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Bradley County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Bradley County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Bradley County Chancery Court, probate division |
| Filing office | Bradley County Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | Bradley County Courthouse, 155 North Ocoee Street, Room 203, Cleveland, TN 37311 |
| Mailing | No mailing address is published online for the Clerk and Master. Call (423) 728-7204 before sending papers. |
| Phone | (423) 728-7204 |
| Fax | No fax number is published online for this office. |
| Hours | Bradley County publishes county office hours of Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern time. Call before travelling because no Clerk and Master lunch closure or filing cutoff is published. |
| Statutory probate fee | The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401. It rises to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are added under § 8-21-401, and Bradley County does not publish its counter total online. |
| Local forms | No Bradley County probate petition, packet, checklist or cover sheet is published on pages that load. Call the Clerk and Master before preparing a packet. |
| E-filing status | No Chancery Court e-filing portal, vendor or login is published for Bradley County. Tennessee has no statewide trial-court e-filing system. |
| Case lookup | Bradley County does not appear on Tennessee's multi-county online court records portal, and the county's Chancery Court web address does not load. Call the Clerk and Master or ask at Room 203. |
| Remote appearance | Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, leaves teleconferencing, video conferencing and other technology for court proceedings to the trial court's discretion. Ask the Bradley County Clerk and Master how the court is handling a specific estate matter under Rule 55. |
| Website | The county's Chancery Court link does not load. The usable public directory is the Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts court clerk directory. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you contact the Bradley County Clerk and Master, make a working list of the assets, debts, likely heirs, beneficiaries and any original will. Bradley County does not publish a probate packet online, so knowing the estate settlement facts first makes the first call to Room 203 much more productive.
Sunset can help identify accounts and assets across 2,300 institutions before you choose a filing path, ask about forms, or decide whether a lawyer should prepare the petition. That early inventory work is often the difference between a clean estate settlement plan and repeated trips to the courthouse.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Tennessee law sends an estate to the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102). In most Tennessee counties that court is the chancery court and the filing office is the Clerk and Master (T.C.A. § 16-16-201). Bradley County follows that chancery pattern: estate papers are filed with the Bradley County Clerk and Master at the courthouse in Cleveland.
Bradley County includes Cleveland, Charleston and the unincorporated parts of the county. The county publishes one Clerk and Master location for probate filings: Room 203, Bradley County Courthouse, 155 North Ocoee Street, Cleveland, TN 37311.
Bradley County is in Tennessee's 10th Judicial District with McMinn, Monroe and Polk County. That district fact matters for scheduling because judges serve all four counties, but the estate is still a Bradley County filing.
The jurisdiction process
- List what the person owned, what they owed, who the heirs or beneficiaries are, and whether there is an original will. A verified petition for letters testamentary or letters of administration must supply the information required by T.C.A. § 30-1-117.
- Call the Bradley County Clerk and Master at (423) 728-7204 before filing. Bradley County does not publish a petition form, packet or checklist on pages that load, so ask what the office wants filed and how many copies to bring.
- Prepare the petition and bring the original will if there is one. File the opening papers with the Bradley County Clerk and Master in Room 203 of the Bradley County Courthouse, 155 North Ocoee Street, Cleveland.
- Ask for the current total due at the counter. The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401, with state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit added under § 8-21-401.
- If the will is uncontested, the Clerk and Master may handle common form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. Solemn form probate under § 30-1-117 requires notice and goes before the Chancellor.
- After the court opens the estate, the Clerk and Master issues letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. Those letters are the personal representative's authority document.
- The clerk publishes the notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306. In Bradley County, estate notices run in the Cleveland Daily Banner under the Chancery Court's probate division caption.
- Administer the estate, keep records, and file required follow-up papers with the Clerk and Master. If an inventory or sixty-day beneficiary notice is required, those duties are governed by T.C.A. § 30-2-301.
- For an existing estate file, call the Clerk and Master or ask at Room 203. Bradley County does not publish an online estate lookup a reader can reach today.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Bradley County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set or estate packet. Its self-help center directs estate and probate readers to the Clerk and Master in their county.
For Bradley County, no probate petition, packet, checklist or cover sheet is published on pages that load, and the county's Chancery Court web address does not load. Call the Bradley County Clerk and Master at (423) 728-7204 before preparing or sending papers.
Do not rely on the Lincoln County form that sometimes appears in Tennessee form searches. It is not a Bradley County form, not a statewide packet and not the current Bradley County instruction source.
Local nuance
Bradley County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Bradley County estate |
|---|---|
| Chancery probate division | Bradley County estate filings use the Chancery Court's probate division. That is a docket within the Bradley County Chancery Court, not a separate probate court. |
| Broken Chancery Court link | Bradley County lists a Chancery Court web address, but that address does not load. A family should reach the Clerk and Master by phone or in person for forms, current charges and filing instructions. |
| Delinquent property tax work | The same Clerk and Master's office also collects delinquent property taxes for Bradley County, Cleveland and Charleston. The county's delinquent tax payment material is about property tax, not probate court costs under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
| Eastern time and Friday hours | Bradley County publishes county office hours of Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern time. |
| Shared district bench | Bradley County is in the 10th Judicial District with McMinn, Monroe and Polk County. Matters that require a judge are scheduled around a bench serving all four counties. |
| Local rules access | The Administrative Office of the Courts does not currently publish local rules of practice for the 10th Judicial District and directs readers to contact the local court clerk's office while some rule documents are temporarily unavailable. |
Recent updates
No Bradley County-specific probate change is posted on the pages available to the public. Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Bradley County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by separating probate assets from property that may pass outside the estate. If an estate must be opened, file in the Bradley County Chancery Court's probate division through the Clerk and Master in Room 203. | Sunset helps organize assets, debts and title questions before the spouse calls the Clerk and Master or asks an attorney to prepare the petition. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Call the Clerk and Master before mailing anything because Bradley County publishes no mailing address, no e-filing portal and no probate packet online. If the estate fits Tennessee's small estate petition for limited letters, use the statewide small estate rules in T.C.A. §§ 30-4-102 and 30-4-103 and ask the office what Bradley County wants filed. | Sunset helps the child find accounts, estimate whether the estate fits the small estate path under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-102 and 30-4-103, and prepare questions for the Clerk and Master. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of real property usually needs attorney guidance and may require a court request. File the estate through the Bradley County Clerk and Master, then expect judge scheduling to account for the 10th Judicial District bench that also serves McMinn, Monroe and Polk County. | Sunset helps gather the asset picture, generate an organized probate packet and connect the parent with a local probate attorney for the real estate sale issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Bradley County Clerk and Master | The filing office for Bradley County estates. The office takes the petition, issues letters testamentary and letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, and holds the estate file. Court staff cannot give legal advice or engage in the practice of law under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. | Room 203, Bradley County Courthouse, 155 North Ocoee Street, Cleveland, TN 37311. Phone: (423) 728-7204. |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts self-help center | The Judiciary's starting point for self-help. Its estate section directs readers to the Clerk and Master in their county and does not provide an estate packet. | https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts clerk directory | The statewide court clerk directory lists the Bradley County Clerk and Master's room number, courthouse address and phone number. | https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/court-clerks/clerks-list |
| Legal Aid of East Tennessee, Cleveland office | A nonprofit that provides free civil legal help to people who qualify. Its published case types include housing, domestic and family law, elder law, financial and identity services, and community education. Decedent estate administration is not listed, so ask whether the matter fits. | 270 N Ocoee St., Cleveland. Phone: (800) 572-7457. Website: https://laet.org/ |
| Help4TN free civil legal helpline | A free civil legal helpline listed as a Bradley County resource by Justice For All TN. It answers civil legal questions by phone. | 1-844-435-7486 |
When to hire an attorney
A probate attorney is especially useful in Bradley County when there is a will contest, a solemn form proceeding under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, a home that must be sold, unclear heirs, creditor disputes, or an out-of-state personal representative who cannot easily appear in Cleveland. Bradley County also publishes no online probate packet, so counsel can keep the estate settlement from stalling at the first filing. Sunset connects you to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance, retirement assets, real estate leads and debts so the estate settlement starts with a clearer picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized set of probate materials that you can review with the Bradley County Clerk and Master or a probate attorney.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal judgment, a home sale, a court appearance or a contested issue, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted attorney who understands Tennessee probate practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate settlement, understand next steps and decide what help they need without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Bradley County?
File in the Bradley County Chancery Court's probate division through the Bradley County Clerk and Master. The office is in Room 203 of the Bradley County Courthouse, 155 North Ocoee Street, Cleveland, TN 37311, and the phone number is (423) 728-7204.
Does Bradley County have a separate probate court?
No separate probate court is published for Bradley County. Estates are handled by the Bradley County Chancery Court as its probate division, and the Clerk and Master takes the filing. Bradley County's private act history does not place wills or estates in General Sessions Court; chancery probate jurisdiction follows T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
Is there a Bradley County Chancery Court website?
Bradley County lists a Chancery Court web address under County Government, but that address does not load. That means a reader cannot use it today for forms, a fee schedule, online filing or an estate lookup.
Can I file a Bradley County estate online or by email?
No e-filing portal, vendor, login or Chancery Court email filing address is published for Bradley County. Tennessee has no statewide trial-court e-filing system, so ask the Clerk and Master how the office wants the papers delivered.
What does probate cost in Bradley County?
The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401. It rises to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are added under § 8-21-401, and Bradley County does not publish its counter total online, so call (423) 728-7204 before preparing payment.
Are there Bradley County probate forms online?
No Bradley County probate petition, packet, checklist or cover sheet is published on pages that load. Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set or estate packet, so call the Bradley County Clerk and Master to ask what the office wants filed.
Can I look up a Bradley County estate online?
Bradley County does not publish an online estate lookup a reader can reach today, and Bradley County does not appear on Tennessee's multi-county online court records portal. Call the Clerk and Master or ask at Room 203 to look into an estate file.
May I ask for a phone or video appearance in Bradley County probate?
Ask the Clerk and Master how the court is handling the specific matter. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, says teleconferencing, video conferencing and other technology for court proceedings are allowed at the discretion of the trial court under Rule 55. The rule sets no statewide default.
What are the Bradley County Clerk and Master hours?
Bradley County publishes county office hours of Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Eastern time. No Clerk and Master lunch closure or filing cutoff is published, so call (423) 728-7204 before travelling.
Do I have to travel to Cleveland to open an estate?
The original will and opening petition must reach the Bradley County Clerk and Master in Room 203. Because the office publishes no mailing address, e-filing portal or fax filing option online, call (423) 728-7204 before sending papers from outside Bradley County.
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.