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Davidson County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Davidson County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Davidson County Seventh Circuit Court, Probate Division, commonly called the Davidson County Probate Court. The Probate Court Clerk's Office manages clerk duties for cases filed in that court. Tennessee's chancery default applies only where not changed by law, T.C.A. § 16-16-201, and Davidson is an exception. |
| Probate counter | Probate Court Clerk's Office, Metropolitan Courthouse, 1 Public Square, Suite 302, Nashville, TN 37201. |
| Mailing address | Probate Court Clerk's Office, P.O. Box 196300, Nashville, TN 37219-6300. |
| Phone | (615) 862-5980. |
| Fax | Probate office fax: (615) 862-5987. Dedicated fax filing line: (615) 296-4502. |
| [email protected]. | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, excluding published court holidays. |
| Opening cost | The published opening total for a decedent's estate is three hundred thirty-four dollars and fifty cents, effective January 1, 2026. It is $275, the statutory probate estate clerk's fee effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401, plus $59.50 in state and county litigation tax. Small estate petitions and name-change petitions are marked no personal checks or money orders. |
| Forms | Davidson County publishes its own Probate Court Forms page, including small estate petitions with and without a will, estate consent forms, oath, bond, inventory, accounting, claim, TennCare release request, receipt, statement in lieu, pauper's oath, and other probate documents. |
| Electronic filing | Davidson uses eFlex at efile.nashville.gov for Circuit, Probate, and General Sessions Civil filings. Accountings must be filed through eFlex under Local Rule 39.15(d). Original wills and publication notices are not accepted through eFlex, and the original will must be delivered to the Circuit Court Clerk within five business days after the petition is filed. |
| Case lookup | Free probate estate lookup, free CaseSearch, and paid CaseLink subscription are available through Davidson County's own CaseLink system. |
| Remote proceedings | Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, leaves remote technology to the trial court's discretion. Davidson's Seventh Circuit Court publishes standing ZoomGov information under a written policy effective July 1, 2024, but witness testimony by video requires a court order under Tenn. R. Civ. P. 43.01 except for limited administrative matters. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Davidson County probate path, list the accounts, real estate, debts, beneficiary designations, and co-owned property. The Davidson small estate petition turns on whether probate personal property is $50,000 or less under T.C.A. § 30-4-102, while real estate and larger accounts can move the case into a full estate opening.
Sunset's estate settlement tools help families find accounts across 2,300 institutions before they file. That asset picture matters in Davidson County because the court has separate small estate, estate opening, accounting, and real-property-sale procedures, each with its own local steps.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Davidson County probate filings are taken at one downtown Nashville counter: the Probate Court Clerk's Office in the Metropolitan Courthouse at 1 Public Square, Suite 302. Nashville and Davidson County operate as a consolidated metropolitan government, and the same probate counter serves estates for residents across the county, including Belle Meade, Berry Hill, Forest Hills, Goodlettsville, Oak Hill, Ridgetop, Antioch, Bellevue, Donelson, Hermitage, Madison, and Old Hickory.
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 most Tennessee counties that court is chancery court and the filing office is the Clerk and Master, T.C.A. § 16-16-201. Davidson County is different: probate is in the Davidson County Seventh Circuit Court, Probate Division, and papers go to the Probate Court Clerk's Office of the Circuit Court Clerk. Goodlettsville and Ridgetop cross county lines, so a family should confirm the decedent's county of residence, not just the mailing city.
The jurisdiction process
- Build the asset and debt list first. Davidson's small estate petition uses the statewide personal-property limit of $50,000 under T.C.A. § 30-4-102, and the court's form states that personal property does not include real estate.
- Get the local forms from the Davidson County Probate Court Forms page. The court publishes ready-made small estate petitions with and without a will under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-103, but it does not publish a fill-in petition to open a full estate.
- File with the Probate Court Clerk's Office at 1 Public Square, Suite 302, Nashville, by mail to P.O. Box 196300, Nashville, TN 37219-6300, or through Davidson County's eFlex system when the filing is eligible. Local Rule 39.03(a) requires the original testamentary instrument to be tendered to the Circuit Court Clerk within five business days after the petition is filed.
- Pay the opening court cost. Davidson's published total for opening a decedent's estate is three hundred thirty-four dollars and fifty cents, effective January 1, 2026, made up of the $275 statutory probate estate clerk's fee effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401, plus $59.50 in state and county litigation tax. For small estate petitions, the schedule says no personal checks or money orders.
- Handle notice and service based on the type of petition. Under Local Rule 39.03(e), petitions to probate a will in common form or administer an intestate estate are not adversary proceedings and do not require service of process, while solemn form petitions are adversary proceedings and require service of process. Common form and solemn form probate are Tennessee terms tied to T.C.A. § 30-1-117.
- Schedule the hearing on the proper Davidson docket. New estate petitions may be set on available Thursday Estate Opening dockets at 9:00 am, general petitions are set at 10:00 am, and the court publishes a separate Tuesday morning self-represented small estate docket under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-103. Published dockets close two weeks before the hearing date.
- Check completeness before the hearing. Davidson's May 1, 2023 notice says filings to open a decedent's estate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 must be complete before the case is set for hearing, and incomplete matters are continued indefinitely with the filer responsible for correcting the filings and giving new notice.
- Use Davidson's remote policy carefully. Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, makes remote technology discretionary with the court. Davidson publishes standing ZoomGov information for probate courtrooms, but witness testimony by video requires a court order under Tenn. R. Civ. P. 43.01 except for limited administrative matters.
- After appointment, obtain the right letters. Tennessee calls the personal representative's authority letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not, T.C.A. § 30-1-117. In a small estate, the clerk issues limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-103. Davidson includes the first certified copy with the opening cost, and additional certified copies are $5.00 each under the January 1, 2026 local schedule.
- Administer and close the estate under the local rules. Davidson requires inventories and accountings as Local Rule 39.15 provides, with inventory duties also governed by T.C.A. § 30-2-301. The clerk gives notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306 in regular administrations, while small estate proceedings under T.C.A. § 30-4-103 do not publish creditor notice. Davidson also requires accountings to be handled through eFlex and paper originals with supporting documents to reach the Circuit Court Clerk within five business days.
Executor duties
Davidson County adds several local duties to the statewide personal representative role. These are practical calendar and filing duties from the court's June 2026 Local Rule 39.
- Tender the original will to the Circuit Court Clerk within five business days after filing the petition, with a copy attached to the petition as an exhibit.
- File a status report fifteen months after appointment, and annually after that until the estate closes, unless the matter is a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-103.
- Give copies of the inventory and every interim and final accounting to all interested parties, in addition to filing the inventory under T.C.A. § 30-2-301.
- File every accounting through eFlex, then deliver the paper original and supporting documentation to the Circuit Court Clerk within five business days.
- Get court approval before selling the decedent's real property unless the will expressly authorizes the sale, and get the contract approved before closing when Local Rule 39.07 applies.
- Use Davidson's closing packet process for a solvent estate after the claim period has run, including statements, receipts, claim proof, any required TennCare release under T.C.A. § 71-5-116, and a proposed closing order.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Davidson County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set for estates; it directs people to the clerk in their own county. Davidson County's answer is a large local Probate Court Forms page for the Seventh Circuit Court and the Probate Court Clerk's Office.
| Form group | Davidson County examples |
|---|---|
| Opening and small estate forms | Small estate petition with will, small estate petition without will, consent to serve without bond for small estate, consent to serve without bond for full estate, oath of personal representative, declination to serve, corporate surety bond, and non-resident fiduciary form. Small estate practice is governed by T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-103, and the $50,000 personal-property limit is in T.C.A. § 30-4-102. |
| Administration forms | Inventory, waiver of inventory, annual status report, waiver of annual accountings, affidavit of personal representative about notice to heirs, claim form, TennCare release request under T.C.A. § 71-5-116, accounting receipt and waiver of appearance, specific bequest receipt, statement in lieu by personal representative, and statement in lieu by distributee. |
| Accounting forms | Annual accounting, final accounting, and related fiduciary accounting forms. Davidson Local Rule 39.15(d) requires accountings to be handled through eFlex and paper originals to be delivered afterward. |
| Instructions and general forms | Personal Representative Packet, Fiduciary Instructions, pauper's oath affidavit and order, email notice for people without lawyers, statistical sheet, cost bond, notice of appeal, and appeal bond. A pauper's oath or indigency request is decided under Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 29 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401(a). |
The key gap is also useful: Davidson's published form library has ready-made small estate petitions, but no fill-in petition to open a full estate. For a full estate, Local Rule 39.03 describes what the petition must contain, and the court's May 1, 2023 notice warns that incomplete estate-opening filings will be continued indefinitely.
Fees
Davidson County publishes a Probate Court schedule effective January 1, 2026. The estate-opening total is three hundred thirty-four dollars and fifty cents, made up of $275, the statutory probate estate clerk's fee effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401, plus $59.50 in state and county litigation tax. The same published opening total applies with a will, without a will, for a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-103, and for a muniment of title petition under T.C.A. § 32-2-111.
| Local charge | Amount and local note |
|---|---|
| Additional certified letters | $5.00 each, effective January 1, 2026. The first certified copy is included in the opening cost. |
| Creditor claim | $50.00, effective January 1, 2026, consistent with the probate claim row in T.C.A. § 8-21-401 after 2025 Public Chapter 486. |
| Exception to a claim | $100.00, effective January 1, 2026. |
| Interim, annual, or final accounting | $75.00, effective January 1, 2026. |
| Petition to sell real property, year's support, exempt property, homestead, insolvency, or interpretation | $200.00, effective January 1, 2026, matching the local schedule and the post-2026 probate request row in T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
| Requests in an existing case | $25.00, effective January 1, 2026, unless another listed charge applies. |
| Orders | $20.00, effective January 1, 2026, with appointing and closing orders listed at no fee. |
| Card service charge | 2.25%, stated by the Resource Center for card payments and by the eFlex materials for credit card or electronic check payments. |
| Fax filing service charge | $5.00 plus $1.00 per page, effective under the clerk's published fax filing rule, with payment due within ten calendar days. |
The schedule also lists no fee for common family filings such as inventory, oath, consent, waiver, notice to beneficiaries affidavit, TennCare notification affidavit under T.C.A. § 71-5-116, release of claim, receipt for specific bequest, receipt and waiver, statement in lieu, and closing order.
Timeline
- Choose the right filing path before picking a docket. Davidson has a self-represented small estate docket for petitions under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-103, an Estate Opening docket for new estate petitions, and a General Petition docket for other probate petitions.
- For small estate petitions, wait forty-five days after death unless the court waives the wait for good cause, T.C.A. § 30-4-103. The court's form says the clerk gives the hearing date when the petition and required consents are filed.
- For new estate petitions, the published 2026 Probate Docket Schedule says new petitions may be docketed for the Estate Opening docket on available Thursdays at 9:00 am in Courtroom 608.
- For general petitions, the published schedule lists the General Petition docket at 10:00 am in Courtroom 608, and the Probate Master docket at 9:00 am in Courtroom 510 on Wednesdays.
- Dockets close two weeks before the hearing date. Build that cutoff into notice, signatures, original-will delivery, and any required consents.
- Recurring hearings expected to take no more than 20 minutes may be scheduled under Local Rule 39.11. Longer hearings and dispositive matters require a special setting.
- After appointment, Davidson Local Rule 39.03(f) requires a status report at 15 months, and annually after that, for persons issued letters other than for small estates under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-103. That is a reporting deadline, not a promised closing date.
Local nuance
Davidson County-specific considerations
- Davidson probate is not filed in chancery court. It is filed in the Davidson County Seventh Circuit Court, Probate Division, with the Probate Court Clerk's Office of the Circuit Court Clerk. Tennessee's default chancery rule is subject to local law, T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
- Davidson has eFlex for probate filings, but original wills and publication notices are not accepted through eFlex. Local Rule 39.03(a) requires the original testamentary instrument to reach the Circuit Court Clerk within five business days after the petition is filed.
- Accountings must be handled through eFlex under Local Rule 39.15(d), and the paper original with supporting documentation must be delivered within five business days.
- A represented petitioner may ask for review and approval of a petition on the record without a hearing under Local Rule 39.03(c). The rule states that this option is limited and is not available outside the court's guidelines.
- The court publishes a separate self-represented small estate docket, with small estate practice governed by T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-103.
- The court's May 1, 2023 notice says incomplete estate-opening filings are continued indefinitely, and the filer must complete the filings, reset the matter, and notify interested persons.
- The Trial Courts of Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County publish a courtroom dress code. No shorts, flip-flops, house shoes, sunglasses in court, chains, spiked accessories, or oversized jewelry are permitted under that policy.
Recent updates
| Date | Local update |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Davidson's Probate Court cost schedule changed. The estate-opening total is now based on the $275 statutory probate estate clerk's fee effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401, plus $59.50 in state and county litigation tax. |
| June 1, 2026 | The Trial Courts of the Twentieth Judicial District issued revised local rules, including revised Probate Rule 39, the 15-month status report, attorney review on the record, and required eFlex handling for accountings. |
| July 1, 2024 | The Seventh Circuit Court's written Zoom policy took effect, keeping ZoomGov information available for probate proceedings while requiring a court order under Tenn. R. Civ. P. 43.01 for witness testimony by video except in limited administrative matters. Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55 was adopted June 8, 2023. |
| December 1, 2023 | The Circuit Court Clerk opened the Resource Center at 1 Public Square, Suite 303, for self-represented court users. |
| May 1, 2023 | The Probate Court's standing notice on estate-opening filings took effect, stating that incomplete filings will be continued indefinitely and must be corrected and reset by the filer. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | If the home passes outside probate, the court path often turns on accounts and other personal property. If probate personal property is $50,000 or less under T.C.A. § 30-4-102, the spouse may fit Davidson's small estate process under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-103, using the court's small estate petition with or without a will and the required consents. If the probate assets are larger, the case goes to the Estate Opening docket. | Sunset helps identify accounts before the route is chosen, which is central to estate settlement because Davidson's small estate path depends on the personal-property total. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Davidson's eFlex system accepts probate filings from attorneys and people without lawyers, court costs on an existing case can be paid online by docket number, and the court publishes ZoomGov information under its July 1, 2024 policy. The original will still must reach the Circuit Court Clerk on paper within five business days, small estate petitions are marked no personal checks or money orders, and witness testimony by video requires a court order under Tenn. R. Civ. P. 43.01. The court applies Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, to remote technology at the court's discretion. | Sunset helps gather the account picture remotely so a family can limit travel and prepare the Davidson filing packet before contacting the Probate Court Clerk's Office. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate when a home must be sold | Davidson Local Rule 39.07 requires a verified petition when court approval is needed to sell real property, including a showing that personal property is insufficient for debts and costs, service on those who would inherit the property, and court approval of the contract before closing. The petition to sell real property is $200.00, effective January 1, 2026, under the local schedule and T.C.A. § 8-21-401. | Sunset helps assemble the debt and asset picture needed for the insufficiency showing and connects the family with a local probate attorney for a court-supervised sale. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk Resource Center | Located at 1 Public Square, Suite 303, with hours 8:00 am to 4:30 pm and phone (615) 862-5207. The center says it can route people to exact forms, point to payments and lookups, and explain filing and eFlex basics. | Staff cannot choose forms, give legal advice, or fill out forms. Court staff may not engage in the practice of law, including legal referrals, legal research, or legal advice, T.C.A. § 16-3-804(b). |
| Davidson County Probate Court Clerk's Office | Probate counter at 1 Public Square, Suite 302, phone (615) 862-5980, email [email protected]. The office publishes forms, cost schedules, dockets, and probate lookup tools. | The clerk's small estate form says the office may assist with that form but cannot provide legal advice. Small estate practice is governed by T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-103. |
| Help4TN | The Administrative Office of the Courts describes 1-844-Help4TN, or 1-844-435-7486, as a statewide free phone line offering legal information and referrals to low-income Tennesseans with civil legal issues. | The AOC describes it as legal information and referrals. This page does not state that it handles probate representation. |
| Justice for All | The AOC describes Justice for All as a Supreme Court access-to-justice site with an interactive county resource map and a list of pro bono legal advice clinics and programs by county. | Check the site for current Davidson County programs. This page does not name a probate clinic because no current probate clinic was established. |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify bank, brokerage, retirement, insurance, and other accounts before choosing a Davidson County filing path. That makes the estate settlement plan more accurate before you pay court costs or ask for a hearing date.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information a personal representative needs for the Davidson probate packet, including assets, debts, heirs, beneficiaries, and documents the court's local rules expect.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Davidson estate needs a full petition, a real estate sale, a disputed hearing, or attorney-only review on the record, Sunset helps connect the family with a local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset gives families a starting point for estate settlement, document organization, attorney connection, and account discovery without charging the family.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Davidson County, Tennessee?
File with the Probate Court Clerk's Office at the Metropolitan Courthouse, 1 Public Square, Suite 302, Nashville, TN 37201. Mail goes to Probate Court Clerk's Office, P.O. Box 196300, Nashville, TN 37219-6300.
Is probate in Davidson County handled by the chancery court?
No. Tennessee's chancery-court default applies only where probate jurisdiction has not been changed by law, T.C.A. § 16-16-201. Davidson County probate is handled by the Davidson County Seventh Circuit Court, Probate Division, with filings managed by the Probate Court Clerk's Office of the Circuit Court Clerk.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Davidson County?
The published opening total is three hundred thirty-four dollars and fifty cents, effective January 1, 2026. It is $275, the statutory probate estate clerk's fee effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401, plus $59.50 in state and county litigation tax.
Does Davidson County use eFlex for probate?
Yes. Davidson County's eFlex system covers probate filings, and Local Rule 39.15(d) requires accountings to be handled through eFlex. Do not send an original will through eFlex. Local Rule 39.03(a) requires the original will to reach the Circuit Court Clerk within five business days after the petition is filed.
Can I fax the original will to the Davidson County Probate Court Clerk?
No. The clerk publishes a fax filing line for eligible later filings, but the fax rule excludes a will or codicil. Fax filing also excludes filings that require payment of a filing charge or litigation tax under T.C.A. § 8-21-401.
Which day is the estate opening docket in Davidson County?
The 2026 Probate Docket Schedule says new probate petitions may be docketed on available Thursdays at 9:00 am in Courtroom 608. The court also publishes a Tuesday morning self-represented small estate docket for matters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-103. Dockets close two weeks before the hearing date.
Does Davidson County publish Zoom information for probate hearings?
Yes, under a local policy, but the statewide rule comes first. Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, says teleconferencing, video conferencing, or other remote technology is permissible at the discretion of the trial court. Davidson publishes standing ZoomGov information for probate courtrooms, while witness testimony by video requires a court order under Tenn. R. Civ. P. 43.01 except in limited administrative matters.
How do I look up a Davidson County probate or estate case?
Davidson publishes a free Probate Estate Lookup for probate-specific searches, a free CaseSearch for party-name searches across Probate, Circuit, and General Sessions Civil, and a paid CaseLink subscription that provides images of unsealed and redacted documents. CaseLink is $25.00 per month as stated by the clerk's FAQ.
Does Davidson County have its own probate forms?
Yes. Davidson County publishes local probate forms for small estate petitions under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-103, consents, oath, bond, inventory under T.C.A. § 30-2-301, accountings, claims, TennCare release requests under T.C.A. § 71-5-116, receipts, statements in lieu, and pauper's oath filings under Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 29. It does not publish a fill-in petition to open a full estate.
Can Davidson County court costs be paid online?
The clerk publishes a Probate Court Fee Payment System for existing cases. Payments are made by docket number, and the clerk says the payment is credited on the next business day. The court-cost rules are tied to T.C.A. § 8-21-401, and card or electronic check payments may carry a 2.25% vendor charge.
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.