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Le Flore County, OK Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Le Flore County information |
|---|---|
| Court | District Court of Le Flore County |
| Filing office | Le Flore County Court Clerk |
| Courthouse address | 100 South Broadway Street, Poteau, OK 74953. ODCR lists 110 Front Street for the same courthouse, so call (918) 647-3181 before traveling. |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 688, Poteau, OK 74953 |
| Phone | (918) 647-3181 |
| Fax | (918) 647-8930 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Days, lunch closure, and filing cutoff are not published. |
| Filing fee | $135.00 flat probate filing fee, effective November 1, 2025 (28 O.S. § 152), plus statutory costs and possible local add-ons. Confirm the total with the Court Clerk. |
| Local forms | No Le Flore County local probate forms or checklist were identified. A civil cover sheet may be used in Oklahoma district court filings. |
| E-filing | Le Flore County is not one of Oklahoma's e-filing counties. A new probate case is filed on paper. |
| Case search | ODCR at https://www1.odcr.com/. Le Flore County docket records are listed back to April 3, 1997. Searching is free; scanned document images require a paid subscription. |
| Remote appearance | Oklahoma district courts may use remote appearance at the judge's discretion under 20 O.S. § 130 and Okla. Dist. Ct. R. 34. Ask the Court Clerk when the hearing is set. |
| Website | The state judiciary listing is https://www.oscn.net/courts/leflore. No Le Flore County Court Clerk website with probate forms, fees, or a calendar was available from the county site. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a probate path in Le Flore County, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, co-owners, beneficiary designations, and any real property. That list controls whether the estate settlement can be handled outside a full case or whether a personal representative must ask the district judge for letters.
Sunset can help you look for accounts across more than 2,300 financial institutions, organize liabilities, and prepare a county-ready packet before you file with the Le Flore County Court Clerk in Poteau.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate for Le Flore County is filed with the Le Flore County Court Clerk at the courthouse in Poteau, in the District Court of Le Flore County, which sits in Oklahoma's Sixteenth Judicial District together with Haskell and Latimer counties. That shared district does not move a Le Flore County case to Stigler or Wilburton.
Oklahoma venue is based on the county of proper venue. If the decedent was an Oklahoma resident, the case is filed in the county where the decedent resided at death. If the decedent was not an Oklahoma resident, venue follows the sequence for nonresident estates in 58 O.S. § 5(2) (58 O.S. § 5).
One courthouse in Poteau serves Le Flore County probate filings. Public listings differ on the street address, so call the Court Clerk at (918) 647-3181 before traveling or mailing time-sensitive materials.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, the original will if there is one, a list of heirs and devisees, asset information, debt information, and any deeds or title papers for Le Flore County land.
- Decide the local filing path. Some assets may be handled without opening a district court case, including the small estate affidavit under 58 O.S. § 393 when it fits. Otherwise, the case may proceed through summary administration under 58 O.S. §§ 245 through 247 or a regular probate, with dispensing with regular proceedings available in the right case under 58 O.S. § 241.
- Prepare the petition, civil cover sheet if required for the filing, proposed orders, notice papers, and any request to appoint a personal representative. If the petitioner cannot afford costs, a pauperis request is reviewed under Sixteenth Judicial District Rule 18.
- File the packet on paper with the Le Flore County Court Clerk in Poteau or by mail to P.O. Box 688, Poteau, OK 74953. Le Flore County does not open new probate cases electronically.
- Pay the $135.00 flat probate filing fee, effective November 1, 2025 (28 O.S. § 152), plus statutory costs and any local add-ons the Court Clerk requires. Confirm the total before sending payment by mail.
- Set the first hearing. Under Sixteenth Judicial District Rule 25, a notice or order of hearing is filed with the motion, and the hearing date is obtained from the judge's secretary or the Court Clerk.
- Give required notices. Oklahoma probate requires noticed hearings, including notice connected with admitting a will and appointing the personal representative. The judge, not the Court Clerk, decides whether to admit a will and issue letters (58 O.S. § 27).
- After appointment, the personal representative receives letters testamentary or letters of administration, takes any required oath, and addresses any bond issue ordered by the court.
- Administer the estate. The personal representative gathers assets, prepares inventory materials, publishes and mails creditor notice when required, and uses the presentment date stated in the notice. Claims not presented as required are barred forever (58 O.S. § 333).
- Handle sales, claims, taxes, and distributions. If estate property must be sold during the case, file the required sale papers and confirm any additional filing charge with the Court Clerk.
- Close the case with a final account or final report, petition for distribution, notice, and a hearing. After the decree of distribution and discharge is entered, record any decree affecting real property with the county clerk of each county where the land is located (58 O.S. § 711).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Le Flore County
No Le Flore County local probate packet, petition set, or probate checklist was identified in the Sixteenth Judicial District local rules. Expect to prepare Oklahoma probate pleadings rather than fill out a county-specific probate packet.
The Sixteenth Judicial District local rules still matter. Rule 18 addresses pauperis requests, including review by the district judge in Le Flore County. Rule 25 explains how a motion hearing date is obtained and requires a notice or order of hearing to be filed with the motion. Rule 8 carries cases to the next legal day the courthouse is open if the courthouse is closed for weather or an emergency.
Call the Le Flore County Court Clerk before filing to ask whether the civil cover sheet, proposed orders, copies, envelopes, or payment format are required for your filing.
Timeline
- When a motion or request is ready for hearing, Sixteenth Judicial District Rule 25 requires the notice or order of hearing to be filed with the motion.
- The hearing date is obtained from the judge's secretary or from the Le Flore County Court Clerk. The local rules do not publish a fixed probate docket day or a fixed filing-to-hearing wait.
- If another party objects to a motion, Rule 25 gives a fifteen-day objection window. If no objection is filed, the motion may be treated as confessed and an order may be entered without another hearing.
- If the courthouse is closed for weather or an emergency, Sixteenth Judicial District Rule 8 passes cases set that day to the next legal day the courthouse is open.
- If you want a remote appearance, ask when the hearing is set. Remote appearance is governed by the judge's discretion under 20 O.S. § 130 and Okla. Dist. Ct. R. 34.
Local nuance
Le Flore County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| County name spelling | Use Le Flore as two words for the county name and page slug. Some court systems list the county as Leflore or LeFlore. |
| Shared judicial district | Le Flore County shares Oklahoma's Sixteenth Judicial District with Haskell and Latimer counties, but Le Flore County probate filings are made in Poteau. |
| Street address conflict | Several public listings use 100 South Broadway Street, while ODCR lists 110 Front Street. Call (918) 647-3181 to confirm the correct entrance before traveling. |
| ODCR records | Le Flore County dockets are searched on ODCR, with records listed back to April 3, 1997. Older information may require a call to the Court Clerk. |
| Local motion procedure | Sixteenth Judicial District Rule 25 controls how a hearing date is obtained for motions, including filing a notice or order of hearing with the motion. |
| Restricted or trust property | Property held in trust or under federal restriction is not settled by the District Court of Le Flore County in the ordinary way, the rules differ by tribe, and families in that position should call Oklahoma Indian Legal Services. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| Summary administration ceiling | Oklahoma summary administration now includes an estate valued at $300,000.00 or less, effective August 12, 2026 (58 O.S. § 245; Laws 2026, HB 2650). Section 245 also covers estates where the decedent has been deceased more than five years or resided in another jurisdiction at death. |
| Combined notice mechanics | Changes to 58 O.S. § 246 take effect November 1, 2026 under Laws 2026, HB 4339. Ask the Le Flore County Court Clerk and any attorney preparing the petition which notice version applies to a filing made around that date. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Le Flore County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | First identify how title is held. Joint tenancy, beneficiary designations, and transfer-on-death deed planning may change what must pass through a Le Flore County probate case. If a court order is needed, file in Poteau with the Court Clerk. | Sunset helps find accounts, organize title documents, and flag non-probate transfers before a spouse starts estate settlement paperwork. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Start by testing whether a no-case affidavit under 58 O.S. § 393 fits. If a district court case is needed, Le Flore County filings are on paper, and a nonresident personal representative may need to appoint an in-county agent under 58 O.S. § 162. | Sunset helps collect institution details, generate a packet, and connect the family with a local attorney so travel to Poteau can be planned around actual hearing needs. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale usually requires letters and court authority. File the probate in Poteau, ask how the hearing will be set under Rule 25, and confirm any added sale filing charge. Oklahoma lists a $43.00 charge for a proceeding for sale or lease of property in probate, effective November 1, 2025 (28 O.S. § 152). | Sunset helps assemble asset and debt information, prepare the probate packet, and connect the parent with counsel for sale authority, title issues, and closing. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Le Flore County Court Clerk | Accepts probate filings, collects filing costs, issues file-stamped copies, and can answer filing logistics questions. Court staff do not choose your legal path or draft pleadings for you. | Poteau courthouse. Phone (918) 647-3181. Fax (918) 647-8930. |
| Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma, Poteau Office | Free civil legal help for eligible Oklahomans, subject to case priorities. Do not assume probate representation is available. | 224 Dewey Avenue, P.O. Box 906, Poteau, OK 74953. Phone 918-647-8136 or 800-299-8136. Statewide application line 1-888-534-5243. |
| Oklahoma Indian Legal Services | May be relevant for restricted land, wills clinics, and mineral interests for tribal members. | (405) 943-6457 or 800-658-1497. |
| ODCR case search | Searches Le Flore County docket entries. Scanned document images require a paid subscription. | https://www1.odcr.com/ |
When to hire an attorney
Local counsel can be especially useful in Le Flore County because no local probate form packet or county fee sheet is posted, and public listings differ on the courthouse street address. Real property, creditor problems, an heir dispute, restricted or trust property, or a family member living outside Oklahoma can also make the estate settlement harder to manage alone. Sunset connects families to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify accounts, balances, and leads that matter before a Le Flore County filing is prepared.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family's information into organized estate settlement documents and a filing checklist tailored to the District Court of Le Flore County.
Find a local probate attorney. When a case needs legal advice, a sale of real property, a contested hearing, or restricted property guidance, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Oklahoma probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize assets, understand next steps, and get matched with help without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Le Flore County?
File with the Le Flore County Court Clerk in Poteau, in the District Court of Le Flore County. Le Flore County shares Oklahoma's Sixteenth Judicial District with Haskell and Latimer counties, but the Le Flore County case is filed at the Poteau courthouse.
Which courthouse address should I use in Le Flore County?
Public listings differ. Several listings use 100 South Broadway Street, Poteau, OK 74953, while ODCR lists 110 Front Street for the same courthouse. Use P.O. Box 688, Poteau, OK 74953 for mail, and call (918) 647-3181 before traveling.
Can I e-file a Le Flore County probate case?
No. Le Flore County is not one of Oklahoma's e-filing counties, and a new Oklahoma probate case is opened on paper. File in person or by mail with the Le Flore County Court Clerk.
How do I get a hearing date in Le Flore County?
Sixteenth Judicial District Rule 25 says the hearing date is obtained from the judge's secretary or from the Court Clerk, and a notice or order of hearing is filed with the motion. The local rules do not publish a fixed probate docket day.
Can I appear remotely for a Le Flore County probate hearing?
Possibly, if the judge allows it. Oklahoma authorizes remote appearance in district court proceedings, but the decision is the judge's under 20 O.S. § 130 and Okla. Dist. Ct. R. 34. Ask the Court Clerk when the hearing is set.
Where can I look up a Le Flore County probate case?
Use ODCR at https://www1.odcr.com/. Le Flore County docket records are listed back to April 3, 1997. Docket searching is free, while scanned document images require a paid subscription.
Does Le Flore County have local probate forms?
No Le Flore County local probate packet or checklist was identified. The Sixteenth Judicial District local rules do include procedures for pauperis requests, motion hearings, and courthouse closings.
How much does it cost to file probate in Le Flore County?
The Oklahoma probate flat filing fee is $135.00, effective November 1, 2025 (28 O.S. § 152), plus statutory costs and any local add-ons. Le Flore County does not post a county total, so confirm the amount and payment method with the Court Clerk before filing.
Do I have to travel to Poteau for a Le Flore County probate?
You may be able to mail an initial paper filing, but hearings are set by the court and may require planning. Call the Court Clerk before travel, both to confirm the correct courthouse entrance and to ask how the judge will handle the hearing.
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.