Back to Missouri
Putnam County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Putnam County probate information |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Putnam County |
| Courthouse address | Putnam County Courthouse, 1601 Main Street, Room 204, Unionville, MO 63565 |
| Mailing | Use Room 204 at the courthouse unless the Probate Division Clerk gives a different instruction. |
| Probate phone | Probate Division Clerk: (660) 947-2117. Circuit Clerk line: (660) 947-2071. |
| Fax | Call the Probate Division Clerk before faxing probate papers. |
| Hours | County courthouse office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, closed on legal holidays. |
| Court cost | No Putnam County probate cost schedule is posted. State court costs are set under Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023. Call the Probate Division Clerk for the Putnam County total for your filing. |
| Local forms | No Putnam County local probate forms packet is posted. Use Missouri Judiciary probate forms and ask Room 204 whether a local cover sheet is required. |
| E-filing | Attorneys use the Missouri eFiling System. Self-represented filers may use electronic filing only for filing types the system opens to them, and electronic filing is not required for self-represented filers under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4). Original wills go to the probate division on paper. |
| Case search | Case.net: https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Remote appearance | No standing Putnam County probate remote appearance rule is posted. The hearing notice controls. |
| Websites | Putnam County offices: https://www.unionvillemo.org/government/putnam_county/index.php. Missouri Judiciary Putnam County local rules page. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Room 204, list the decedent's assets, debts, co-owners, beneficiary designations, and any real estate. That first inventory controls whether estate settlement in Putnam County needs letters testamentary, letters of administration, a small estate affidavit, a refusal of letters, or a later determination of heirship.
Sunset helps families organize that first pass by searching across more than 2,300 financial institutions, identifying accounts and assets, and turning the results into a probate-ready packet for the Putnam County Probate Division.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Putnam County serves estates that belong in Putnam County under Missouri venue rules. For a Missouri domiciliary, the will is probated and letters are granted in the county where the decedent was domiciled (RSMo 473.010). If the decedent was not domiciled in Missouri, venue depends on where Missouri property is located, with special treatment for real estate (RSMo 473.010).
Putnam County is in the 3rd Judicial Circuit with Grundy, Harrison, and Mercer counties, but the shared circuit does not create one shared filing counter. A Putnam County estate is filed at the Putnam County Courthouse in Unionville, not at the courthouses in the other 3rd Circuit counties.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the correct Missouri path before you file. Full administration uses letters testamentary or letters of administration. Smaller or family-protection matters may use a small estate affidavit (RSMo 473.097), a refusal of letters (RSMo 473.090), or, after the statutory waiting period, a determination of heirship (RSMo 473.663).
- Prepare the statewide Missouri probate forms and any required filing information sheet. Putnam County does not post a separate local probate packet, so call the Probate Division Clerk at (660) 947-2117 if you are unsure whether Room 204 wants an additional cover sheet.
- Deliver the papers to the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Putnam County, Putnam County Courthouse, 1601 Main Street, Room 204, Unionville, MO 63565. If there is an original will, deliver the original will to the probate division on paper.
- Pay the required court cost. No Putnam County probate cost schedule is posted, so ask the Probate Division Clerk for the current local total. State court costs are structured under Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, including a charge when original letters are applied for and additional inventory-value charges in larger estates.
- If letters are issued, the clerk causes notice of the appointment of the personal representative to be published once a week for four consecutive weeks (RSMo 473.033). Creditors then face the Missouri claims deadlines in RSMo 473.360 and RSMo 473.444.
- Watch for a hearing notice or clerk instruction. 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).
- If a remote appearance is allowed, follow the hearing notice. Putnam County does not post a standing remote probate rule, and use of a virtual hearing setting depends on the court's order for that case.
- After appointment, use the letters testamentary or letters of administration to collect probate assets, inventory the estate, give required notices, address creditor claims, and administer the estate.
- Close the estate through the applicable Missouri closing procedure. Estate settlement is complete only after the required account, distribution, objection period, or court action for that path has been handled.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Putnam County
Putnam County does not post a county-specific probate forms packet, checklist, or cover sheet. Filers should use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms and ask the Probate Division Clerk whether Room 204 has any local formatting or copy requirements for the particular filing.
Do not assume a form can be handled entirely online. If there is an original will, the original will is delivered to the Putnam County Probate Division on paper, even when another part of the case is handled through an attorney's electronic filing account.
Local nuance
Putnam County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Separate probate phone line | Putnam County lists a separate Probate Division Clerk line, (660) 947-2117, apart from the Circuit Clerk line, even though both are listed in Room 204. |
| Shared circuit, local courthouse | The 3rd Judicial Circuit includes Grundy, Harrison, Mercer, and Putnam counties, but a Putnam County estate is filed in Unionville. |
| Real estate recording office | The Putnam County Recorder of Deeds is in Room 202 of the same courthouse. Recording may matter after the probate division issues a small estate certificate or a refusal order involving Putnam County real estate. |
Small-estate Alternatives
For Putnam County real estate handled through a Missouri small estate affidavit, the probate step and the recording step are separate. The affidavit and clerk's certificate are filed with the Probate Division, and the real estate title step is handled by recording the required copy with the Putnam County Recorder of Deeds in Room 202 when the property is in Putnam County (RSMo 473.097).
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Putnam County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by checking how the home was titled and whether a beneficiary deed or joint ownership keeps it outside probate. If probate action is needed for Putnam County property, the Probate Division is in Room 204, and any recorder step for local real estate is in Room 202. | Sunset identifies accounts, flags likely nonprobate transfers, and helps organize the estate settlement plan before papers go to the courthouse. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Call the Probate Division Clerk before mailing papers to Room 204. A small estate affidavit may avoid appointment of a personal representative if the Missouri requirements are met (RSMo 473.097). | Sunset helps gather balances, debts, and asset details so the packet is ready for review by the clerk or a Missouri attorney. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the home is in Putnam County and remains in the child's name, expect a probate division filing before a sale can close. Depending on timing and facts, the path may be letters, refusal of letters, small estate, or determination of heirship. | Sunset helps identify the estate assets, prepare the probate packet, and connect the family with a local probate attorney when court appearance or sale authority is needed. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Putnam County Probate Division Clerk | Local filing questions, Room 204 instructions, current court cost totals, and whether a filing may be mailed or handled electronically. | (660) 947-2117 |
| Putnam County offices | Courthouse room directory for the Circuit Clerk, Probate Division Clerk, and Recorder of Deeds. | https://www.unionvillemo.org/government/putnam_county/index.php |
| Missouri Judiciary Putnam County page | Local rules and filing information page for Putnam County. | Missouri Judiciary Putnam County local rules page |
| Case.net | Missouri public case search for Putnam County probate dockets. | https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/ |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms | Statewide Missouri probate forms page. | Missouri Judiciary probate forms page |
| Missouri Revisor of Statutes | Official text of Missouri probate statutes. | https://revisor.mo.gov/ |
| The Missouri Bar Probate Law Resource Guide | Consumer guide from The Missouri Bar. | https://missourilawyershelp.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Probate-Guide-Updated-2024.pdf |
| Legal Aid of Western Missouri, St. Joseph office | Free civil legal aid intake for eligible low-income Missourians in Putnam County. | 706 Felix Street, St. Joseph, MO 64501. Phone: (816) 364-2325 or 1-800-892-2101. |
When to hire an attorney
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 their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). Counsel is especially useful in Putnam County when letters are needed, a hearing is set, real estate must be sold, heirs disagree, or creditor claims are expected. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for financial accounts, insurance, retirement assets, and other estate property so the family can see what actually needs probate and what may pass outside the estate.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset inventory, family information, and known debts into an organized estate settlement packet that is easier to review with the Putnam County Probate Division or a Missouri probate attorney.
Find a local probate attorney. When Missouri law or a hearing makes counsel important, Sunset connects families with a vetted probate attorney who can appear in court and guide the local filing.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand the next step, and get matched with help without paying Sunset for the service.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Putnam County?
File with the Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Putnam County at the Putnam County Courthouse, 1601 Main Street, Room 204, Unionville, MO 63565. The probate-specific phone line is (660) 947-2117.
Does Putnam County have its own probate forms?
Putnam County does not post a separate local probate forms packet. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms and ask the Probate Division Clerk whether Room 204 requires any local cover sheet or extra copies.
Can I e-file a Putnam County probate case?
Attorneys use the Missouri eFiling System. A self-represented filer may use electronic filing only for filing types the statewide system opens to self-represented users, and electronic filing is not required for self-represented filers under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4). Ask the Probate Division Clerk how Room 204 wants your filing submitted.
What is the court cost to open probate in Putnam County?
Putnam County does not post a local probate cost schedule. State costs are structured under Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, and local totals should be requested from the Probate Division Clerk before you bring or mail papers.
Can I look up a Putnam County probate case online?
Yes. Use Case.net at https://www.courts.mo.gov/casenet/. For the 3rd Judicial Circuit, the Judiciary's case help page says Putnam County associate civil and probate case information is available for public cases pending as of, or filed after, March 29, 2000.
Does Putnam County allow remote probate hearings?
Putnam County does not post a standing remote probate appearance rule. If a hearing is set, follow the notice of hearing and ask the Probate Division Clerk whether the judge has allowed a virtual appearance for that specific matter.
Do I have to travel to Unionville for a Putnam County estate?
Maybe. Some filings may be mailed or handled by an attorney, but a hearing notice may require appearance. If you live outside Missouri, call the Probate Division Clerk before mailing papers and speak with a Missouri probate attorney if letters or a court appearance will be needed.
Where do I record a Putnam County probate order involving real estate?
The Putnam County Recorder of Deeds is in Room 202 of the Putnam County Courthouse, 1601 Main Street, Unionville. Use that office only for the recording step after the probate division issues the document that must be recorded, such as a small estate certificate or a refusal order involving Putnam County real estate (RSMo 473.097; RSMo 473.090).
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.