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New Madrid County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | New Madrid County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of New Madrid County |
| Circuit | 34th Judicial Circuit, New Madrid and Pemiscot counties |
| Courthouse address | New Madrid County Courthouse, 450 Main Street, 2nd Floor, New Madrid, MO 63869 |
| Mailing | Use the courthouse address unless the circuit clerk gives you a separate mailing address. |
| Phone | (573) 748-2228 |
| Fax | (573) 748-5409 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Call before you go to confirm current hours and any lunch closure. |
| Court cost | No New Madrid County total is published online. The statewide component is $115 when original letters are applied for, plus $50 for each additional $50,000 of final inventory value above $50,000 up to $500,000, capped at $565 under Court Operating Rule 21.01, eff. Sept. 1, 2023. Local statutory surcharges are added, so ask the circuit clerk for the current New Madrid County total. |
| Local forms | New Madrid County does not publish a local probate packet, cover sheet, or checklist online. Use the Missouri Judiciary statewide probate forms page and any instructions from the clerk. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through the Missouri eFiling System. Self-represented filers are never required to e-file under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4). Ask the circuit clerk whether the 34th Circuit accepts electronic or emailed probate filings from self-represented filers. |
| Case search | Case.net, https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/. New Madrid County circuit civil, criminal, associate civil, probate, and traffic case information is available for public cases pending as of, or filed after, February 7, 2001. Older judgment lookups require the paper judgment index at the circuit clerk's office in New Madrid. |
| Remote appearance | Ask the clerk before any hearing. Do not assume a remote option is available for a New Madrid County probate hearing. |
| Court website | Missouri Judiciary Circuit 34 court help page, page 124639. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in New Madrid County, list the assets, debts, account locations, real estate, vehicle titles, and any beneficiary designations. Missouri probate turns on what is actually in the estate, and New Madrid County real estate can add a recorder of deeds step if a small-estate certificate or refusal-of-letters order affects title.
Sunset starts estate settlement by helping families find accounts and assets across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then organizes what you have into the information a Missouri probate filing usually needs.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The New Madrid courthouse serves probate matters for deaths where venue belongs in New Madrid County. Communities served include New Madrid, Portageville, Marston, Lilbourn, Morehouse, and Parma.
Missouri venue for wills and letters is generally the county where the deceased person was domiciled (RSMo 473.010). If the person was domiciled in New Madrid County, file in New Madrid County even though the 34th Judicial Circuit also includes Pemiscot County.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the Missouri path before you draft forms. A full administration asks for letters testamentary or letters of administration. A small estate affidavit (RSMo 473.097) or refusal of letters (RSMo 473.090) may be available when the statewide requirements fit and does not appoint a personal representative.
- Gather the will, death certificate, asset list, creditor list, heirs or devisees, and title information. Original wills are delivered to the probate division on paper even when other filings are handled electronically.
- Prepare the Missouri probate forms. New Madrid County does not publish a local probate packet online, so use the Missouri Judiciary statewide probate forms page and any instructions from the circuit clerk's office.
- File with the circuit clerk's office serving as clerk of the probate division at the New Madrid County Courthouse, 450 Main Street, 2nd Floor, New Madrid, MO 63869. Attorneys file through the Missouri eFiling System. A self-represented filer should ask the clerk whether the 34th Circuit accepts electronic or emailed filings for the probate filing type involved.
- Pay the court cost or ask the clerk for the current amount due. The statewide component is $115 when original letters are applied for, plus $50 for each additional $50,000 of final inventory value above $50,000 up to $500,000, capped at $565 under Court Operating Rule 21.01, eff. Sept. 1, 2023, and local statutory surcharges are added.
- After letters are issued, the clerk causes notice of the appointment of the personal representative and notice to creditors to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks (RSMo 473.033). Creditors then face Missouri's claim deadlines under RSMo 473.360 and RSMo 473.444.
- Follow the court's notice for any hearing. New Madrid County does not publish a standing probate hearing day online, so use the date and instructions issued in your case.
- Ask the clerk before any hearing if you want to appear remotely. Do not assume remote appearance is available unless the court gives permission or instructions.
- If the court grants authority, the personal representative receives letters testamentary or letters of administration. Those letters are the document banks, title companies, and other institutions usually ask to see.
- Administer the estate, file the inventory within 30 days after letters are granted unless the court allows more time (RSMo 473.233), handle claims and distributions, and close the estate settlement through the Missouri closing procedure that fits the type of administration.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in New Madrid County
New Madrid County does not publish a local probate forms packet, cover sheet, or filing checklist online. Start with the Missouri Judiciary statewide probate forms page, then call the New Madrid County circuit clerk's office before filing to ask whether the clerk wants any local formatting, copies, or payment method.
For a full administration, remember Missouri's attorney rule: 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). Small estate affidavits and refusals of letters do not appoint a personal representative, so they are often the self-represented paths families ask about first.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely New Madrid County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | First check how the deed is titled. If the home passed outside probate, the estate may still need a New Madrid County filing for other assets. If a refusal-of-letters order or small-estate certificate affects New Madrid County real estate, the recorder of deeds step matters after the probate division acts. | Sunset helps identify accounts, deeds, debts, and beneficiary designations so the spouse can see what actually needs court involvement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the statewide small-estate or refusal-of-letters requirements fit, the filing is made in New Madrid County because venue follows the decedent's New Madrid County domicile. Ask the circuit clerk whether any self-represented electronic or emailed filing option is available before assuming travel is required. | Sunset organizes the asset list, institution details, and family information, then helps the child decide whether a self-represented shortcut or attorney-supported administration is the better estate settlement route. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate where a home must be sold | A sale of estate real estate often points toward full administration and letters from the New Madrid County probate division. Because a non-lawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney (RSMo 473.153.7), counsel usually matters once a court appearance is needed. | Sunset helps gather the financial picture and can connect the parent with a vetted Missouri probate attorney for the local filing and sale-related court work. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link or contact |
|---|---|---|
| New Madrid County circuit clerk's office | Local counter for New Madrid County probate filings, current court costs, copies, and questions about whether a self-represented filer may submit electronically or by email. | 450 Main Street, 2nd Floor, New Madrid, MO 63869. Phone: (573) 748-2228. |
| Missouri Judiciary, Circuit 34 court help | Local Judiciary page for the 34th Circuit, including New Madrid County case information and Case.net coverage dates. | Missouri Judiciary website, page 124639. |
| Case.net | Statewide public case lookup for Missouri circuit court cases, including New Madrid County probate cases that are public and within the covered date range. | https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms | Statewide probate forms page. New Madrid County does not publish a separate local probate packet online. | Missouri Judiciary website, probate forms page 662. |
| The Missouri Bar Probate Law Resource Guide | Consumer guide from The Missouri Bar. It is not a court checklist. | https://missourilawyershelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Probate-Guide-Updated-2024.pdf |
| Missouri Revisor of Statutes | Official source for the Missouri probate statutes cited on this page. | https://revisor.mo.gov/ |
| Legal Services of Southern Missouri | Free civil legal aid intake for eligible low-income Missourians. The Sikeston office lists New Madrid County in its service area. | 2201 East Malone Avenue, Sikeston, MO 63801. https://www.lsmo.org/page/951/offices |
When to hire an attorney
Counsel makes sense in New Madrid County when the estate needs letters, real estate must be sold, heirs disagree, creditor claims are expected, or a hearing will be required. Missouri law says 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 families to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps families build the asset and liability picture needed for estate settlement in New Madrid County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you gather into an organized probate packet so you know what to bring to the New Madrid County circuit clerk's office or to a Missouri attorney.
Find a local probate attorney. When Missouri's attorney rule or the facts of the estate call for counsel, Sunset can connect you with a vetted probate attorney who handles Missouri estate settlement work.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand the next step, and decide whether a New Madrid County filing, a small-estate path, or attorney help is the right route.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in New Madrid County?
File with the circuit clerk's office serving as clerk of the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of New Madrid County. The courthouse is at 450 Main Street, 2nd Floor, New Madrid, MO 63869.
Does New Madrid County share a probate office with Pemiscot County?
No. New Madrid County and Pemiscot County share the 34th Judicial Circuit, but each county keeps its own courthouse and clerk's office. A New Madrid County estate is filed in New Madrid when venue belongs there under RSMo 473.010.
Can I e-file a New Madrid County probate case?
Attorneys file through the Missouri eFiling System. Self-represented filers are never required to e-file under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4). Ask the New Madrid County circuit clerk whether the 34th Circuit accepts electronic or emailed probate filings from self-represented filers for your filing type.
How much does it cost to start a New Madrid County probate administration?
New Madrid County does not publish a local probate cost schedule online. The statewide component is $115 when original letters are applied for, plus $50 for each additional $50,000 of final inventory value above $50,000 up to $500,000, capped at $565 under Court Operating Rule 21.01, eff. Sept. 1, 2023. Local statutory surcharges are added, so ask the clerk for the current New Madrid County total.
Does New Madrid County have local probate forms?
New Madrid County does not publish a local probate packet, cover sheet, or checklist online. Use the Missouri Judiciary statewide probate forms page and ask the circuit clerk whether the clerk wants any local copies or formatting.
Can I look up a New Madrid County probate case online?
Use Case.net at https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/. New Madrid County probate case information is available for public cases pending as of, or filed after, February 7, 2001. A New Madrid County probate case number uses the local format shown by the 34th Circuit, such as 04NM-PR00001.
What if the New Madrid County estate might qualify for Missouri's small estate affidavit?
Missouri's small estate affidavit is a statewide path when the net value of the entire estate is $40,000 or below, measured after liens, debts, and encumbrances, and the other statutory requirements are met (RSMo 473.097, eff. August 28, 2002). The affidavit is filed with the clerk of the probate division, and the clerk's certificate is the document institutions usually need.
Do I have to travel to New Madrid for probate?
Maybe. Attorneys file electronically, and a self-represented filer should ask the circuit clerk whether the 34th Circuit accepts electronic or emailed filings for the filing type involved. If a hearing is set, ask the clerk whether any remote option is available before making travel plans.
Do I need a lawyer for New Madrid County probate?
For a full administration, Missouri law bars a personal representative who is not a lawyer from appearing in court except through an attorney, while allowing the personal representative to prepare and file their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). A small estate affidavit or refusal of letters does not appoint a personal representative, so those paths are 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.