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Webster County, MO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Webster County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Webster County |
| Courthouse address | Webster County Courthouse, 101 S. Crittenden St., Room 22, Marshfield, MO 65706 |
| Mailing | Use the Webster County Courthouse address unless the clerk gives a different mailing instruction for your filing. |
| Probate phone | (417) 859-2041, Criminal, Probate, Traffic line |
| Fax | (417) 859-6265, Criminal, Probate, Traffic fax |
| No court email address is published for Webster County probate filings. | |
| Hours | General courthouse hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. No separate probate counter hours, lunch closure, or filing cutoff is published, so call before a late-day trip. |
| Court costs | Open full estate without a will: $148.50. Open full estate with a will: $183.50. Small estate affidavit: $68.50. Small estate affidavit with will: $103.50. Refusal of letters to spouse, minor, or creditor: $68.50. Amounts are from Webster County's published schedule, fetched August 21, 2026. |
| Local forms | No Webster County-specific probate packet or checklist is published. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms page and the required filing information sheet. |
| E-filing status | Attorneys file through the Missouri eFiling System. Self-represented filers are never required to e-file under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4), and Webster County Local Rule 72.1 contemplates non-attorney filings signed by the filer. |
| Case search | Case.net |
| Remote appearance | No Webster County local remote probate rule is published. If a hearing is set in the Missouri Virtual Hearing Room, the hearing notice and Case.net scheduled-hearings entry control. |
| Website | Use the Missouri Judiciary Webster County Local Rules and Filing Information page and the Webster County Circuit Clerk's Office page: https://webstercountymo.gov/circuit-clerks-office/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Webster County probate path, list the assets, debts, title documents, beneficiary designations, jointly owned property, and any beneficiary deed. Missouri estate settlement turns on what actually passes through probate, not just what the decedent owned during life.
Sunset's free asset discovery searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions, helping families find accounts before they file. That can change whether Webster County needs a full estate, a small estate affidavit, a refusal of letters, or a nonprobate transfer step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Probate Division of the Circuit Court of Webster County serves probate matters for Webster County, including filings made at the Webster County Courthouse in Marshfield. Webster County shares the 30th Judicial Circuit with Dallas, Hickory and Polk counties, but those counties do not share one probate counter or one courthouse.
Missouri venue is based first on the county where the decedent was domiciled. A will is probated and letters testamentary or letters of administration are granted in the county where the deceased person was domiciled, with separate rules for a decedent who had no Missouri domicile but left Missouri property (RSMo 473.010). For a Webster County domiciliary, file in Webster County.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the local filing path. For a full administration, prepare the petition and related probate forms. For a no-letters path, prepare the small estate affidavit or refusal-of-letters application that fits the facts. A non-lawyer personal representative cannot appear in court except through an attorney, but a personal representative may prepare and file their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7).
- Attach the Webster County local-starting documents. Under 30th Circuit Local Rule 72.1, each case needs a fully completed filing information sheet. A decedent's matter begins with a copy of the death certificate and, where there is a will, the original testamentary document. The court may accept a death registration, obituary, or funeral bill to begin the process at the court's discretion until the death certificate is available.
- File at the Marshfield courthouse. Take or mail the packet to the Circuit Clerk's Office at the Webster County Courthouse, 101 S. Crittenden St., Room 22, Marshfield, MO 65706. Attorneys file electronically under Missouri Supreme Court Rule 103. Self-represented filers are not required to e-file under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4).
- Pay the Webster County court cost for the selected filing. Webster County publishes local totals for full estates, small estate affidavits, refusal of letters, admitting a will, and determination of heirship. The statewide component includes costs set under Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, and local statutory surcharges are included in Webster County's published totals.
- Handle notice and publication if the court requires it for the path. In a full administration, 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). Missouri creditors then run under the six-month and two-month notice rule (RSMo 473.360), plus the one-year-from-death bar (RSMo 473.444).
- Watch for hearing scheduling. The 30th Circuit local rules do not publish a fixed Webster County probate docket day. Use the court's notice, Case.net, and the clerk's instructions for the actual date, time, courtroom, and judge.
- Check whether the hearing is in person or virtual. No Webster County local remote-appearance rule is published. The Missouri Virtual Hearing Room applies only when the court sets the hearing that way, and the hearing notice controls.
- Receive the authority document if the court grants the request. With a will, the authority document is letters testamentary. Without a will, it is letters of administration. For a refusal of letters or small estate affidavit, the operative document is the court order or the clerk's certificate, not letters.
- Administer and close the estate. File inventories, settlements, statements of account, and supporting documents as Missouri law and the 30th Circuit local rules require. Local Rule 72.2 requires vouchers, checks, receipts, bank statements, and similar settlement support to be filed as separate paper documents, and Local Rule 72.3 requires restricted-account verifications to be filed as separate paper documents.
Executor duties
Webster County follows the statewide duties for a Missouri personal representative, with added 30th Circuit document-handling rules when accounts and settlements are filed.
| Local duty | What Webster County requires |
|---|---|
| Settlement support | Under 30th Circuit Local Rule 72.2, vouchers, checks, receipts, bank statements, and other documents used to corroborate a settlement or statement of account are filed as a separate paper document, not as an attachment. |
| Originals | The court may ask to see an original supporting document. After audit, supporting documents are scanned by the probate clerk and paper originals are returned. |
| Restricted accounts | Under Local Rule 72.3, verifications of account are filed as a separate paper document, not as an attachment to the settlement. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Webster County
No Webster County-specific probate forms, packet, or checklist is published on the county site or the Missouri Judiciary's Webster County page. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms page and the required filing information sheet.
For Webster County, the local form rule that matters is 30th Circuit Local Rule 72.1. Each case must include a fully completed filing information sheet. Every decedent's matter must start with a copy of the death certificate and, where there is a will, the original testamentary document. The original will is delivered to the probate division on paper even when other filings are made electronically.
Fees
| Filing type | Webster County court cost |
|---|---|
| Small estate affidavit | $68.50, Webster County published schedule, fetched August 21, 2026 |
| Small estate affidavit with will | $103.50, Webster County published schedule, fetched August 21, 2026 |
| Open full estate, no will | $148.50, Webster County published schedule, fetched August 21, 2026 |
| Open full estate with will | $183.50, Webster County published schedule, fetched August 21, 2026 |
| Guardianship and conservatorship | $350.00, Webster County published schedule, fetched August 21, 2026 |
| Refusal of letters to spouse, minor, or creditor | $68.50, Webster County published schedule, fetched August 21, 2026 |
| Deposit of a will for safekeeping | $6.50, Webster County published schedule, fetched August 21, 2026 |
| Admit will to probate, no other proceeding | $103.50, Webster County published schedule, fetched August 21, 2026 |
| Determination of heirship | $68.50, Webster County published schedule, fetched August 21, 2026 |
| Determination of heirship with will | $103.50, Webster County published schedule, fetched August 21, 2026 |
Webster County's page also states that the office no longer accepts personal checks. The statewide component behind these local totals is set by Court Operating Rule 21.01, effective September 1, 2023, including $115 when original letters are applied for and a total cap of $565 under that section, while Webster County's published totals include local statutory surcharges.
Local nuance
Webster County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Shared circuit, separate courthouse | Webster County is in the 30th Judicial Circuit with Dallas, Hickory and Polk counties, but Webster County estate filings go to Marshfield. |
| Probate phone line | Use (417) 859-2041 for Criminal, Probate, Traffic. The domestic and civil line is not the probate line. |
| Starting documents | Local Rule 72.1 requires a filing information sheet, a copy of the death certificate, and the original testamentary document when there is a will. |
| Self-represented signatures | Local Rule 72.1 says filings by non-attorneys bear the filing party's own signature. Attorneys file electronically in PDF. |
| Settlement support | Local Rule 72.2 treats vouchers, receipts, bank statements, and similar settlement support as separate paper documents. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Webster County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by checking title. If the home passed outside probate by joint ownership or another nonprobate transfer, the Webster County filing may focus on remaining probate assets, a refusal of letters, or no-letters paperwork rather than a full administration. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, title clues, and beneficiary designations before the family chooses the estate settlement path. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the estate fits Missouri's no-letters rules, the child may be able to use a small estate affidavit or refusal of letters in Webster County. Mail filing may be possible, but the clerk should be contacted about original documents, payment, and certified copies. | Sunset organizes assets and documents, generates a probate packet, and can connect the family to a Webster County probate attorney if a court appearance or full administration is needed. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If Webster County real estate remains in the child's name, the family may need full administration, a small estate certificate recorded with the Webster County Recorder of Deeds, a refusal order recorded with the recorder, or a later determination of heirship, depending on timing and asset value. | Sunset helps assemble the asset list, locate debts, prepare the filing packet, and find a local attorney for sale authority and court appearances. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Webster County Circuit Clerk's Office | Local courthouse contact information, probate phone and fax, and Webster County's court cost schedule. |
| Missouri Judiciary Webster County Local Rules and Filing Information page | Local rules and filing information for Webster County and the 30th Judicial Circuit. |
| Case.net | Statewide browser lookup for Missouri circuit court cases, including Webster County probate cases. |
| Missouri Judiciary probate forms page | Statewide court-approved probate forms. Use the page without assuming Webster County has a separate packet. |
| The Missouri Bar Probate Law Resource Guide | A consumer guide from The Missouri Bar. It is not a Webster County court checklist. |
| Legal Services of Southern Missouri | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Missourians in its service area, including Webster County. Intake decides whether help is available for the issue. |
When to hire an attorney
Legal counsel often makes sense in Webster County when a full administration is needed, real estate must be sold, family members disagree, creditor claims are expected, or a hearing is likely. Missouri law says a personal representative who is not a lawyer cannot appear in court except through an attorney, while the personal representative may prepare and file their own inventories and settlements (RSMo 473.153.7). Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families find accounts, insurance, retirement assets, and other property before they file in Webster County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family's answers into organized estate settlement documents and filing instructions for the path that fits the assets and Missouri rules.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Webster County matter needs counsel, a court appearance, real estate authority, or help with creditor issues, Sunset can connect the family to a vetted probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's probate tools, asset discovery, and attorney matching without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Webster County?
File with the Circuit Clerk's Office at the Webster County Courthouse, 101 S. Crittenden St., Room 22, Marshfield, MO 65706. The probate phone line is (417) 859-2041.
Does Webster County have its own probate forms?
No Webster County-specific probate packet or checklist is published. Use the Missouri Judiciary probate forms page and include the filing information sheet required by 30th Circuit Local Rule 72.1.
Can I e-file a Webster County probate case if I am not represented by a lawyer?
Self-represented filers are never required to e-file under Court Operating Rule 27.03(b)(4). Webster County Local Rule 72.1 contemplates non-attorney filings signed by the filer. Attorneys file electronically under Missouri Supreme Court Rule 103.
What documents start a Webster County decedent estate?
Under 30th Circuit Local Rule 72.1, a decedent's matter must be commenced with a fully completed filing information sheet, a copy of the death certificate, and the original testamentary document if there is a will. The court may accept a death registration, obituary, or funeral bill to begin the process at the court's discretion until the death certificate is available.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Webster County?
Webster County's published schedule lists opening a full estate without a will at $148.50 and opening a full estate with a will at $183.50, fetched August 21, 2026. The office page also states that personal checks are not accepted.
Is there a fixed Webster County probate hearing day?
The 30th Circuit local rules do not publish a fixed Webster County probate docket day. Use the notice from the court, Case.net, and the clerk's instructions for the actual hearing date and time.
Can I attend a Webster County probate hearing remotely?
No Webster County local remote probate rule is published. Missouri has a Virtual Hearing Room system, but a Webster County hearing is virtual only if the court sets it that way and the notice provides that information.
Can I look up a Webster County probate case online?
Yes. Use Case.net for a browser search of Missouri circuit court cases, including Webster County probate cases. Public Case.net is a case lookup, not a promise that every probate document can be read online.
Do I have to travel to Marshfield to handle Webster County probate?
Not always. Some filings may be handled by mail, and attorneys file electronically. If you are self-represented, call the probate line before mailing original documents or payment so the clerk can tell you what the court will accept for your specific filing.
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.