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Anderson County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Anderson County Chancery Court, probate side. Tennessee sends the estate to the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102), and Anderson County uses chancery under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. |
| Filing office | Anderson County Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | Anderson County Courthouse, 100 North Main Street, Suite 308, Clinton, TN 37716 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 501, Clinton, TN 37716. Call before mailing original papers. |
| Phone | (865) 457-6205 |
| Fax | (865) 264-6267. Local Rule 106.04 allows facsimile filing on the terms of Tenn. R. Civ. P. 5A, but call before faxing an estate-opening paper or anything that must be original. |
| Hours | 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, Eastern time. The office does not publish a lunch closure or filing cutoff. |
| Cost to start | The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with state and local litigation tax and any costs deposit added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. The statutory clerk's fee rises to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. Anderson County publishes its combined local schedule on its Fees and Cost page. |
| Forms | Anderson County publishes a small estate petition, limited letters form, and bond waiver consent form under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. It does not publish a full-estate petition form on its website. |
| Online filing | The Anderson County Clerk and Master does not publish an online filing system for probate on its website. Tennessee does not have a statewide trial-court electronic filing system for probate. |
| Case lookup | The Clerk and Master does not publish an online estate case search. It publishes the Anderson County Chancery Court hearing docket as PDFs, and probate matters appear on that docket. |
| Remote practice | Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, leaves telephone, video, and other technology use to the court's discretion. Anderson County does not publish a separate remote-appearance policy. |
| Website | https://andersoncountyclerkandmaster.com/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you prepare an Anderson County filing, make a working list of the decedent's accounts, debts, vehicles, real estate, beneficiary designations, and any property held jointly. Anderson County's own small estate petition under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 asks for an itemized personal-property schedule, creditor information, and heir or devisee information, so the same asset work helps even when the estate settlement is not a small estate.
Sunset searches across 2,300 institutions to help families find accounts and assets before they choose the filing path. That discovery step can keep you from opening the wrong kind of Anderson County estate or learning too late that a paper filed in Clinton did not include a necessary asset.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Anderson County probate filings go to the Anderson County Chancery Court through the Anderson County Clerk and Master at the courthouse in Clinton. The office publishes one filing location: 100 North Main Street, Suite 308, Clinton, TN 37716. The mailing address on file with the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts is P.O. Box 501, Clinton, TN 37716.
Tennessee law sends the estate to the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102). In many counties, that is chancery under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. Anderson County's answer is the Anderson County Chancery Court, with the Anderson County Clerk and Master taking the filing.
The courthouse serves Clinton, Oak Ridge, Norris, Oliver Springs, Rocky Top, and the unincorporated parts of Anderson County. Oak Ridge is the county's best-known city and straddles the Anderson and Roane county line, but an Anderson County estate is handled in Clinton. Anderson County is Tennessee's Seventh Judicial District, and the district consists of Anderson County alone.
The jurisdiction process
- Start with the asset and debt list. For an Anderson County estate settlement, separate probate property from jointly held property, beneficiary assets, debts, vehicles, and real estate before preparing papers.
- Prepare the petition. For a full estate, the Anderson County Clerk and Master does not publish a petition form on its website, so the verified petition is prepared under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. Local Rule 201.05 says pleadings must be prepared and submitted by an attorney or by the personal representative, and non-attorney staff cannot provide forms, instructions, or directions. For a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, Anderson County publishes its own petition, limited letters form, and bond waiver consent form.
- Deliver the papers to the Anderson County Clerk and Master at 100 North Main Street, Suite 308, Clinton, TN 37716, or mail them to P.O. Box 501, Clinton, TN 37716 after calling the office. If there is an original will, the original must reach the office.
- Pay the court cost when the office accepts the filing. The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with state and local litigation tax and any costs deposit added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. The statutory clerk's fee rises to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. Anderson County publishes a local Chancery and Probate schedule effective January 1, 2026 that says its figures include clerk fees plus state and county litigation tax.
- Handle notice correctly. In common form probate, no notice of the probate proceeding is required under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. Solemn form probate requires notice to interested persons under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. After letters issue, the clerk gives notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306, and the personal representative still mails a copy to creditors the estate knows about.
- Receive letters from the Anderson County Clerk and Master. Tennessee calls the authority document letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). Local Rule 201.06 allows the Clerk and Master to act on applications for letters testamentary and letters of administration without a separate order of reference.
- Administer the estate. The Clerk and Master may adjudicate claims and exceptions, determine allowances to the surviving spouse and family, preside over homestead and elective-share matters, and take accounts and settlements under Local Rule 201.06.
- If a hearing is needed, coordinate through the Anderson County Clerk and Master. Local Rule 118 says chancery and probate matters are set by agreement after consultation with the Clerk and Master's office, by motion, or by the court with notice. The Chancery Court docket is published as PDFs, usually the business day before the court date.
- Close the estate. Reports go to the Clerk and Master for audit. Under Local Rules 201.01 and 201.07, if no exceptions are filed within ten days, the report or action can be confirmed. Fee requests by a personal representative or attorney require court approval on written application with a supporting affidavit and certificate of service unless all interested parties approve in writing.
Executor duties
Anderson County's local probate rules add practical duties on top of the statewide personal representative role. Local Rule 201.05 says pleadings must come from an attorney or from the personal representative, and non-attorney members of the Clerk and Master's office cannot provide forms, instructions, or directions.
| Local duty | What it means in Anderson County |
|---|---|
| Applications and reports | Local Rule 201.06 allows the Clerk and Master to hear applications for letters testamentary and letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, adjudicate claims and exceptions, and take accounts and settlements. |
| Exceptions deadline | Local Rules 201.01 and 201.07 give a ten-day period to file exceptions to the Clerk and Master's report or action, together with a motion for review. |
| Fee requests | Local Rule 201.02 requires written applications, supporting affidavits, notice, and a certificate of service for personal representative and attorney fee requests unless all interested parties approve in writing. |
| Funds paid into court | Local Rule 201.03 says litigant funds are not paid into court without a court order, and the person seeking investment must specifically call the investment request to the Clerk and Master's attention. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Anderson County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set. Its self-help center sends estate readers to the clerk in their county, and Anderson County publishes its own local materials.
The Anderson County Clerk and Master publishes a small estate set under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105: a petition for small estate limited letters, a limited letters form, and a waiver of bond consent form. The county's limited letters form says the authority is limited to the property itemized in the petition and gives no authority over real estate.
For a full estate administration, Anderson County's website does not publish a petition for letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, an inventory form under T.C.A. § 30-2-301, an accounting form, or a full-estate checklist. Local Rule 201.05 says pleadings must be prepared and submitted by an attorney or by the personal representative, and that non-attorney staff cannot provide forms, instructions, or directions.
| Form or page | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Anderson County forms page | Use the Clerk and Master's forms page as the local starting point: https://andersoncountyclerkandmaster.com/forms/ |
| Small estate petition | For the county's small estate process under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. The form asks for a death certificate copy, the original will if there is one, personal property, creditors, and heir or devisee information. |
| Limited letters form | The county's form for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. |
| Waiver of bond consent | A local consent form for heirs or beneficiaries who agree to waive bond in the small estate process under T.C.A. § 30-4-103. |
| Local rules | The Seventh Judicial District local rules include Part II for Chancery and Probate and Rule 201 for probate cases: https://andersoncountyclerkandmaster.com/local-rules/ |
Fees
Anderson County publishes a Chancery and Probate cost schedule effective January 1, 2026. Its own note says the listed amounts include clerk fees plus state and county litigation tax. That matters because T.C.A. § 8-21-401 separates the statutory clerk's fee from litigation tax and other amounts collected at the counter.
The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486. The same public chapter raises the statutory clerk's fee to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. Anderson County's local schedule adds the state and county litigation tax under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 and should be read or confirmed with the office before sending payment.
| Anderson County probate charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Preparation of a public notice to be published | $25.00, schedule effective January 1, 2026 |
| Notice to creditors published in the Clinton Courier under T.C.A. § 30-2-306 | $25.00, schedule effective January 1, 2026, paid to the newspaper |
| Additional letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | $7.00, schedule effective January 1, 2026 |
| Issuance of subpoenas or citations | $10.00, schedule effective January 1, 2026 |
| Petition to reopen an estate | $75.00, schedule effective January 1, 2026 |
| Petition in an open probate estate to sell real property, seek year's support, exempt property, homestead, insolvency, or interpretation | $200.00, schedule effective January 1, 2026 |
| Order on an existing estate, other than a closing order not otherwise designated | $20.00, schedule effective January 1, 2026 |
| Accounting or settlement | $75.00, schedule effective January 1, 2026 |
| Creditor claim against a probate estate | $50.00, schedule effective January 1, 2026 |
| Exception to a creditor claim against a probate estate | $100.00, schedule effective January 1, 2026 |
| Copies | $0.50 per page, schedule effective January 1, 2026 |
| Certified copies | $5.00 plus the per-page copy charge, schedule effective January 1, 2026 |
| Triple certification seal | $7.00 plus the per-page copy charge, schedule effective January 1, 2026 |
Fee schedule: https://andersoncountyclerkandmaster.com/fees-cost/. Call (865) 457-6205 before mailing payment.
Timeline
- For an uncontested estate, the first step is a filing at the Anderson County Clerk and Master's office, not a hearing date. Local Rule 201.06 allows the Clerk and Master to hear applications for letters testamentary and letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 without a separate order of reference.
- Regular sessions of the Circuit, Criminal, and Chancery Courts of Anderson County convene Monday through Friday at 9:00 a.m. under Local Rule 103.01.
- Local Rule 103.02 sets the civil docket for the second and fourth full weeks of each month unless the court directs otherwise.
- Local Rule 118 says chancery and probate matters are set by agreement after consultation with the Clerk and Master's office, by motion, or by the court with notice. Docket sounding is listed for circuit cases.
- The Clerk and Master publishes the Chancery Court hearing docket as a PDF for each court day, usually the business day before. Probate matters appear on that docket, but the docket is a hearing list, not a case-history search.
- After the Clerk and Master acts, Local Rule 201.07 gives a ten-day period to file exceptions with a motion for review. If no exceptions are filed, the action can be confirmed.
Local nuance
Anderson County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Chancery with a probate side | The Clerk and Master describes the office as custodian of records for Chancery Court, Probate Court, and Child Support Court, but Anderson County probate papers are styled as Chancery Division, Probate Section. Do not treat this as a separate Shelby-style probate court. |
| One-county judicial district | Anderson County is the Seventh Judicial District by itself. The local rules and filing path point to the Clinton courthouse. |
| Published local cost schedule | The county publishes a Chancery and Probate schedule effective January 1, 2026 that says its figures include clerk fees plus state and county litigation tax under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
| Small estate forms only | The Clerk and Master publishes small estate materials under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, including a bond waiver consent form, but not a full-estate petition form. |
| Docket PDFs | The Clerk and Master publishes the Chancery Court hearing docket as PDFs, normally the business day before the court date. Probate matters appear on that docket, but it is not an online case search. |
| Clinton courthouse | Oak Ridge is a major Anderson County city, but the probate filing office is in Clinton. The office is on Eastern time. |
Recent updates
| Date | Local change |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Anderson County's Clerk and Master Chancery and Probate cost schedule took effect. The schedule says its figures include clerk fees plus state and county litigation tax under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Separate jointly owned property from property that needs an Anderson County filing. If an estate must be opened, the papers go to the Anderson County Clerk and Master in Clinton. Local Rule 201.06 also gives the Clerk and Master authority to determine allowances for the surviving spouse and family and to preside over homestead matters. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, co-owned assets, and beneficiary designations before the spouse starts estate settlement in Clinton. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Anderson County publishes a small estate petition, limited letters form, and bond waiver consent form under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. The county does not publish online filing, so plan for paper delivery to Clinton and remember the office is on Eastern time. | Sunset helps gather the account list and can generate a packet based on the county path, then connect the family with local counsel if paper filing or original documents are difficult from out of state. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale points away from the personal-property small estate process under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. Anderson County separately prices a petition in an open probate estate to sell real property at $200.00, schedule effective January 1, 2026. The county does not publish a full-estate petition form. | Sunset helps organize the assets and liabilities, then can connect the parent to a vetted probate attorney for the full administration and sale petition. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Anderson County Clerk and Master | The filing office for Anderson County estates. It publishes the local cost schedule, small estate forms under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, local rules, and the Chancery Court docket. Court staff cannot provide legal advice, perform legal research, make legal referrals, or engage in the practice of law under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. | 100 North Main Street, Suite 308, Clinton, TN 37716. Phone (865) 457-6205. Fax (865) 264-6267. https://andersoncountyclerkandmaster.com/ |
| Anderson County Clerk and Master fees and cost page | Shows Anderson County's Chancery and Probate cost schedule effective January 1, 2026, including local probate charges and the statement that the figures include clerk fees plus state and county litigation tax under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. | https://andersoncountyclerkandmaster.com/fees-cost/ |
| Anderson County Archives | Holds older county records, including probate records, wills, estates, court records, and Chancery Court records from 1811 to the present. It is a records office, not a place to open an estate. | 100 N Main Street, Room 101, Clinton, TN 37716. Phone (865) 457-6242. Open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. |
| Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Oak Ridge office | Provides free civil legal help to people with low income. Its office list includes Anderson County in the Oak Ridge office service area. Ask whether an estate matter fits before relying on it. | 575 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Suite 201, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. Toll free 800-238-1443. |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts self-help center | The Judiciary's statewide starting point. Its Estate and Probate section directs readers to the county clerk, and the same page explains the court-staff boundary under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. | https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts trial court forms | The statewide trial court forms page does not provide a probate petition or estate packet. Use it for general court forms and use the Anderson County Clerk and Master page for local small estate materials under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. | https://www.tncourts.gov/administration/judicial-resources/forms-documents/court-forms |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a Tennessee probate attorney if the will may be contested, a home must be sold, creditor claims are expected, heirs disagree, the estate needs solemn form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, or you are filing from outside Anderson County. Anderson County's Local Rule 201.05 says the office cannot provide forms, instructions, or directions, so counsel can be especially useful when the county does not publish a full-estate petition form. Sunset connects to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance, debts, and other assets so the Anderson County estate settlement starts with a clearer picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset can turn the asset list and family information into an organized probate packet for the Anderson County path, including the details a Tennessee petition for letters testamentary or letters of administration requires under T.C.A. § 30-1-117.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs a home sale, solemn form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, a dispute, or help with Anderson County local rules, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Tennessee probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, understand the Anderson County filing path, and decide what help they need without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Anderson County?
Probate is handled by the Anderson County Chancery Court, and papers are taken by the Anderson County Clerk and Master at 100 North Main Street, Suite 308, Clinton, TN 37716. The mailing address on file with the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts is P.O. Box 501, Clinton, TN 37716. Tennessee venue for this filing follows the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102), and Anderson County uses chancery under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
Is Anderson County's probate office in Oak Ridge?
No. Oak Ridge is an Anderson County city, but the probate filing office is at the Anderson County Courthouse in Clinton. The Clerk and Master's contact page gives driving directions to Clinton from Oak Ridge, Knoxville, and Rocky Top.
Does Anderson County have a separate probate court?
The Clerk and Master describes the office as custodian for Chancery Court, Probate Court, and Child Support Court, but Anderson County probate papers are styled Anderson County Chancery Division, Probate Section. Treat the local filing path as the Anderson County Chancery Court through the Anderson County Clerk and Master, not as a separate probate court with its own judge. Probate jurisdiction in Anderson County remains in chancery under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
Can I start an Anderson County estate online?
The Anderson County Clerk and Master does not publish an online filing system for probate on its website. The office accepts paper filings at the courthouse and publishes a mailing address. Local Rule 106.04 allows facsimile filing on the terms of Tenn. R. Civ. P. 5A, but call (865) 457-6205 before faxing anything that opens an estate or includes an original will.
How much does it cost to open probate in Anderson County?
The statutory clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with state and local litigation tax and any costs deposit added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. The statutory clerk's fee rises to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. Anderson County publishes its own combined Chancery and Probate schedule effective January 1, 2026 on the Clerk and Master's Fees and Cost page.
Does Anderson County publish probate forms?
Yes, for small estate filings under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. The Anderson County Clerk and Master publishes a small estate petition, limited letters form, and bond waiver consent form. It does not publish a petition form for a full estate administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 on its website.
Can I look up an Anderson County estate online?
The Clerk and Master does not publish an online estate case search. It publishes the Anderson County Chancery Court hearing docket as PDFs, and probate matters appear on that docket. For a file, call (865) 457-6205 or ask at the office. For older files, the Anderson County Archives holds probate records, wills, and estates from 1811 to the present.
When does the Anderson County Chancery Court hear probate matters?
Local Rule 103.01 says regular sessions convene Monday through Friday at 9:00 a.m. Local Rule 103.02 sets the civil docket for the second and fourth full weeks of each month unless the court directs otherwise. Opening an uncontested estate is usually a filing-office matter because Local Rule 201.06 allows the Clerk and Master to act on applications for letters testamentary and letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117.
Can I attend an Anderson County probate hearing by phone or video?
Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, says using teleconferencing, video conferencing, or other technology for court proceedings is permissible at the discretion of the trial court. Anderson County does not publish a separate remote policy, so ask the Anderson County Clerk and Master how the court will handle your specific matter.
Who handles the notice to creditors in Anderson County?
The clerk gives notice to creditors after letters issue under T.C.A. § 30-2-306. Anderson County's schedule effective January 1, 2026 lists $25.00 to prepare a public notice and a separate $25.00 Clinton Courier publication charge, with the newspaper paid separately.
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.