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Fayette County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Fayette County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Fayette County Chancery Court, filings taken by the Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | 16755 Highway 64, Suite 210, Somerville, TN 38068 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 220, Somerville, TN 38068 |
| Phone | (901) 465-5219 |
| Fax | (901) 465-5217 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Statutory probate estate charge | $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401. It is scheduled to rise to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit under § 8-21-401 are added, and Fayette County does not publish the counter total for opening an estate. |
| Forms | Fayette County does not publish local probate petitions, packets, checklists, or claim forms on its Chancery Court pages. |
| Electronic filing | No electronic filing portal, email filing policy, fax filing policy, or online submission channel is published for Fayette County probate. Plan on filing in person or by mail unless the clerk gives different case-specific instructions. |
| Online lookup | https://fayette.tncrtinfo.com/ covers Circuit Court and General Sessions case types. Chancery Court, where estates are filed, is not listed as a selectable court type. |
| Remote proceedings | Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, leaves teleconferencing, video conferencing, and other remote court business to the trial court's discretion. Call the Fayette County Chancery Court before relying on remote participation. |
| Website | https://fayettetn.us/departments/chancery-court/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Somerville, identify the assets, debts, beneficiaries, and whether any property passes outside probate. Fayette County does not publish a local probate packet online, so a clear asset list makes the first call or visit to the Clerk and Master more productive.
Sunset can search across 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, organize what is found, and turn that into a cleaner estate settlement plan before you choose the Fayette County filing path.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Fayette County estate filings are handled at the Fayette County Chancery Court in Somerville. The county includes Somerville, Piperton, Oakland, Gallaway, Braden, Rossville, and surrounding unincorporated areas in West Tennessee near the Memphis metro area.
For venue, 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 probate has not been moved by a public, private, special, or local act, probate jurisdiction is in chancery court under T.C.A. § 16-16-201; Fayette County's local Chancery Court page lists opening estates among its services, so Fayette filings go to the Clerk and Master.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the will, death certificate, asset list, debt list, names and addresses of heirs or beneficiaries, and any deed or account information needed to explain what is in the estate.
- Prepare the petition for the correct Tennessee route. An uncontested will may proceed in common form under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, while letters testamentary or letters of administration are requested through the verified petition process in § 30-1-117.
- Because Fayette County does not publish local probate forms, call the Clerk and Master at (901) 465-5219 before filing to ask what paper petition format, copies, and supporting documents the office expects.
- File at the Fayette County Chancery Court, 16755 Highway 64, Suite 210, Somerville, TN 38068, or mail the filing to P.O. Box 220, Somerville, TN 38068. Fayette County does not publish an electronic filing or online submission channel for probate.
- Bring or send payment for the statutory probate estate charge: $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401. That statute also leaves state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit to be added, so call the clerk for the current total before filing.
- After letters issue, the clerk gives notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306. The personal representative should also track creditor mailings and claim issues required by that same section.
- If a hearing is needed, ask the Fayette County Chancery Court how it schedules the matter. No Fayette County hearing day or filing-to-hearing window is published.
- Ask about remote participation before the hearing date. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, allows remote proceedings only at the trial court's discretion.
- Once the clerk issues letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, administer the estate, prepare any inventory required by T.C.A. § 30-2-301, address claims, distribute property only when allowed, and close the estate through the Fayette County Chancery Court.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Fayette County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not provide one statewide probate form set; its self-help materials direct people to the clerk in their own county. In Fayette County, the Chancery Court page and services page do not publish a local probate petition, packet, checklist, or claim-against-estate form.
Call the Fayette County Clerk and Master before filing to ask what papers the office expects for a will, an intestate estate, or a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. If you are mailing papers, confirm the number of copies, payment total under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, and whether originals are required.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Fayette County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | First separate assets that pass by title from assets that must go through the Fayette County Chancery Court. If an estate filing is needed, the Clerk and Master in Somerville is the filing office. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, and title clues so the spouse can focus the estate settlement filing on property that actually needs court authority. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Call the Fayette County Clerk and Master before traveling. Small estate relief is governed by T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, and Fayette County does not publish a local small estate packet online. | Sunset organizes the asset list, institution information, and family details so the adult child can ask the clerk or attorney about the right paper filing before coming to Somerville. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of a home usually needs ordinary probate planning rather than only a personal-property path. The filing starts with the Fayette County Chancery Court, and counsel is often useful before listing or closing on real property. | Sunset builds the asset picture, prepares an estate settlement summary, and can connect the parent with a vetted local probate attorney. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Fayette County Chancery Court | The local filing office for opening estates in Fayette County. Court staff can provide filing logistics, but state court employees cannot engage in the practice of law under T.C.A. § 16-3-804(b). | https://fayettetn.us/departments/chancery-court/ |
| Tennessee court clerk finder | A statewide tool for finding the correct clerk when the county or court is uncertain. | https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center/find-court-clerk |
| Tennessee courts self-help center | The state self-help page points estate and probate users to the clerk in their county and explains limits on court staff help. | https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center |
| West Tennessee Legal Services | The organization lists Fayette County in its service area. Its published practice areas do not list probate or estate administration, so ask intake whether your issue fits before relying on it for estate help. | https://www.wtls.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a probate attorney if the will may be contested, heirs disagree, a home must be sold, creditors are active, the family is unsure which assets require court authority, or you live outside Tennessee and need someone to handle Fayette County courthouse steps. Sunset connects you to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families locate bank, investment, retirement, insurance, and other accounts so the estate settlement starts with a clearer picture of what exists.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the family information, asset details, debt information, and court-ready summary you can use with the Fayette County Clerk and Master or a probate attorney.
Find a local probate attorney. When an estate needs legal judgment, Sunset can connect you with a vetted attorney familiar with Tennessee probate and Fayette County filing logistics.
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 Fayette County, Tennessee?
File with the Fayette County Chancery Court in Somerville, where the Clerk and Master takes estate filings. Tennessee's venue rule 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 chancery handles probate jurisdiction in counties like Fayette under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
Does Fayette County publish probate forms online?
No local probate petition, packet, checklist, or claim form is published on the Fayette County Chancery Court page or its services page. Call (901) 465-5219 before filing, especially for a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
Can I file a Fayette County probate case electronically?
Fayette County does not publish an electronic filing portal, email filing policy, fax filing policy, or online submission channel for probate. Plan on filing paper documents at 16755 Highway 64, Suite 210, Somerville, TN 38068, or mailing them to P.O. Box 220, Somerville, TN 38068, unless the clerk gives different instructions.
How much does Fayette County charge to open an estate?
The statutory probate estate charge is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401. It is scheduled to rise to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit under § 8-21-401 are added, and Fayette County does not publish the full counter total, so call the clerk before filing.
Can I look up a Fayette County probate case online?
The Fayette County online lookup at https://fayette.tncrtinfo.com/ lists Circuit Court and General Sessions, with criminal and civil case types. Chancery Court is not listed there, so estate case questions should go to the Fayette County Chancery Court.
Can I attend a Fayette County probate hearing by phone or video?
Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, makes teleconferencing, video conferencing, and other remote court business permissible at the trial court's discretion. Fayette County does not publish a probate-specific remote practice, so call the Chancery Court before relying on remote participation.
Will I have to travel to Somerville for Fayette County probate?
Fayette County accepts paper filings at the courthouse and publishes a mailing address, but it does not publish an online submission channel. Whether a hearing, oath, original document, or other step requires travel is a case-specific question for the Clerk and Master or your attorney.
What authority document does a Fayette County personal representative receive?
Tennessee uses letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not, requested through T.C.A. § 30-1-117. In Fayette County, the Clerk and Master issues the appropriate letters after the Chancery Court filing is accepted and the requirements are met.
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.