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Giles County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Giles County Chancery Court |
| Filing office | Giles County Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | 1 Public Square, Pulaski, TN 38478 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 678, Pulaski, TN 38478 |
| Phone | (931) 363-2620 |
| Fax | (931) 363-2106 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Starting statutory charge | The probate estate clerk charge is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401. State and local litigation tax and any costs deposit are added under § 8-21-401. Giles County does not post a probate total on the Clerk and Master page. |
| Probate packets | The Giles County Clerk and Master page does not post probate-specific petition packets, checklists or forms. |
| Electronic filing | Giles County Chancery Court does not publish an electronic filing option. Plan to take or mail papers to the Clerk and Master unless the office gives a different instruction. |
| Online records | giles.tncrtinfo.com is the public Giles County Online Court Records System. Call the Clerk and Master if you need to know whether a probate or chancery case type appears in the search. |
| Remote hearing practice | No Giles County probate-specific remote practice is posted. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, leaves remote proceedings to the court's discretion. |
| Website | https://gilescountytn.gov/courts-2/clerk-master/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you open a Giles County estate, make a working list of probate assets, non-probate transfers, debts, likely heirs and the original will if one exists. That early inventory of accounts and liabilities keeps the first court filing focused and reduces the risk of returning to Pulaski with missing information.
Sunset supports estate settlement before the courthouse step by searching across 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets, organizing what you find, and helping you decide whether a Giles County filing is needed.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Tennessee law sends a decedent's 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 counties not otherwise changed by public, private, special or local acts, probate jurisdiction is in chancery court (T.C.A. § 16-16-201).
For Giles County, Private Acts of 2004, ch. 123 designated the Chancery Court for Giles County as the Probate Court of Giles County and directed new probate books, papers and documents to the Giles County Clerk and Master beginning July 1, 2004. The Pulaski courthouse serves estates venued in Giles County, including Pulaski and other Giles County communities.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the right path before filing. An uncontested will is usually presented in common form, while a contested or noticed will proceeding may require solemn form, and both terms come from Tennessee probate procedure (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). If the estate may qualify for the small estate process, review T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 before preparing papers.
- Prepare the petition and supporting documents. Tennessee petitions for letters testamentary or letters of administration must include the information required by T.C.A. § 30-1-117, and Giles County does not post a local probate packet on the Clerk and Master page.
- Take or mail the papers to the Giles County Clerk and Master at 1 Public Square, Pulaski, TN 38478, or P.O. Box 678, Pulaski, TN 38478. Call (931) 363-2620 before mailing if you need the current payment amount or copies returned.
- Pay the required court charges. The statewide probate estate clerk charge is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401, with state and local litigation tax and any costs deposit added under § 8-21-401.
- Follow the court's notice requirements. No notice of the opening proceeding is required except in solemn form under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, but after letters issue the clerk handles notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306.
- Ask the Clerk and Master how any hearing will be scheduled. The 22nd Judicial District rules say regular sessions open at 9:00 a.m. unless the judge approves another time. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, allows technology for remote proceedings only at the court's discretion.
- Receive the authority document if the court appoints a personal representative. Tennessee uses letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). The Giles County Clerk and Master is the office that issues them for this court.
- Administer and close the estate. After appointment, the personal representative gathers assets, deals with claims, files any required inventory with the clerk of the court exercising probate jurisdiction under T.C.A. § 30-2-301, completes required accountings or settlements, and seeks the closing order when administration is ready to end.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Giles County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not offer a statewide probate form set. Its self-help materials send estate matters to the clerk in the county where the case belongs, so a Giles County estate begins with the Giles County Clerk and Master.
The Giles County Clerk and Master page does not post probate-specific forms, petition packets or checklists. If you are preparing a petition for letters testamentary or letters of administration, use T.C.A. § 30-1-117 as the statutory content checklist and call the Clerk and Master before you travel or mail papers. If you are considering the small estate route, the current statutory process is a petition for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, not a statewide courthouse form.
Timeline
- The Giles County Clerk and Master is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for counter business.
- The 22nd Judicial District rules state that regular sessions of court open at 9:00 a.m. unless the judge approves another time.
- The same district rules list Giles County jury service terms on the third Mondays in March and September. That is a jury-term scheduling fact, not a probate filing deadline.
- For any probate hearing date, call the Clerk and Master because no Giles County probate hearing calendar or filing-to-hearing window is posted on the Clerk and Master page.
Local nuance
Giles County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| 2004 transfer to Chancery Court | Private Acts of 2004, ch. 123 moved new Giles County probate matters to Chancery Court beginning July 1, 2004. That fits the Tennessee rule that probate jurisdiction is in chancery unless changed by law (T.C.A. § 16-16-201). |
| No district probate special rule for Giles | The 22nd Judicial District rules include special procedures for probate matters in Maury and Wayne Counties only. Giles County is not included in that probate-specific local rule. |
| Online payment is posted | The Clerk and Master page states that online payment is available through secure.courtfeepay.com and that cashier's checks and money orders are accepted. Confirm the case type and amount with the office before paying. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| July 1, 2004 | Private Acts of 2004, ch. 123 designated the Giles County Chancery Court as the county's probate court for new matters and placed probate papers with the Giles County Clerk and Master. Tennessee's default rule for probate jurisdiction is T.C.A. § 16-16-201. |
| January 1, 2026 | 2025 Public Chapter 486 set the probate estate clerk charge at $275 effective January 1, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, with additional tax and any costs deposit handled under the same statute. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Giles County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by separating probate assets from property that may pass outside probate. If a court estate is still needed, papers go to the Giles County Clerk and Master in Pulaski. Letters testamentary or letters of administration, if needed, are issued under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. | Sunset helps organize the asset list, flag accounts that may not need probate, and generate a court-ready estate settlement packet for attorney review or filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the probate personal property is $50,000 or less, the child may evaluate the small estate process under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 and T.C.A. § 30-4-102. Giles County does not post a local packet, so call the Clerk and Master before mailing a petition for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. | Sunset helps find accounts, estimate whether the estate fits the $50,000 limit under T.C.A. § 30-4-102, and connect the family with a Tennessee probate attorney if travel or signing logistics are difficult. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually requires full authority from the court rather than a small estate process under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, because that route is limited to personal property under T.C.A. § 30-4-102. The petition is filed with the Giles County Clerk and Master, and the appointed personal representative uses letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. | Sunset helps assemble account information, identify debts, prepare the estate settlement workflow, and find a local probate attorney for the sale and court authority issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Giles County Clerk and Master | The local filing office for Giles County probate matters. The office can provide filing logistics, but court staff cannot give legal advice or engage in the practice of law under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. | 1 Public Square, Pulaski, TN 38478. Phone: (931) 363-2620. Website: https://gilescountytn.gov/courts-2/clerk-master/ |
| Tennessee courts self-help center | Provides statewide court self-help information and directs most estate and probate matters to the county Clerk and Master. | https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center |
| Tennessee court clerks directory | Helps confirm the correct clerk office when a Tennessee county's probate forum is unclear. | https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/court-clerks/clerks-list |
| Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Columbia office | General free-legal-help resource serving Giles County. Its public page lists Giles in the Columbia office service area, but it does not state that decedent estate matters are covered. | 1503 Hatcher Lane, Suite 105, Columbia, TN 38401. Phone: 931-381-5533 or 800-238-1443. Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider talking with a Tennessee probate attorney if heirs disagree, the will may be challenged, real estate must be sold, creditors are active, a bond is disputed, or you are handling the case from outside Giles County. The Clerk and Master can explain office logistics but cannot advise you on legal strategy, and Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for financial accounts, insurance, retirement assets and other information that families often do not have in one place, then turns those findings into a practical estate settlement checklist.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps organize the facts needed for a Giles County petition, asset list, heir information and supporting documents so the filing is easier to review and complete.
Find a local probate attorney. When a court filing, home sale, dispute or creditor issue calls for legal help, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Tennessee probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to understand the estate settlement path, gather information and move forward without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I take probate papers in Giles County?
Take or mail probate papers to the Giles County Clerk and Master for the Giles County Chancery Court, 1 Public Square, Pulaski, TN 38478, or P.O. Box 678, Pulaski, TN 38478. Tennessee sends probate to the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county of the decedent's legal residence (T.C.A. § 30-4-102), and Giles County's Chancery Court exercises that role under T.C.A. § 16-16-201 and Private Acts of 2004, ch. 123.
Does Giles County have electronic filing for probate?
Giles County Chancery Court does not publish an electronic filing option for probate matters. Tennessee does not have a statewide trial-court electronic filing system, so use the Clerk and Master's counter or mailing address unless the office gives a different instruction.
Can I look up a Giles County probate case online?
Giles County has a public Online Court Records System at giles.tncrtinfo.com. The site allows case or party searching and states that users can specify court type and case type, but call the Clerk and Master if you need to know whether the exact probate or chancery case type you need appears in the search.
What does it cost to start probate in Giles County?
The probate estate clerk charge is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401. State and local litigation tax and any costs deposit are added under § 8-21-401, and Giles County does not post a probate total on the Clerk and Master page, so call before filing.
Does Giles County post probate forms online?
The Giles County Clerk and Master page does not post probate-specific forms, petition packets or checklists. Tennessee also does not offer a statewide probate form set, so use T.C.A. § 30-1-117 for the required petition information and contact the Clerk and Master for local filing logistics.
Can a small estate be handled in Giles County?
Yes, if the estate fits the statewide small estate process in T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. The current limit is probate personal property of $50,000 or less under T.C.A. § 30-4-102, and the process uses limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. Giles County does not post a local small estate packet.
Can I attend a Giles County probate hearing remotely?
No Giles County probate-specific remote practice is posted. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, says Rule 55 use of teleconferencing, video conferencing or other technology for court proceedings remotely is permissible at the discretion of the trial court. Ask the Clerk and Master how the court wants you to appear.
Do I have to travel to Pulaski if I live outside Tennessee?
Not always for the first step. You can call the Clerk and Master about mailing papers to P.O. Box 678, Pulaski, TN 38478, and ask how copies, payment and any hearing date will be handled. If a hearing is required, remote participation depends on Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, and the court's discretion.
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.