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Pemiscot County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Local detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Pemiscot County |
| Courthouse address | Pemiscot County Courthouse, 610 Ward Avenue, Suite 3-A, Caruthersville, MO 63830 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 34, Caruthersville, MO 63830 |
| Phone | (573) 333-0182 |
| Fax | (573) 333-1272 |
| Hours | County-published hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed from noon to 1:00 p.m. Call before you go because no separate probate counter hours are posted. |
| Court costs | No Pemiscot County probate cost schedule is posted. Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, sets state components, including $115 when original letters are applied for and a $565 total cap under that section, before any local surcharges. |
| Local forms | No Pemiscot County local probate packet is posted. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms page and any instruction from the clerk of the probate division. |
| E-filing | Attorneys use the Missouri eFiling System. Self-represented filers are not required to e-file under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4), and an original will still has to be delivered to the probate division on paper. |
| Case search | Use Case.net. Pemiscot County probate case numbers begin with 04F3, followed by the case-type code and a five-digit sequence. |
| Remote appearance | No local remote-appearance practice is posted. Ask the clerk before any scheduled hearing if travel is difficult. |
| Website | Pemiscot County Circuit Clerk |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a probate path in Pemiscot County, make a practical inventory of what the decedent owned, what was jointly owned, what had a beneficiary named, and what debts or liens may still exist. Missouri probate options turn on facts like whether there is a will, whether letters are needed, whether real estate is involved, and whether the estate can use a no-letters procedure.
Sunset's estate settlement process starts by helping families identify accounts and assets across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then organizing what is needed for the local probate packet or for a conversation with a Missouri probate attorney.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Caruthersville courthouse serves probate matters venued in Pemiscot County. Missouri venue is generally the county where the decedent was domiciled when they died; if the decedent had no Missouri domicile, venue can depend on where Missouri property is located, with real estate controlling when it is the major part of the Missouri estate (RSMo 473.010).
Pemiscot County is in the 34th Judicial Circuit with New Madrid County. Missouri has forty-six judicial circuits (RSMo 478.011), but a shared circuit is not a shared courthouse. A Pemiscot County estate is filed with the clerk of the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Pemiscot County in Caruthersville.
The jurisdiction process
- Start with the local courthouse. For a Pemiscot County estate, work with the clerk of the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Pemiscot County at 610 Ward Avenue, Suite 3-A, Caruthersville.
- Identify the correct Missouri path. Full administration asks the court to appoint a personal representative, meaning an executor or administrator (RSMo 472.010(26)). A small estate affidavit, refusal of letters, or determination of heirship may fit some estates under statewide Missouri rules.
- Gather the will and death information. If there is an original will, deliver the original will to the probate division on paper. Do not take the will to the recorder of deeds.
- Prepare the petition, application, or affidavit. The Missouri Judiciary probate forms page includes statewide probate forms, including the Confidential Case Filing Information Sheet, FI-50, and forms for small estate, refusal of letters, reimbursable attorney fees, and determination of heirship.
- File in Caruthersville. File with the clerk of the probate division at the Pemiscot County Courthouse or follow the clerk's current instructions. Attorneys use the Missouri eFiling System. Self-represented filers are not required to e-file under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4).
- Pay the court costs required for the filing. If Pemiscot County has not posted a local total, ask the clerk for the current amount because Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, sets the state cost structure and local surcharges can affect the amount due.
- Handle notice and publication when the case requires it. In a full administration, the clerk publishes notice of letters once a week for four consecutive weeks, and Missouri's creditor deadlines run from the first publication and, for creditors who receive mailed or served notice, from that notice date as stated in RSMo 473.360. A separate one-year bar runs from death under RSMo 473.444.
- Attend any hearing the court sets. No Pemiscot County probate hearing day or remote-appearance rule is posted, so call the clerk at (573) 333-0182 before the hearing if you need scheduling or appearance instructions.
- After the court grants authority, use the letters testamentary or letters of administration to administer assets, pay valid expenses and claims, file required inventories and settlements, and close the estate under the applicable Missouri procedure.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Pemiscot County
No Pemiscot County local probate packet or checklist is posted. The forms starting point is the Missouri Judiciary probate forms page, together with any instruction the Pemiscot County clerk gives for filing in Caruthersville.
| Form or packet | Use | Local note |
|---|---|---|
| FI-50 Confidential Case Filing Information Sheet | Required on each probate and non-domestic relations case filed | Use with the opening paperwork for a new probate matter. |
| PR 16 Affidavit to Establish Title of Distributee, Small Estate, Intestate | Small estate affidavit paperwork | Missouri small estate procedure is statewide and is filed with the probate division (RSMo 473.097). |
| PR 22 Exhibit A and PR 26 Exhibit B | Supporting small estate and heir information | Use when the chosen statewide form calls for the exhibit. |
| PR 23, PR 25, and PR 33 | Applications for refusal of letters by a creditor, unmarried minor children, or surviving spouse | Refusal of letters is a Missouri procedure handled through the probate division (RSMo 473.090). |
| PR 28 Petition for Determination of Heirship | Heirship proceeding after the statewide conditions are met | This is used when Missouri law allows a determination of heirship (RSMo 473.663). |
| PR 10 Statement of Reimbursable Attorney Fees | Attorney-fee reimbursement statement | Use when the estate's attorney-fee reimbursement must be presented to the court. |
Local nuance
Pemiscot County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Pemiscot County filing |
|---|---|
| Use the clerk number, not the jury line | Call (573) 333-0182 for the Circuit Clerk's office. The number (573) 333-0187 is the jury information line. |
| Suite matters | The Circuit Clerk's office is listed at 610 Ward Avenue, Suite 3-A, Caruthersville. |
| Published county hours include lunch closure | County-published hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a noon to 1:00 p.m. closure. |
| Shared circuit, separate courthouse | Pemiscot County shares the 34th Judicial Circuit with New Madrid County, but Pemiscot County probate filings belong in Caruthersville. |
| Recorder of deeds is a separate office | If a small estate certificate or refusal order must be recorded for Pemiscot County real estate, the Recorder of Deeds is listed at 610 Ward Avenue, Suite 1-A, Caruthersville, (573) 333-2204. |
| Case.net has local case-number help | Pemiscot County probate case numbers begin with 04F3, followed by the case-type code and a five-digit sequence. |
Recent updates
| Local update | What changed for readers |
|---|---|
| Clerk phone | Use (573) 333-0182 for the Circuit Clerk's office. The commonly seen (573) 333-0187 number is the jury information line. |
| Fax | Use (573) 333-1272 for the Circuit Clerk's fax. |
| Hours | County-published hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed from noon to 1:00 p.m. |
| State forms | The Missouri Judiciary probate forms page lists statewide forms, including FI-50, PR 10, PR 16, PR 22, PR 23, PR 25, PR 26, PR 28, and PR 33. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Pemiscot County path | Local action | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | First identify whether the home passed outside probate by title or beneficiary arrangement. If court authority is still needed, the filing belongs in the Pemiscot County probate division in Caruthersville. | Call the Circuit Clerk at (573) 333-0182 before visiting and bring the deed, death certificate, will if any, and account information. | Sunset helps identify accounts, organize title information, and prepare the family for the estate settlement path or attorney call. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | A Missouri small estate affidavit may be considered if the statewide requirements fit (RSMo 473.097). An original will, if one exists, still has to reach the probate division on paper. | Ask the Pemiscot County clerk how to submit the packet and court costs if you cannot travel to Caruthersville. | Sunset helps collect asset details, generate a probate packet, and connect the family with a Missouri attorney if full administration is needed. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the home is still in the child's name and no nonprobate transfer controls, full administration or another court proceeding may be needed before sale. | File in Caruthersville if venue is Pemiscot County, and use the Recorder of Deeds in Suite 1-A only after the probate division issues or certifies an order that must be recorded. | Sunset helps map accounts and real estate issues, then connects the parent to a vetted local probate attorney for the sale and court authority steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Pemiscot County Circuit Clerk | Local contact point for filing with the probate division in Caruthersville. | Pemiscot County Circuit Clerk |
| Case.net | Missouri's statewide public case search for circuit court matters, including probate division cases. | Case.net |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms | Statewide probate forms, including FI-50 and PR-series probate forms. | Missouri Judiciary probate forms page |
| Missouri Revisor of Statutes | Official Missouri statutes, including probate chapters cited on this page. | Missouri Revisor of Statutes |
| Legal Services of Southern Missouri, Sikeston office | Free civil legal aid intake for eligible low-income Missourians in Pemiscot County. Intake decides what help is available for a particular matter. | Legal Services of Southern Missouri offices |
When to hire an attorney
In Missouri, a personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney, though the personal representative may prepare and file their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). That rule is especially important in a full Pemiscot County administration, while small estate affidavits and refusal of letters do not appoint a personal representative. Counsel also makes sense when real estate must be sold, heirs disagree, creditor issues are unclear, or you live outside Missouri. Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families find accounts, insurance, retirement assets, and other estate property before they choose a probate path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information needed for estate settlement and helps generate a packet for the Pemiscot County probate division or for attorney review.
Find a local probate attorney. When Missouri law or the facts of the estate make counsel the right next step, Sunset connects families with a vetted probate attorney who can handle the Caruthersville filing and any required court appearance.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to understand the next steps, organize documents, and move through estate settlement without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Pemiscot County?
File with the clerk of the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Pemiscot County at the Pemiscot County Courthouse, 610 Ward Avenue, Suite 3-A, Caruthersville, MO 63830. Venue is usually the county where the decedent was domiciled at death (RSMo 473.010).
What phone number should I call for Pemiscot County probate questions?
Call the Circuit Clerk's office at (573) 333-0182. If you see (573) 333-0187 in an older listing, that number is the jury information line.
Does Pemiscot County have local probate forms?
No Pemiscot County local probate packet is posted. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms page, including FI-50 and the relevant PR-series forms, and follow the clerk's current filing instructions.
Can I e-file a Pemiscot County probate case if I am not a lawyer?
Self-represented filers are not required to e-file under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4). Attorneys use the Missouri eFiling System. If you are filing without counsel, ask the clerk which submissions the office will accept from you and remember that an original will still has to be delivered to the probate division on paper.
How do I look up a Pemiscot County probate case?
Use Case.net, Missouri's statewide public case search. The Judiciary's 34th Circuit case help states that Pemiscot County probate case numbers begin with 04F3, followed by the case-type code and a five-digit sequence.
What does it cost to start probate in Pemiscot County?
No Pemiscot County probate cost schedule is posted. Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, sets state components, including $115 when original letters are applied for and a $565 cap under that section, before local surcharges. Ask the clerk for the current Pemiscot County amount before submitting payment.
Do I have to travel to Caruthersville for a probate hearing?
No local remote-appearance rule is posted for Pemiscot County probate matters. If travel is difficult, call the clerk at (573) 333-0182 as soon as a hearing is scheduled and ask what the judge will allow.
Is Pemiscot County probate handled in New Madrid County because they share a circuit?
No. Pemiscot County and New Madrid County share the 34th Judicial Circuit, but each county keeps its own courthouse. A Pemiscot County estate is filed in Caruthersville.
Can a non-lawyer personal representative handle the court appearance?
No. 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 refusal of letters are different because they do not appoint a personal representative.
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.