484.020). |
| Settlement backup | Supporting documentation for annual and final settlements has had to be filed electronically since June 1, 2022. |
Small-estate Alternatives
Greene County publishes its own local small estate packets, one for a testate estate and one for an intestate estate, plus a local form for an order dispensing with bond in a small estate. File the packet with the Clerk of the Probate Division in person or by mail. Probate case filings are not accepted by email.
Greene County's court cost is $70.50 without a will or $105.50 with a will, plus $75.00 for publication where total assets exceed $15,000 (RSMo 473.097), under the schedule revised June 30, 2025, effective July 1, 2025. If Greene County real estate is involved, the clerk's certificate is recorded with the Greene County Recorder of Deeds at 940 N. Boonville Avenue after the probate filing.
Recent updates
| Date | Greene County update |
|---|---|
| March 30, 2026 | Administrative Order 2026-AO06 ended email filing for non-lawyer and non-party filings. Filings are made in person at the clerk's office or by first class mail to 1010 N. Boonville Avenue, Springfield, MO 65802, except for petitions for orders of protection and authorized electronic filings. |
| August 28, 2025 | Sheriff service fees became payable to and collected by the Greene County Sheriff's Office for filings that require sheriff service (RSMo 57.280, RSMo 488.435). |
| July 1, 2025 | The Probate Division's schedule of court costs changed under the schedule revised June 30, 2025. The decedent's estate advance deposit became $330.00, and the small estate publication charge became $75.00 where total assets exceed $15,000 (RSMo 473.097). |
| October 2023 | The Probate Division raised the maximum rate allowed on fee applications to $325.00 per hour for attorney time and $140.00 per hour for paralegal time. |
| September 1, 2022 | The court discontinued fax services. |
| June 1, 2022 | Supporting documentation for annual and final settlements, including bank statements and vouchers, must be filed electronically with the court unless the court permits hard copies. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Greene County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | A refusal of letters may fit when the surviving spouse or unmarried minor children route applies (RSMo 473.090). Greene County publishes its own surviving spouse packet, the court cost is $70.50 under the schedule revised June 30, 2025, and the order includes one certified copy. If the order affects Greene County real estate, record the certified order with the Greene County Recorder of Deeds. | Sunset finds accounts and assets before filing, helps determine whether the estate settlement path fits a refusal of letters, and assembles the Probate Division packet. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Greene County does not take probate filings by email. Mail or deliver the small estate affidavit packet to the Clerk of the Probate Division at 1010 N. Boonville Avenue, Springfield, and send the original will on paper if there is one. Court cost is $70.50 without a will or $105.50 with a will, plus $75.00 for publication where total assets exceed $15,000 (RSMo 473.097), under the schedule revised June 30, 2025, effective July 1, 2025. | Sunset finds accounts from a distance, prepares the itemized estate information for the affidavit and helps organize the mailing packet. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of Greene County real estate usually points to full administration and a court order. The Probate Division collects a $330.00 advance deposit under the schedule revised June 30, 2025, effective July 1, 2025, and the state component adds a cost tied to final inventory value once it exceeds $50,000 (Court Operating Rule 21.01, eff. Sept. 1, 2023). Greene County publishes the real-property sale forms, inventory form, settlement form and audit checklist. | Sunset locates accounts and debts, generates the estate settlement packet and connects the parent to a vetted local probate attorney at no cost. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it provides | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Greene County Probate Court, 31st Judicial Circuit | The Probate Division's page, including the probate phone line, filing routes, settlement-document rule, redaction guidance, audit checklist, fees and forms links. | https://www.greenecountycourts.org/probate-court, (417) 868-4027 |
| Greene County probate forms | Local probate forms and packets in Deceased, Adult, Minor and Other categories. | https://www.greenecountycourts.org/probate-forms |
| Greene County probate fee schedule | The Probate Division's court cost schedule revised June 30, 2025. | https://www.greenecountycourts.org/probate-fees |
| Case.net | Missouri's statewide public case search for circuit court cases, including Greene County probate dockets. Use it as a browser lookup. | https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Legal Services of Southern Missouri, Springfield office | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income and elderly Missourians. Intake covers Greene County, but the program decides what matters it can accept. | 3130 South Delaware, Springfield, MO 65804; (417) 881-0533; toll free (800) 444-4863; https://www.lsosm.org/ |
| Springfield Metropolitan Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service | A Springfield-area lawyer referral service listed by the court as a public courtesy. | (417) 831-2783; http://www.springfieldbar.com/ |
| Missouri Judiciary self-representation site | Statewide information for people without a lawyer, linked from Greene County's non-lawyer filing page. | http://www.selfrepresent.mo.gov/ |
| Missouri Revisor of Statutes | The official Revised Statutes of Missouri, including the probate statutes that govern Greene County estates. | https://revisor.mo.gov/ |
| The Missouri Bar, Probate Law Resource Guide | A plain-language Missouri probate guide published by The Missouri Bar. | https://missourilawyershelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Probate-Guide-Updated-2024.pdf |
When to hire an attorney
In Missouri, a personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7), though the same subsection lets a personal representative prepare and file their own inventories and settlements. A full administration in Greene County, especially one involving a home sale, an objection, a disputed creditor claim or supervised settlement work, is usually handled with counsel. A small estate affidavit (RSMo 473.097) and a refusal of letters (RSMo 473.090) appoint no personal representative, so that courtroom restriction does not apply to those routes, and Greene County clerks may give limited help completing refusal-of-letters forms (RSMo 473.091) while being barred from giving legal advice (RSMo 484.020). The Probate Division publishes maximum rates it will allow on fee applications, $325.00 per hour for attorney time and $140.00 per hour for paralegal time, effective October 2023, and Missouri law also sets minimum percentage compensation for the personal representative and for the estate's attorney (RSMo 473.153). Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney at no cost.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify the accounts, balances and debts that drive a Greene County estate settlement plan.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset picture into an organized packet for the Probate Division, using the route that fits the estate and the local Greene County filing details.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs a lawyer, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Greene County probate attorney who can appear in court and guide administration.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate settlement, understand the next filing step and get matched with probate help without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Greene County?
File with the Clerk of the Probate Division at the Judicial Courts Facility, 1010 N. Boonville Avenue, Springfield, MO 65802. Address mailed filings to the Probate Division. Venue is in Greene County when the decedent was domiciled in Greene County (RSMo 473.010).
Is the Probate Division the same office as the Greene County Circuit Clerk?
No. The Probate Division is part of the Circuit Court, but the court publishes that the Probate Division Clerk is in the Judicial Courts Facility in a location separate from the Circuit Clerk and is the proper place for probate matters. A will contest is different and is filed as a civil action in the Circuit Clerk's office.
What does it cost to open an estate in Greene County?
The Probate Division collects a $330.00 advance deposit to open a decedent's estate under the schedule revised June 30, 2025, effective July 1, 2025. Later costs can include inventory-value charges under Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, publication, copies, service costs and attorney or personal representative compensation.
Can I email a probate filing to the Greene County court?
No. Greene County publishes that probate case filings are not accepted by email. Non-lawyer email filings ended under Administrative Order 2026-AO06, effective March 30, 2026. File in person, by mail or through an attorney using the Missouri eFiling System.
Do I have to e-file in Greene County if I do not have a lawyer?
No. Attorneys file through the Missouri eFiling System, and Local Rule 4.3 requires attorney e-filing in probate matters. Greene County publishes that self-represented filers continue to file paper documents, and statewide rules do not require self-represented filers to e-file (Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4)).
Does Greene County have its own probate forms?
Yes. Greene County publishes local probate forms in Deceased, Adult, Minor and Other categories, including applications for letters, small estate packets, refusal of letters packets, inventory and settlement forms, claim forms and real-property sale forms. The court also requires a Filing Information Sheet with every probate case.
Can I look up a Greene County estate case online?
Yes. Use Case.net at https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ to look up the public docket. Greene County's own probate page links to Case.net and says case information may be accessed there. Case.net is a browser lookup and should not be used for automated searches.
When is the Probate Division open, and can I appear by Webex?
The court publishes hours of Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed weekends and holidays. The Probate Division's email link is for record requests and Webex requests, but the court publishes no general rule saying when probate hearings may be remote. Ask the division what it requires before the hearing date.
Where do I file a will contest in Greene County?
File a will contest in the Circuit Clerk's office as a civil action. The Probate Division handles estate openings, refusals of letters and other probate matters, but the circuit's published probate handbook sends will contests to the Circuit Clerk.
Do I need a lawyer to handle a Greene County estate?
Missouri law says a personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7), though the personal representative may prepare and file their own inventories and settlements. A small estate affidavit (RSMo 473.097) or refusal of letters (RSMo 473.090) does not appoint a personal representative, so that courtroom restriction does not apply to those 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.