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Fentress County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Fentress County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Fentress County Chancery Court |
| Filing office | Fentress County Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | 140 Justice Center Drive, Suite 110, Jamestown, TN 38556 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 66, Jamestown, TN 38556 |
| Phone and fax | Phone: (931) 879-8615. Fax: (931) 879-4236. |
| Hours | The county's Clerk and Master page does not publish office hours. Call before visiting or mailing time-sensitive papers. |
| Cost to start | The clerk's fee for a probate estate is set by state statute at $275, effective January 1, 2026 (2025 Public Chapter 486; it rises to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028), plus state and local litigation taxes and any required costs deposit under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Fentress County does not publish a local total on its Clerk and Master page. |
| Local probate packet | No local probate petition, checklist or packet is linked from the Fentress County Clerk and Master page. |
| Online filing | No Fentress County online filing portal for probate is published on the county site. Tennessee has no statewide trial-court electronic filing system for probate filings. |
| Case lookup | Fentress County appears on the Tennessee Online Court Records System vendor portal at fentress.tncrtinfo.com, but remote use requires a login and password. The portal directs members of the public without a login to public terminals at the courthouse during normal business hours. |
| Remote proceedings | No Fentress County probate remote-appearance practice is published. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, leaves remote proceedings to the court's discretion. |
| Website | https://fentresscountytn.gov/clerk-and-master/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you prepare a Fentress County probate filing, identify the estate's assets, debts, account ownership and beneficiary designations. Tennessee probate starts with the property that actually needs court authority, and that local filing decision is easier when the estate settlement picture is complete.
Sunset helps families search across more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, then uses that information to help organize the next steps for a Fentress County estate settlement.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Fentress County probate matters are handled countywide in Jamestown by the Fentress County Chancery Court through the Clerk and Master. Tennessee sends the estate to the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the person had legal residence at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102). In Fentress County, the county's own Clerk and Master page identifies probate, wills and estates as part of the Chancery Court work, which fits the chancery default in T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
The filing office is at the Fentress County Justice Center, 140 Justice Center Drive, Suite 110, Jamestown, TN 38556. Mail goes to P.O. Box 66, Jamestown, TN 38556, but call the Clerk and Master before relying on mail for a deadline.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm that Fentress County is the correct Tennessee county for the filing. Venue follows the county where the decedent had legal residence at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102).
- Prepare the petition and supporting papers for the type of Tennessee probate you need. Fentress County does not link a local probate packet on its Clerk and Master page, and Tennessee's statewide court forms page does not supply a county-neutral probate packet.
- Submit the papers to the Fentress County Clerk and Master for the Fentress County Chancery Court at 140 Justice Center Drive, Suite 110, Jamestown, TN 38556. If you plan to use the P.O. Box, call first to confirm current mailing instructions.
- Be ready to pay the current statutory probate estate clerk fee and local add-ons. The clerk's fee is $275, effective January 1, 2026 (2025 Public Chapter 486; $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028), and state and local litigation taxes or a costs deposit may be added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401.
- If the will is being admitted in common form, Tennessee does not require notice of the probate proceeding itself except for solemn form probate (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). After letters issue, the clerk handles the published notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306.
- Ask the Clerk and Master whether your filing can be handled at the counter or must be set for the chancellor. Fentress County does not publish a fixed probate hearing day or hearing wait time on the Clerk and Master page.
- If a hearing is required and travel to Jamestown is difficult, ask how the court applies Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55. Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, permits remote court proceedings only at the court's discretion.
- Once the court accepts the filing, Tennessee authority comes through letters testamentary if there is a will or letters of administration if there is not (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). In Fentress County, those papers come through the Clerk and Master.
- Administer and close the estate by following the court's orders, dealing with creditor issues, and returning any required inventory to the clerk of the court exercising probate authority under T.C.A. § 30-2-301.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Fentress County
Fentress County does not link a local probate petition, checklist or packet from its Clerk and Master page. The county page gives the filing office, address, phone and fax, and describes the office as handling probate, wills and estates for the Chancery Court.
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set. For Fentress County, call the Clerk and Master before drafting or mailing papers so you can confirm the current format, signature, oath, copy and payment requirements for the filing you plan to make.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by identifying which assets actually need Fentress County court authority. If the estate still needs probate, the filing goes through the Clerk and Master for the Fentress County Chancery Court in Jamestown. | Sunset helps find accounts, debts and beneficiary designations so the spouse can separate court assets from assets that may pass outside the estate. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the estate may qualify for Tennessee's small estate process under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, ask the Fentress County Clerk and Master what local petition format the office expects. Limited letters for that process are governed by T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, and Fentress County does not publish a local packet online. | Sunset helps organize the asset list and can help the child decide whether to ask a local attorney to prepare or review the county filing before traveling to Jamestown. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually requires careful review of title, heirs, creditors and court authority. The parent should expect to work through the Fentress County Chancery Court filing office in Jamestown and should consider counsel before listing or closing on the property. | Sunset helps surface financial accounts and connects the family with a vetted probate attorney when a real-estate sale makes the estate more complex. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link or contact |
|---|---|---|
| Fentress County Clerk and Master | The local filing office for Fentress County Chancery Court probate, wills and estates. The office can provide filing logistics, but court staff cannot choose forms, fill them out for you or give legal advice. | 140 Justice Center Drive, Suite 110, Jamestown, TN 38556. Phone: (931) 879-8615. Website: https://fentresscountytn.gov/clerk-and-master/ |
| Tennessee Self Help Center | The statewide court self-help page directs estate and probate questions to the county Clerk and Master and explains 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 | The statewide clerk directory can help confirm the correct clerk contact if a county page changes. | https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/court-clerks/clerks-list |
When to hire an attorney
Consider hiring a Tennessee probate attorney if the will may be contested, heirs disagree, the estate includes real estate to sell, creditor issues are unclear, or you live far from Jamestown and cannot easily handle in-person steps. Sunset connects you to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify accounts, benefits, debts and property that may matter to a Fentress County estate settlement, so the probate filing starts from a clearer asset picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset uses the family's answers to organize the information commonly needed for Tennessee probate paperwork, then helps prepare a county-ready set for attorney review or filing where appropriate.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate involves a home sale, a dispute, missing heirs, creditor questions or a court hearing in Jamestown, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Tennessee probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand the next steps and move forward without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Fentress County?
Fentress County probate filings go through the Fentress County Clerk and Master for the Fentress County Chancery Court at 140 Justice Center Drive, Suite 110, Jamestown, TN 38556. Tennessee venue follows the county where the decedent had legal residence at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102), and Fentress County's Chancery Court handles probate under the chancery structure recognized in T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
Is Fentress County probate filed online?
No Fentress County online filing portal for probate is published on the county site. Tennessee has no statewide trial-court electronic filing system for probate, so call the Clerk and Master before assuming any electronic submission will be accepted.
What are the Fentress County Clerk and Master hours?
The Fentress County Clerk and Master page does not publish office hours. Call (931) 879-8615 before visiting the Justice Center or mailing papers close to a deadline.
Can I look up a Fentress County probate case from home?
Fentress County appears on the Tennessee Online Court Records System vendor portal at fentress.tncrtinfo.com, but the portal says remote use requires a login and password. It directs people without a login to public terminals at the courthouse during normal business hours.
Does Fentress County publish local probate forms?
No local probate petition, checklist or packet is linked from the Fentress County Clerk and Master page. Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts also does not publish a statewide probate form set, so call the Clerk and Master to confirm what the office expects for your filing.
How much is the probate filing fee in Fentress County?
The statewide statutory probate estate clerk fee is $275, effective January 1, 2026 (2025 Public Chapter 486; $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028), with state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Fentress County does not publish a local total on the Clerk and Master page.
Can I appear remotely for a Fentress County probate hearing?
No Fentress County probate remote-appearance practice is published. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, says remote proceedings are permissible at the discretion of the trial court, so ask the Clerk and Master how the court handles your setting.
When will my Fentress County probate hearing be scheduled?
Fentress County does not publish a fixed probate hearing day or filing-to-hearing window on the Clerk and Master page. Ask the Clerk and Master whether your matter can be handled without a hearing or whether it must be placed on the chancellor's calendar.
Do I have to travel to Jamestown for Fentress County probate?
The filing office is in Jamestown, and the county publishes both a street address and a P.O. Box. Before traveling or mailing papers, call the Clerk and Master to confirm current hours, payment instructions and whether your filing or hearing requires an in-person 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.