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Dyer County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Dyer County detail |
|---|---|
| Court for estates | Probate Court of Dyer County. Private Acts of 1994, ch. 123 gives the General Sessions Court of Dyer County probate powers, within the exception recognized by T.C.A. § 16-16-201. |
| Filing office | Dyer County Clerk and Master, serving as Clerk of the Probate Court of Dyer County under Private Acts of 1994, ch. 123. |
| Courthouse address | 101 W. Court Street, Dyersburg, TN 38024. A county offices directory lists Room 201, so confirm the room before visiting. |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 1360, Dyersburg, TN 38024 |
| Phone | (731) 286-7818 |
| Fax | (731) 288-7706 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Probate cost | 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 under § 8-21-401 are added on top. Dyer County's Clerk and Master site does not publish a local total. |
| Dyer forms | The Clerk and Master's site does not publish a local probate petition, packet or checklist. It points readers to the statewide court forms page, which does not provide a decedent estate probate packet. |
| Electronic filing | No Dyer County probate electronic filing portal is published. Tennessee has no statewide trial-court electronic filing system. |
| Online records | Dyer County publishes an online court records portal at https://dyer.tncrtinfo.com/. Confirm with the Clerk and Master whether Probate Court matters appear there. |
| Remote proceedings | Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, permits teleconferencing, video conferencing or other technology at the discretion of the trial court. Ask the Probate Court of Dyer County how it applies the rule. |
| Website | https://dyercountychancery.com/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you contact the Dyer County Clerk and Master, make a working list of the accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts, beneficiary designations and jointly held property. That list determines whether the estate needs a full probate administration, limited relief under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, or a different estate settlement path.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 institutions so families can find accounts before they choose a filing path. In Dyer County, that preparation matters because the probate court is separate from chancery by local law, but the papers still go through the Clerk and Master.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Probate Court of Dyer County serves estates for people who lived in Dyer County at death, with filings handled in Dyersburg by the Clerk and Master. Tennessee defines the small estate court as the court exercising probate authority in the county where the decedent had legal residence on the date of death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102), and the broader chancery default is subject to local acts under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
For Dyer County, that local act is Private Acts of 1994, ch. 123. It places probate matters in the General Sessions Court of Dyer County, styles that forum as the Probate Court of Dyer County, uses chancery-style pleading and practice, and keeps the Clerk and Master as clerk for probate filings.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the will, death certificate, asset list, debt list, names and addresses of heirs or beneficiaries, and any information needed to decide the estate settlement path.
- Prepare the petition and supporting papers for the Dyer County filing. The Clerk and Master's site does not publish a local probate packet; if the matter is a small estate request for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, confirm the required petition details with the Clerk and Master before filing.
- Submit the papers to the Dyer County Clerk and Master for the Probate Court of Dyer County at 101 W. Court Street in Dyersburg, or use the mailing address when the clerk tells you a filing may be mailed.
- Pay the required costs. 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 under § 8-21-401 are additional.
- Ask how the Probate Court of Dyer County will handle any hearing or court review. Common form and solemn form proceedings are Tennessee probate categories under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, but Dyer County's posted pages do not state a regular probate docket day.
- If a remote appearance would help, ask the clerk before the setting. Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, leaves teleconferencing, video conferencing and other technology to the trial court's discretion.
- After the court accepts the filing, obtain the correct authority document from the clerk. Tennessee uses letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is no will (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). For a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, the document is limited letters under those sections.
- Administer the estate and close it. Track the inventory duties under T.C.A. § 30-2-301, creditor notice and publication handled through the clerk under T.C.A. § 30-2-306, claims against the estate under T.C.A. § 30-2-307, accountings, distributions and any closing order required by the Probate Court of Dyer County.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Dyer County
Tennessee's statewide court forms page does not provide a decedent estate probate form set, and the Dyer County Clerk and Master's site does not publish a local probate petition, packet or checklist. The site points readers to the statewide court forms page for some court forms, but Dyer County estate filers should call the Clerk and Master before preparing papers.
Because Dyer County probate matters are filed with the Clerk and Master even though the Probate Court is created through the General Sessions Court, do not use the general sessions civil clerk line for estate filings. The 1994 local act keeps the Clerk and Master as the clerk for probate matters.
Local nuance
Dyer County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means in Dyer County |
|---|---|
| Probate forum | Dyer County probate matters are in the Probate Court of Dyer County, not the Dyer County Chancery Court. This local setup exists because T.C.A. § 16-16-201 allows public, private, special or local acts, and Private Acts of 1994, ch. 123 gives the General Sessions Court probate powers. |
| Clerk | The Clerk and Master is still the filing office for Probate Court matters under Private Acts of 1994, ch. 123, section 6. |
| Procedure | Private Acts of 1994, ch. 123 says probate cases use the form for pleading and practice in Chancery Court, even though the probate forum is not the Dyer County Chancery Court. |
| General sessions clerk | Dyer County has a separate Circuit Court Clerk and General Sessions Court Clerk line for other matters. Probate filings should be directed to the Clerk and Master because the local act assigns probate filings there. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Dyer County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by separating jointly held or beneficiary property from property that needs Probate Court authority. If a court filing is needed, the Dyer County papers go through the Clerk and Master for the Probate Court of Dyer County. | Sunset helps identify accounts, titles and debts so the spouse can see what belongs in the estate settlement plan before filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Call the Dyer County Clerk and Master about a petition for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, and confirm whether mailing is acceptable for any step before sending originals. | Sunset organizes the asset list and can help generate a probate packet to review with the clerk or an attorney. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually calls for full Probate Court authority and careful title review. In Dyer County, the filing office is the Clerk and Master even though the probate forum is the Probate Court of Dyer County. | Sunset helps assemble account information, property information and family details, then connects the family with a local probate attorney when real estate must be addressed. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Limits to know |
|---|---|---|
| Dyer County Clerk and Master | The local filing office for Probate Court of Dyer County estate matters. Use (731) 286-7818, 101 W. Court Street, Dyersburg, TN 38024, or P.O. Box 1360, Dyersburg, TN 38024. | Court staff can provide filing information, but they cannot provide legal advice or engage in the practice of law under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts self-help center | The statewide self-help page directs probate and estate readers to the clerk in their county. | It does not provide a decedent estate probate packet for Dyer County filings. |
| Tennessee clerks list | The statewide clerks directory helps confirm the correct court office for a Tennessee county. | Dyer County is unusual because the Probate Court is created through General Sessions Court, while the Clerk and Master remains the probate filing office. |
| Justice for All | The Tennessee judiciary's self-help page links to this statewide access-to-justice site. | Confirm any probate-specific help directly with the provider before relying on it for an estate filing. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a Tennessee probate attorney if the will is disputed, heirs disagree, the estate includes real estate that must be sold, creditors are active, a bond question arises, or you are unsure whether the Dyer County Probate Court can grant the authority you need. Sunset connects you to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families locate financial accounts, insurance, retirement assets and other property so the estate settlement starts with a clearer picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into organized documents and next-step checklists that are easier to review with the Dyer County Clerk and Master or with counsel.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal judgment, Sunset connects families with a vetted Tennessee probate attorney who can advise on Dyer County procedure.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the work, understand the next step and move through the process without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate papers in Dyer County?
Submit Dyer County estate papers to the Dyer County Clerk and Master in Dyersburg. The probate court is the Probate Court of Dyer County, created through General Sessions Court by Private Acts of 1994, ch. 123 within the exception recognized by T.C.A. § 16-16-201, but that same act keeps the Clerk and Master as the filing office.
Is probate in the Dyer County Chancery Court?
No. Dyer County is a local-act county. T.C.A. § 16-16-201 recognizes exceptions made by public, private, special or local acts, and Private Acts of 1994, ch. 123 places Dyer County probate matters in the Probate Court of Dyer County while keeping the Clerk and Master as clerk.
Can I use electronic filing for a Dyer County probate matter?
No Dyer County probate electronic filing portal is published, and Tennessee has no statewide trial-court electronic filing system. Call the Clerk and Master before assuming that a filing can be sent by any method other than delivery or mail approved by the office.
Does Dyer County publish probate forms?
The Dyer County Clerk and Master's site does not publish a local probate petition, packet or checklist. It points readers to the statewide court forms page, which does not provide a decedent estate probate packet.
What does it cost to open a probate estate in Dyer County?
The statutory clerk's fee 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 under § 8-21-401 are added on top, and Dyer County's site does not publish a local total.
Can I appear by phone or video in a Dyer County probate matter?
Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, says teleconferencing, video conferencing or other technology is permissible at the discretion of the trial court. Ask the Probate Court of Dyer County how it handles the specific setting.
Can I look up a Dyer County probate case online?
Dyer County publishes an online court records portal at https://dyer.tncrtinfo.com/. Confirm with the Clerk and Master whether the portal includes Probate Court matters before relying on it for an estate settlement update.
Do I have to travel to Dyersburg for a Dyer County estate?
The filing office is in Dyersburg, but you should call the Clerk and Master before traveling, especially if you live outside Tennessee. The office can tell you current counter procedures, mailing options and whether the court has set any appearance.
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.