Back to Tennessee
Clay County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Clay County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Clay County Chancery Court |
| Filing office | Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | 145 Cordell Hull Drive, Celina, TN 38551 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 332, Celina, TN 38551. The county page also lists a different P.O. Box in a separate location block, so call before mailing originals. |
| Phone | (931) 243-3145 |
| Fax | (931) 243-3157 |
| Hours | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. |
| Probate estate statutory 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 T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
| Local form status | The Clay County Chancery Court page does not publish a local probate petition, packet or checklist. |
| Electronic filing status | Tennessee has no statewide trial-court e-filing system, and Clay County does not publish a local Chancery Court e-filing portal. |
| Case lookup | The Clay County Chancery Court page does not publish an online probate case lookup, and clay.tncrtinfo.com returns 404. |
| Remote appearance | No Clay County-specific remote appearance practice is published. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, leaves teleconferencing, video conferencing or other remote technology to the trial court's discretion. |
| Website | https://www.claycountytngov.com/chancerycourt |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before starting an estate settlement in Clay County, make a working list of the person's assets, debts, known creditors, family members, and any will. That list determines whether you are asking for ordinary letters, limited letters under T.C.A. § 30-4-101 et seq., or another Tennessee probate path.
Sunset's asset discovery checks 2,300 institutions so families can identify accounts before they spend time and filing money at the courthouse. In a small rural courthouse schedule like Clay County's, having the asset picture first can reduce repeat trips and help you choose the right estate settlement path.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Clay County estate matters are filed in Celina. Tennessee venue 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 Clay County uses the chancery default under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
For Clay County, that means the Clay County Chancery Court is the local probate forum and the Clerk and Master is the filing officer. The courthouse address is 145 Cordell Hull Drive, Celina, TN 38551.
The jurisdiction process
- Start with the will, death certificate, asset list, debt list, and names and addresses of heirs or beneficiaries. If there is no local Clay County packet online, call the Clerk and Master before you travel or mail papers.
- Prepare the Tennessee petition that matches the estate. A request for letters testamentary or letters of administration is made by verified petition under T.C.A. § 30-1-117.
- Take or mail the papers to the Clay County Clerk and Master at the Celina courthouse. Use P.O. Box 332 for mail unless the office gives you a different mailing box, because the county page lists two P.O. Box numbers.
- Pay the required probate estate charge. 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 T.C.A. § 8-21-401.
- Ask the Clerk and Master how the opening will be handled locally. If a will is admitted in common form under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, Tennessee does not require notice of the opening proceeding except for solemn form under T.C.A. § 30-1-117.
- After letters issue, the clerk gives notice to creditors as required by T.C.A. § 30-2-306. The personal representative still has duties to known creditors and interested people under Tennessee law.
- If a hearing is needed, ask the Clay County office for the date and attendance instructions. No Clay County hearing days are published online.
- If you need to appear by phone or video, ask the court how it applies Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55. Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, makes remote technology discretionary with the trial court.
- Once appointed, use the letters testamentary or letters of administration issued under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 to collect probate assets, handle claims, complete any inventory required by T.C.A. § 30-2-301, and account to the court.
- When administration is complete, close the estate through the Clay County Chancery Court in the manner the Clerk and Master requires.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Clay County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set for estates, and its self-help page sends estate and probate readers to the clerk in their own county. In Clay County, the Chancery Court page does not publish a local probate petition, packet or checklist.
The Clay County Circuit Court Clerk page and Clay County Clerk page also do not publish probate forms. Call the Clerk and Master before preparing or mailing an estate petition, especially if you are asking for limited letters under T.C.A. § 30-4-101 et seq.
Local nuance
Clay County-specific considerations
| Local point | What to do |
|---|---|
| Wednesday hours | The Clerk and Master is open Wednesday only from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Plan courthouse trips around the half-day schedule. |
| Mailing box conflict | The county page lists P.O. Box 332 in the main contact block and a different P.O. Box in a separate location block. Use P.O. Box 332 only after confirming it with the office if you are mailing originals or payment. |
| No local packet online | Clay County's Chancery Court page is a contact page and does not publish a probate packet. Call before filing so you know what the office wants included. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Clay County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by separating probate assets from property that may pass outside probate. If a Clay County estate filing is needed, the Chancery Court and Clerk and Master in Celina handle the estate under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. | Sunset helps identify accounts and debts before the spouse spends time preparing the estate settlement filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate under T.C.A. § 30-4-101 et seq. | Call the Clay County Clerk and Master before traveling, because no local packet is posted online and Tennessee has no statewide probate form set. If limited letters are the right path under T.C.A. § 30-4-101 et seq., the petition still goes through the local probate court. | Sunset helps organize the asset list and can help generate a packet for attorney review or filing preparation. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually requires careful review of title and probate authority. In Clay County, the estate filing goes through Chancery Court in Celina, and letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 may be needed before the personal representative can act. | Sunset helps find financial accounts, prepare the estate settlement packet, and connect the family with a probate attorney when real estate must be sold. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Clay County Clerk and Master | Use the local office for filing logistics, hours, mailing instructions, fee totals under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, and questions about what the office will accept at the counter. Court staff cannot give legal advice or engage in the practice of law under T.C.A. § 16-3-804(b). |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts self-help center | The Estate & Probate section directs most readers to the Clerk & Master in their county and explains that court employees cannot provide legal advice under T.C.A. § 16-3-804(b). |
| Tennessee court clerks directory | Use the statewide clerks directory if you need to confirm which Tennessee clerk office serves a county before filing. |
| Justice for All Tennessee | The Tennessee self-help center links to this statewide access-to-justice site. Review it for general legal-help navigation, then confirm probate filing steps with the Clay County office. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider working with a Tennessee probate attorney if the will may be contested, the estate includes real property to sell, family members disagree, creditors are active, or you are unsure whether a Clay County filing is needed. Counsel is also useful when the correct petition or bond question is unclear. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families locate bank, brokerage, retirement, insurance and other accounts so the Clay County probate filing starts from a fuller asset picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the estate information you provide into an organized packet you can use to prepare for the Clerk and Master, a court filing, or an attorney review.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal judgment, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Tennessee probate attorney familiar with estate settlement work.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, identify next steps, and move forward without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for a Clay County resident?
File in Celina with the Clay County Chancery Court. Tennessee venue 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 Clay County uses the chancery default under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
What are the Clay County Clerk and Master's hours?
The office is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. On Wednesday, the office is open from 8:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Does Clay County publish probate forms online?
The Clay County Chancery Court page does not publish a probate petition, packet or checklist. Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts also does not publish a statewide probate form set for estates, so call the Clerk and Master before preparing a filing.
What is the Clay County probate filing fee under T.C.A. § 8-21-401?
The statewide 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 T.C.A. § 8-21-401, and Clay County does not publish its total counter amount online.
Does Clay County have probate e-filing?
Clay County does not publish a local Chancery Court e-filing portal. Tennessee has no statewide trial-court e-filing system, so ask the Clerk and Master how the office wants papers delivered.
Can I look up a Clay County probate case online?
The Clay County Chancery Court page does not publish an online probate case lookup. The clay.tncrtinfo.com address returns 404, so call the Clerk and Master for case-access instructions.
Can a Clay County probate hearing be handled by phone or video?
No Clay County-specific remote appearance practice is published. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, says teleconferencing, video conferencing or other remote technology is permissible at the discretion of the trial court.
Do I have to travel to Celina for a Clay County estate?
Plan around the Celina filing office unless the Clerk and Master gives you another accepted delivery method. If you are mailing papers, confirm the correct P.O. Box first because the county page lists two different boxes.
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.