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Dickson County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Dickson County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Dickson County Chancery Court |
| Courthouse address | Dickson County Justice Center, 500 Spring Street, Charlotte, TN 37036 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 547, Charlotte, TN 37036 |
| Probate filing office | Clerk and Master |
| Phone | (615) 789-7011 |
| Fax | (615) 789-6704 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The county page does not list a lunch closure. |
| Cost to open | The state statutory probate-estate charge is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486; litigation taxes and any costs deposit may be added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Dickson County's Chancery Court page does not publish a local total. |
| Local probate forms | The Dickson County Chancery Court page does not publish probate forms, a checklist, or a packet. |
| Electronic filing | Tennessee has no statewide trial-court electronic filing system. Dickson County's Chancery Court page does not publish a local electronic filing portal. |
| Online records | dickson.tncrtinfo.com is available. Confirm with the Clerk and Master whether it includes Chancery Court probate matters. |
| Remote appearance | Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, leaves remote technology to the trial court's discretion. Dickson County's Chancery Court page does not publish local remote-appearance instructions. |
| Website | https://dicksoncountytn.gov/chancery_court.html |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Charlotte, identify the accounts, debts, real property, vehicles and beneficiary-designated assets. The right estate settlement path depends on what is actually in the probate estate, not only on whether there is a will.
Sunset can help you organize that first pass by searching across 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, then using what is found to prepare a Dickson County probate packet or connect you with local counsel.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Dickson County probate filings go to the Dickson County Chancery Court at the Dickson County Justice Center in Charlotte. Tennessee law sends the estate to the court that exercises probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102). In counties where no public, private, special or local act provides otherwise, probate jurisdiction is in chancery court under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. Dickson County's own Chancery Court page states that decedent estates and related probate matters are heard there, so the Clerk and Master is the filing office.
This page covers estate filings for Dickson County residents and Dickson County probate assets that belong in the county's probate forum. If the person lived in another Tennessee county at death, start with the court exercising probate jurisdiction in that county under T.C.A. § 30-4-102.
The jurisdiction process
- Collect the will, death certificate, asset list, debt list, names and addresses of heirs or beneficiaries, and any documents needed for the route you plan to use. Tennessee's small-estate path is a petition for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, not a county form packet published on the Dickson County page.
- Prepare the petition for letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. Use letters testamentary when a will names a personal representative and letters of administration when there is no will or no acting executor.
- File with the Clerk and Master for Dickson County Chancery Court at the Dickson County Justice Center in Charlotte, or mail filings to P.O. Box 547, Charlotte, TN 37036. Call (615) 789-7011 before mailing if you need current filing instructions.
- Pay the required opening charge. The statutory probate-estate charge is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486; T.C.A. § 8-21-401 also allows litigation taxes and other amounts to be added. Dickson County's Chancery Court page does not publish a local total.
- If the estate proceeds in common form, T.C.A. § 30-1-117 provides that no notice of the probate proceeding is required except for solemn form. If solemn form is used, T.C.A. § 30-1-117 requires notice to interested persons.
- Ask the Clerk and Master how the Chancery Court will schedule any required hearing. The Dickson County Chancery Court page does not publish probate hearing days, filing cutoffs, or docket-sounding dates.
- Ask separately about remote participation if travel is difficult. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, makes remote technology permissible at the trial court's discretion, but the Dickson County Chancery Court page does not publish local instructions.
- After the court accepts the petition, the Clerk and Master issues the Tennessee authority document: letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. For a qualifying small estate, the document is limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
- Administer the estate after letters issue. The clerk handles notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306, and the personal representative handles required tasks such as inventory under T.C.A. § 30-2-301 unless legally excused.
- Close the estate when debts, claims, accountings, distributions and any required court approvals are complete. If the estate settlement becomes contested or involves a sale of real property, consider asking a Tennessee probate attorney to review the next filing.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Dickson County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set. Its self-help materials direct probate and estate matters to the clerk in the county where the case belongs.
Dickson County's Chancery Court page does not publish probate forms, a checklist, or a packet. The page does list small-estate affidavit matters among the probate work handled by the office, but the current statewide statutory procedure is a petition for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. Call the Clerk and Master before filing if you need the current local packet or payment instructions.
Local nuance
Dickson County-specific considerations
Dickson County has a local naming trap. Private Acts of 1982, ch. 267 created an entity called the Probate and Juvenile Court of Dickson County, Tennessee, but that act limited the court to juvenile matters. Because T.C.A. § 16-16-201 makes probate jurisdiction a county-specific question where a private act can change the forum, the local act matters, but it does not move decedent estates out of Chancery Court. Dickson County's own Chancery Court page states that probate of decedent estates and related probate matters are heard in Chancery Court.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Dickson County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by separating probate assets from assets that may pass outside probate. If a court filing is needed, file in Dickson County Chancery Court in Charlotte and ask the Clerk and Master what documents the court wants for the home and any accounts. | Sunset helps identify accounts, organize the home and debt information, and prepare an estate settlement packet for attorney review or filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Confirm whether the estate fits Tennessee's small-estate procedure under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, then contact the Clerk and Master because Dickson County's page does not publish a local packet. Plan around Charlotte unless the court gives different instructions. | Sunset helps gather the asset list, flag missing accounts, and organize the information needed for a petition for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually calls for full probate administration rather than a personal-property-only small-estate path under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. File through Dickson County Chancery Court and consider legal help before requesting sale authority. | Sunset helps build the asset inventory under T.C.A. § 30-2-301, organize debts, and connect the family with a local probate attorney for the sale-related court work. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact or link |
|---|---|---|
| Dickson County Chancery Court Clerk and Master | The local filing office for Dickson County decedent estates. The office can provide filing logistics, hours and payment instructions, but court staff cannot give legal advice. | Dickson County Justice Center, 500 Spring Street, Charlotte, TN 37036; (615) 789-7011; https://dicksoncountytn.gov/chancery_court.html |
| Tennessee Judiciary self-help center | The Judiciary's Estate and Probate section directs most probate and estate matters to the Clerk and Master in the county. The Judiciary also states that state court employees may not engage in the practice of law under T.C.A. § 16-3-804(b). | https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center |
| Tennessee court clerks list | Use this directory if you need to confirm the correct Tennessee clerk for a county before starting probate or estate settlement paperwork. | https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/court-clerks/clerks-list |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a Tennessee probate attorney if the will is contested, heirs disagree, the estate includes real property that must be sold, creditor claims are disputed, or you are unsure whether Dickson County's small-estate procedure under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 fits the assets. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for financial accounts, insurance policies and other assets so the family can see what belongs in the estate settlement before filing in Dickson County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset uses the information you provide to assemble a probate packet for the correct Tennessee route, including the details needed to request letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117.
Find a local probate attorney. When a filing is contested, real property must be sold, or the family wants legal review before filing in Charlotte, Sunset can connect the family with a local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand next steps, and move through estate settlement without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Dickson County?
File with the Clerk and Master for Dickson County Chancery Court at the Dickson County Justice Center, 500 Spring Street, Charlotte, TN 37036. Tennessee sends the case to the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death under T.C.A. § 30-4-102, and Dickson County's Chancery Court page states that decedent estates are heard there under the chancery structure recognized by T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
Is probate filed in the city of Dickson or in Charlotte?
The courthouse city is Charlotte. The mailing address is P.O. Box 547, Charlotte, TN 37036, and the courthouse address is the Dickson County Justice Center, 500 Spring Street, Charlotte, TN 37036.
Does Dickson County publish probate forms online?
The Dickson County Chancery Court page does not publish probate forms, a checklist, or a packet. Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set, and the current small-estate procedure is governed by T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
Can I use electronic filing for a Dickson County probate case?
Tennessee has no statewide trial-court electronic filing system. Dickson County's Chancery Court page does not publish a local electronic filing portal, so call the Clerk and Master at (615) 789-7011 before assuming how papers should be delivered.
How much does it cost to open probate in Dickson County?
The state statutory probate-estate charge is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486. T.C.A. § 8-21-401 also allows litigation taxes and other added amounts, and Dickson County's Chancery Court page does not publish a local total.
Can I look up a Dickson County probate case online?
An online records portal exists at dickson.tncrtinfo.com. The portal landing page does not state whether it includes Dickson County Chancery Court probate matters, so confirm coverage with the Clerk and Master before relying on it.
Can I attend a Dickson County probate hearing by phone or video?
Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, says remote technology is permissible at the trial court's discretion. Dickson County's Chancery Court page does not publish local remote-appearance instructions, so ask the Clerk and Master how the court is handling the specific matter.
What authority document does a Dickson County personal representative receive?
Tennessee uses letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not, under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. In Dickson County, the office issuing those letters is the Clerk and Master for the Chancery Court.
Do I have to travel to Charlotte for a Dickson County estate?
Plan around the Dickson County Justice Center in Charlotte unless the Clerk and Master gives you different instructions. If travel is difficult, ask about the court's use of Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, before the hearing date or filing deadline.
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.