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Union County, NC Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Union County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Clerk of Superior Court, Union County |
| Courthouse | Union County Judicial Center, 400 North Main St, Monroe, NC 28112 |
| Mailing address | Union County Judicial Center, PO Box 5038, Monroe, NC 28112. For mailed payments, use Clerk of Superior Court, Union County Judicial Center, PO Box 5038, Monroe, NC 28111-5038. |
| Phone | (704) 698-3100. Union County publishes this as both the Judicial Center main line and the Clerk of Superior Court line. No separate estates line is published. |
| Fax | No fax is published for Union County estate filings. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed Saturday and Sunday. No lunch closure or filing cutoff is published. |
| Court costs | Opening an estate costs $120.00 in court costs under the January 1, 2026 estates costs chart (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307), plus 40 cents per $100.00 of the gross estate, with a $15.00 minimum per filing and a $6,000.00 cap under the same statute and chart. |
| Payment methods | By mail, money order or certified check only, payable to Union County Clerk of Superior Court. No cash or personal checks by mail. In person, the Cashier's Office accepts cash, credit or debit card with processing fees, money order or certified check. No personal checks. |
| Local forms | No Union County estate form, estate checklist or estate calendar request is published. Union County uses the statewide Administrative Office of the Courts estate forms. |
| E-filing | File & Serve is available through eCourts. Self-represented filers may use it. Union County does not publish instructions for delivering an original will, so call the clerk before relying on an electronic filing alone. |
| Case search | Use the statewide Portal at https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/. There is no Union County case search site. |
| Remote appearance | North Carolina law permits audio and video proceedings in some circumstances (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-49.6), but Union County publishes no estate-specific remote appearance procedure. |
| Website | https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/union-county |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Monroe, list the decedent's assets, debts, titled property, accounts, vehicles and real estate. The right estate settlement path depends on what must be collected, whether there is a will, whether real property needs to be sold or cleared, and whether a bank, title company or creditor will require formal authority from the clerk.
Sunset can help organize that picture before you choose forms. Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions, which can help a Union County family avoid filing too small, missing an account, or starting estate settlement without knowing what the clerk will ask about.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Union County estate filings go to the Clerk of Superior Court at the Union County Judicial Center, 400 North Main St in Monroe. The Judicial Branch publishes no second court location, branch counter or separate estates office for Union County.
The Monroe counter serves every Union County community, including Fairview, Hemby Bridge, Indian Trail, Lake Park, Marshville, Marvin, Mineral Springs, Monroe, Stallings, Unionville, Waxhaw, Weddington, Wesley Chapel and Wingate.
Venue is based on the decedent's domicile at death. If the decedent was domiciled in Union County, file in Monroe. If the decedent was not domiciled in North Carolina, venue may be in a North Carolina county where the decedent left property or where estate property has come (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-3-1). A hospital stay, nursing home stay or relative's address in Mecklenburg County or South Carolina does not move venue if the decedent's domicile was in Union County.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm the filing county. If the decedent was domiciled in Union County, use the Clerk of Superior Court at the Union County Judicial Center in Monroe (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-3-1).
- Identify the will, assets and debts before choosing forms. If there is a will, the usual opening application is AOC-E-201. If there is no will, the usual opening application is AOC-E-202. If the estate fits a collection by affidavit, the opening form is AOC-E-203B.
- Get a certified death certificate before filing. The Union County court location page directs families to the Union County Register of Deeds for death certificates, and that office is at 500 North Main Street in Monroe.
- Call the clerk at (704) 698-3100 before traveling. Union County publishes no estates appointment link, no walk-in statement and no instructions for delivering an original will.
- Prepare the statewide estate forms and preliminary inventory. Union County publishes no local estate packet beyond the statewide Administrative Office of the Courts estate forms.
- File with the Clerk of Superior Court at the Union County Judicial Center, 400 North Main St in Monroe, or use the mailing address if the clerk tells you mailing is appropriate. If there is an original will, ask how the clerk wants the original delivered.
- Pay by an accepted Union County method. Opening an estate costs $120.00 in court costs under the January 1, 2026 estates costs chart (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307), plus 40 cents per $100.00 of the gross estate, with a $15.00 minimum per filing and a $6,000.00 cap under the same statute and chart. By mail, use a money order or certified check. In person, the Cashier's Office also accepts cash and cards with processing fees.
- After qualification, use the authority the clerk issues, such as letters testamentary for an executor or letters of administration for an administrator, to collect estate property.
- Publish and send creditor notices, then track claims, receipts and distributions. File the inventory and later accounts required in the estate.
- If a hearing, remote appearance or special setting is needed, ask the Union County clerk how that will be handled. Union County publishes no estate hearing days and no estate-specific remote appearance procedure.
- Close the estate with the required accounting or closing papers after assets have been collected, claims addressed and distributions made.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Union County
Union County does not publish a local estate form packet, estate checklist, estate cover sheet or estate calendar request. The county's local rules and forms page lists a Judicial District 30 bond policy, District Court local rules, and family, domestic and general civil forms, but no decedent estate forms.
| Need | Statewide form set used in Union County |
|---|---|
| Open an estate with a will | AOC-E-201, Application For Probate And Letters Testamentary / Of Administration CTA, and Addendum AOC-E-309 |
| Open an estate without a will | AOC-E-202, Application For Letters Of Administration |
| Open a collection of personal property by affidavit | AOC-E-203B, Affidavit For Collection Of Personal Property Of Decedent |
| Close a collection by affidavit | AOC-E-204, Affidavit Of Collection, Disbursement And Distribution |
| File the inventory | AOC-E-505, Inventory For Decedent's Estate |
| File an account | AOC-E-506, Account |
Use the court's form library at https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/forms and filter to Estate (E). Some estate forms are versioned by date of death, so use the form library rather than an old saved copy.
Local nuance
Union County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Union County filing |
|---|---|
| One published clerk phone line | Call (704) 698-3100 for estate questions. Union County publishes no separate estates extension. |
| Two addresses | Use 400 North Main St in Monroe for the courthouse. Use PO Box 5038 in Monroe for mail, and use the payment page's ZIP+4 when mailing a court payment. |
| Restricted payment methods | Do not mail cash or a personal check. Use a money order or certified check by mail, or pay at the Cashier's Office with an accepted in-person method. |
| Public access kiosk | Union County has a courthouse kiosk for public access to case search, electronic filing, guided interviews, scanning, printing and payment services. |
| No estate booking link | Union County does not publish an estates appointment scheduler or a walk-in policy. Call before going to Monroe. |
| Charlotte-area county | A Waxhaw, Indian Trail, Stallings, Weddington or Marvin domicile files in Monroe, not in Charlotte, if Union County was the decedent's domicile at death. |
Recent updates
| Date | Union County change |
|---|---|
| June 2025 | A public access kiosk became available at the Union County courthouse. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Union County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by confirming whether the home passes outside the estate or whether an estate filing is needed to sell or clear title. If the decedent was domiciled in Union County, the filing is in Monroe. | Sunset helps find accounts, organize the asset list, prepare the estate settlement packet and connect the spouse with a North Carolina probate attorney if the home sale or title question needs counsel. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Call (704) 698-3100 before traveling because Union County publishes no appointment policy and no original-will delivery instructions. If the collection by affidavit path fits, Union County uses AOC-E-203B. | Sunset helps identify accounts before filing, assemble the correct statewide forms, and reduce unnecessary trips to Monroe by organizing questions for the clerk. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually points toward formal authority from the clerk and attorney help, especially if title must be cleared through the estate. File in Monroe if the child was domiciled in Union County. | Sunset helps build the asset and debt picture, prepare the initial packet, and connect the parent with a vetted North Carolina probate attorney for the real estate and authority issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Clerk of Superior Court, Union County | Filing counter for Union County estates. Staff can explain what to bring and how the clerk wants an original will delivered, but cannot give legal advice. | Union County Judicial Center, 400 North Main St, Monroe, NC 28112. Mailing: PO Box 5038, Monroe, NC 28112. Phone (704) 698-3100. https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/union-county |
| Union County contact directory | Judicial Branch contact list for the Union County Judicial Center. | https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/union-county/contact-directory |
| Union County payment information | Explains accepted payment methods by mail and in person, including the Cashier's Office. | https://www.nccourts.gov/locations/union-county/union-county-payment-information |
| North Carolina Judicial Branch estates help topic | Plain-language court information on wills, letters, what to bring to the clerk and bond. | https://www.nccourts.gov/help-topics/wills-and-estates/estates |
| Decedent's estate procedures pamphlet | Administrative Office of the Courts overview for executors, administrators, collectors by affidavit and summary administration. | https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/publications/decedents-estate-procedures-pamphlet |
| Statewide estate forms | Form library used for Union County estate filings. Filter to Estate (E). | https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/forms |
| Portal | Statewide case search, hearing search and online payment where a case is eligible. | https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/ |
| Guide & File | Free guided document preparation. The Judicial Branch lists it for year's allowance, summary administration and small estate administration. | https://northcarolina.tylertech.cloud/SRL/SRL |
| Legal Aid of North Carolina, Charlotte office | Free civil legal help for eligible low-income residents of its service area, which includes Union County. Ask at intake whether the estate question fits its help areas. | 5525 Albemarle Road, Suite 100, Charlotte, NC 28212-3610. Phone (704) 594-8662. Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Senior Legal Helpline 877-579-7562 for North Carolinians age 60 or older. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a probate attorney when Union County real property must be sold or title must be cleared, when heirs disagree, when a caveat is threatened, when creditors press claims, when the personal representative lives outside North Carolina and bond may be an issue, or when the dispute is one the clerk cannot decide and must proceed in the Superior Court Division (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-2-4). North Carolina does not bar a non-attorney personal representative from handling an estate without counsel, but counsel can prevent avoidable delay when the facts are contested or real estate is involved. Sunset connects families to a vetted North Carolina probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps build the asset list before you choose a Union County filing path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the will, family information, asset details and debts into an organized estate settlement packet using the North Carolina statewide forms Union County accepts.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate needs counsel for a Union County home sale, creditor dispute, caveat or out-of-state personal representative issue, Sunset connects you with a vetted North Carolina probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to understand the estate settlement path, prepare for the Monroe clerk's counter and get matched with help without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Union County, North Carolina?
File with the Clerk of Superior Court at the Union County Judicial Center, 400 North Main St, Monroe, NC 28112, if the decedent was domiciled in Union County at death. Venue follows the county of domicile, or for a nonresident decedent, a North Carolina county where estate property is located or has come (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-3-1).
Do I have to make an appointment to open an estate in Union County?
Union County publishes no estates appointment link and no walk-in policy. Call the clerk at (704) 698-3100 before going to Monroe and ask what the clerk wants you to bring and whether an appointment is needed.
What does it cost to open an estate in Union County?
Opening an estate costs $120.00 in court costs under the January 1, 2026 estates costs chart (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-307), plus 40 cents per $100.00 of the gross estate, with a $15.00 minimum per filing and a $6,000.00 cap under the same statute and chart. Union County does not set a separate local estate filing fee.
Can I file estate papers online in Union County?
File & Serve is available through eCourts, and self-represented filers may use it. Union County does not publish instructions for how an original will must be delivered, so call (704) 698-3100 before relying on an online filing alone when there is a will.
How do I look up a Union County estate case?
Use the statewide Portal at https://portal-nc.tylertech.cloud/Portal/. If you cannot find the Union County estate case information you need, call the Union County clerk at (704) 698-3100.
Are there local probate forms in Union County?
No local Union County estate packet, estate checklist or estate calendar request is published. Use the statewide Administrative Office of the Courts estate forms at https://www.nccourts.gov/documents/forms and filter to Estate (E).
Can I handle a Union County estate matter remotely if I live out of state?
North Carolina law allows a judicial official to conduct proceedings by audio and video in some circumstances (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 7A-49.6), but Union County publishes no estate-specific remote appearance procedure. Call the clerk at (704) 698-3100 and ask what is possible in your case.
How do I deliver the original will to the Union County clerk?
Union County does not publish original-will delivery instructions. Because an original will must be handled as an original, call the clerk at (704) 698-3100 before mailing or filing electronically.
I live in Waxhaw or Indian Trail. Do I file in Monroe or in Charlotte?
If the decedent was domiciled in Union County, file in Monroe at the Union County Judicial Center. Waxhaw, Indian Trail, Stallings, Weddington and Marvin are Union County communities for estate venue purposes.
How do I pay the Union County clerk?
By mail, use a money order or certified check payable to Union County Clerk of Superior Court. Do not mail cash or a personal check. In person, the Cashier's Office accepts cash, credit or debit card with processing fees, money order or certified check, but not personal checks.
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.