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Morgan County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Morgan County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Morgan County, in the 26th Judicial Circuit |
| Courthouse address | 211 E. Newton St., Suite 5, Versailles, MO 65084 |
| Mailing address | No separate probate mailing address is published. Use 211 E. Newton St., Suite 5, Versailles, MO 65084. |
| Probate phone | (573) 378-4235 |
| Fax | (573) 378-6847 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with state holiday closures. No lunch closure is posted. |
| Published opening court cost | The Morgan County fee page lists Decedent's Estates, excluding summary proceedings, at $200.00. The page does not state an effective date, so call before preparing payment. |
| Local probate forms | No Morgan County-specific probate packet, cover sheet, or checklist is published online. |
| E-filing | Attorneys use the Missouri eFiling System. Self-represented filers are not required to e-file under Missouri rules, and Morgan County does not post a probate-specific self-represented e-filing instruction. |
| Case search | Case.net, https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/. Morgan County public probate case information is available there for public cases pending as of, or filed after, November 28, 2005. |
| Remote appearance | No Morgan County probate remote appearance instruction is posted. Ask the Probate Division when a hearing is scheduled. |
| Website | https://www.morgancountymo.gov/probate-division |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Morgan County, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, real estate, account ownership, beneficiary designations, and likely heirs or devisees. Missouri has several estate settlement paths, and the right first filing often turns on whether an asset actually belongs in the probate estate.
Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families find accounts, insurance, retirement assets, and other property before they choose between a full administration, a small estate affidavit, a refusal of letters, or another Missouri probate route.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Morgan County handles decedent estates for Morgan County from the courthouse in Versailles. Morgan County is part of the 26th Judicial Circuit with Camden, Laclede, Miller, and Moniteau counties, but Morgan County filings go to the Morgan County Probate Division, not to another county in the circuit.
The page is written for families connected to communities such as Versailles, Gravois Mills, Stover, Barnett, Florence, and Ridge Farm. Missouri venue is based first on the county where the decedent was domiciled; if the decedent had no Missouri domicile, venue may be based on where Missouri property is left, with special rules when the major part of the Missouri estate is real estate (RSMo 473.010).
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the Missouri path before preparing forms. A full estate administration asks for letters testamentary or letters of administration. A small estate affidavit may be available when the entire estate, net of liens, debts, and encumbrances, meets the $40,000 limit, effective August 28, 2002 (RSMo 473.097). A refusal of letters may fit some spouse, unmarried minor child, or creditor situations (RSMo 473.090).
- Get the will, death certificate, asset list, debt list, names and addresses of interested persons, and any beneficiary deed or joint ownership information. The original will is delivered to the probate division on paper even when other filings are handled electronically.
- Use statewide Missouri probate forms where they apply. Morgan County does not publish a county-specific probate packet, cover sheet, or checklist online, so call the Probate Division if you are unsure which statewide form set the office expects for your filing.
- File with the Morgan County Probate Division at 211 E. Newton St., Suite 5, Versailles, MO 65084. Morgan County runs a separate Probate Division office, so decedent estate filings should be directed to that probate office.
- Prepare payment using the Morgan County fee page and the type of proceeding. The county page lists Decedent's Estates, excluding summary proceedings, at $200.00 with no effective date stated. State probate cost structure is set under Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, and inventory-value charges can be added later, so call the Probate Division before preparing payment.
- For a full administration, the clerk causes notice of appointment and notice to creditors to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks after letters issue (RSMo 473.033). Creditors then face Missouri's two clocks: six months from first publication, or two months from mailed or served notice if later, plus the one-year-from-death bar (RSMo 473.360, RSMo 473.444).
- Attend any hearing the court sets. A non-attorney personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney, although a personal representative may prepare and file their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). No Morgan County probate remote appearance instruction is posted, so ask the Probate Division about appearance details when the hearing is set.
- After the court acts, obtain the authority document the situation requires. A personal representative uses letters testamentary or letters of administration. A small estate affiant uses the filed affidavit and clerk's certificate. A refusal of letters uses the court's order.
- Administer and close the estate. A personal representative must inventory estate property within thirty days after letters are granted unless the court gives more time (RSMo 473.233). Independent administration, if authorized in the will or by the required consents, can close through the Missouri statement-of-account process after the statutory waiting period (RSMo 473.780, RSMo 473.840). Good estate settlement records make the final accounting, distribution, and closing steps easier.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Morgan County
Morgan County does not publish a county-specific probate packet, probate cover sheet, or probate checklist online. The 26th Judicial Circuit's Morgan County local filing information page lists family-law forms and adoption forms, but no probate forms.
Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms page for statewide forms, and call the Morgan County Probate Division before filing if you need to know which form the office expects for a small estate affidavit, refusal of letters, or a request for letters. Do not list a Missouri PR form number unless you have the current form in front of you.
Fees
| Cost item | Morgan County published amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Decedent's estates, excluding summary proceedings | $200.00 | The Morgan County fee page does not state an effective date for this amount. Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, sets the state probate cost structure, and additional inventory-value charges can apply later. |
| Small estate affidavit, refusal of letters, and determination of heirship | Not itemized on the Morgan County fee page | The county's decedent-estate line excludes summary proceedings, and the page does not publish a separate total for these filings. |
Local nuance
Morgan County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Separate Probate Division office | Morgan County publishes a Probate Division office at Suite 5 with its own phone and fax. Direct decedent estate filings and probate questions there. |
| Case.net date limit for Morgan County | Morgan County public probate case information is available on Case.net for public cases pending as of, or filed after, November 28, 2005. For older probate judgments, check with the Probate Division in Versailles. |
| No local probate packet online | Morgan County does not post a county-specific probate packet, cover sheet, or checklist, so statewide Missouri forms and a call to the Probate Division are the practical starting point. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Morgan County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | First confirm how the home was titled and whether a beneficiary deed or joint ownership keeps it outside the probate estate. If Morgan County probate property remains, the spouse may need a full administration or, in some facts, a refusal of letters under Missouri law (RSMo 473.090). | Sunset helps identify accounts, ownership, beneficiary designations, and debts before the spouse spends money on the wrong estate settlement filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the entire estate after liens, debts, and encumbrances meets the $40,000 limit, effective August 28, 2002, and at least thirty days have passed since death, a small estate affidavit may avoid letters (RSMo 473.097). File with the Morgan County Probate Division in Versailles. | Sunset helps organize the asset list, generate a packet, and connect the child to a Missouri probate attorney if court appearance or full administration becomes necessary. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the home is in the child's name and no nonprobate transfer controls, a full administration may be needed so a personal representative can deal with title and sale authority. If more than one year has passed with no Missouri administration and no will presented, determination of heirship may be the Missouri route (RSMo 473.663). | Sunset helps find accounts and property, assemble the court packet, and connect the parent with a vetted local attorney for sale and title issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Morgan County Probate Division | Local filing location, hours, probate phone, fax, and questions about Morgan County filing practices. | 211 E. Newton St., Suite 5, Versailles, MO 65084. Phone: (573) 378-4235. Website: https://www.morgancountymo.gov/probate-division |
| Case.net | Missouri public case lookup for Morgan County probate cases that are public and within the Case.net date coverage. | https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms | Statewide probate forms page for Missouri probate filings. Morgan County does not publish its own probate packet online. | Missouri Courts website, probate forms page. |
| Legal Aid of Western Missouri | Free civil legal aid intake for eligible low-income Missourians. The intake office can say whether it can help with the issue presented. | Warrensburg office, 305 North Holden, Warrensburg, MO 64093. Phone: (660) 747-7101 or 1-800-892-2943. |
| The Missouri Bar Probate Law Resource Guide | Consumer guide from The Missouri Bar for general probate education. | https://missourilawyershelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Probate-Guide-Updated-2024.pdf |
| Missouri Revisor of Statutes | Official text of Missouri probate statutes and the Missouri Constitution. | https://revisor.mo.gov/ |
When to hire an attorney
Attorney help makes sense in Morgan County when a full administration is needed, when real estate must be sold, when heirs disagree, when creditor claims are expected, or when a hearing is likely. Missouri law provides that 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). Sunset connects you to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across thousands of institutions to help identify bank accounts, investments, insurance, retirement accounts, and other assets that affect the Morgan County estate settlement plan.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized probate packet for the Missouri path you are using, whether the next step is a small estate affidavit, refusal of letters, or full administration.
Find a local probate attorney. When Missouri law or the facts call for counsel, Sunset connects families with a vetted probate attorney familiar with Missouri estate settlement work.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize assets, understand the probate path, and get connected to attorney help without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Morgan County?
File decedent estate papers with the Morgan County Probate Division at 211 E. Newton St., Suite 5, Versailles, MO 65084. Morgan County publishes this as a separate Probate Division office with its own phone number, (573) 378-4235.
What does Morgan County list as the cost to open a decedent estate?
The Morgan County fee page lists Decedent's Estates, excluding summary proceedings, at $200.00. The page does not state an effective date. Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, sets the state probate cost structure, and additional inventory-value charges can apply later, so call the Probate Division before preparing payment.
Can I e-file probate papers in Morgan County if I do not have a lawyer?
Self-represented filers are not required to e-file in Missouri. Morgan County does not post a probate-specific instruction saying which self-represented probate filings, if any, the automation system will accept electronically, so ask the Probate Division before relying on electronic filing.
Are there Morgan County probate forms online?
No Morgan County-specific probate packet, cover sheet, or checklist is posted online. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms page and contact the Morgan County Probate Division if you need local filing instructions.
Can I appear remotely for a Morgan County probate hearing?
No Morgan County probate remote appearance instruction is posted. If the court sets a hearing, ask the Probate Division how the hearing will be held and what the court expects from each participant.
How do I look up a Morgan County probate case?
Use Case.net at https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/. Morgan County public probate case information is available there for public cases pending as of, or filed after, November 28, 2005. For older probate judgments, contact the Probate Division in Versailles.
Do I have to travel to Versailles for probate?
Many filings can be prepared before you travel, and some filings may be mailed or handled through counsel, but the Morgan County Probate Division is the local office for Morgan County estates. If a hearing is scheduled, ask the Probate Division whether any remote option is allowed for that hearing.
Do I need a lawyer for Morgan County probate?
Not every Missouri probate shortcut appoints a personal representative. A small estate affidavit or refusal of letters may be a practical route in the right facts. But once a non-lawyer personal representative must appear in court, Missouri requires appearance through an attorney (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.