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Haywood County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Haywood County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Haywood County Chancery Court. The county states that, since 1982, Chancery Court has had exclusive jurisdiction to probate wills and administer estates, consistent with T.C.A. § 16-16-201 for chancery counties. |
| Filing office | Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | 100 South Dupree Avenue, Brownsville, TN 38012. The county page also styles the street as 100 South Dupree Street. |
| Mailing | The Haywood County Chancery Court page does not publish a separate mailing address for probate filings. |
| Phone | (731) 772-0122 |
| Fax | The Chancery Court page does not publish a fax number. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Cost to file | The clerk's statutory probate estate fee is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit charged on top under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Haywood County's Chancery Court page does not publish a total counter cost and directs callers to (731) 772-0122 for cost questions. |
| Forms | The Haywood County Chancery Court page and Court Systems index do not publish a local probate petition, packet, or checklist. |
| Electronic filing | Tennessee has no statewide trial-court electronic filing system. Haywood County's own site does not publish a Chancery Court probate electronic filing portal. |
| Case lookup | haywood.tncrtinfo.com opens a generic Tennessee Online Court Records portal, but it does not state on its face whether Haywood County Chancery Court probate or estate files are included. The county page says Chancery Court files may be viewed on site. |
| Remote hearings | Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, leaves teleconferencing, video conferencing, and other remote court technology to the discretion of the trial court. Haywood County does not publish a probate-specific remote-hearing practice on its Chancery Court page. |
| Website | https://haywoodtn.gov/government/court-systems/chancery-court/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you prepare a Haywood County probate petition, list the accounts, debts, titled property, beneficiary designations, and real estate issues you already know about. That first inventory of assets and liabilities drives whether you ask for letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, whether a Tennessee small-estate route under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 may be enough, and whether a sale or creditor issue will require more court involvement.
Sunset's estate settlement tools can search across 2,300 institutions to help identify accounts and assets before the packet is assembled. That matters in Haywood County because the local Chancery Court page does not publish a probate packet, so you should call the Clerk and Master at (731) 772-0122 before you travel to Brownsville or mail papers.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Haywood County probate matters are handled at the courthouse in Brownsville by the Haywood County Chancery Court and its Clerk and Master. The county's own page says Chancery Court has had exclusive jurisdiction to probate wills and administer estates since 1982, which places current decedent estates in the chancery structure described by T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
Tennessee venue for a small-estate petition is the court exercising probate authority in the county where the person had legal residence at death, under T.C.A. § 30-4-102. For a Haywood County resident, that points you to the Haywood County Chancery Court office in Brownsville.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the right Haywood County path before filing. If there is a will, the petition asks for letters testamentary under T.C.A. § 30-1-117; if there is no will, it asks for letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. If the estate may qualify as a small estate, use the petition-for-limited-letters framework in T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
- Prepare the petition and supporting papers. Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set, and Haywood County's Chancery Court page does not publish a local probate packet, so call the Clerk and Master at (731) 772-0122 before bringing or mailing papers.
- Deliver the filing to the Haywood County Clerk and Master at 100 South Dupree Avenue, Brownsville, TN 38012. The office hours published by the county are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Be ready to pay the court cost at the counter. The statutory probate estate fee is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486, and state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are additional under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Haywood County's page does not publish the total amount due.
- If the estate is uncontested, ask whether the will or administration can proceed in common form under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. Solemn form under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 requires notice to interested persons and may involve a hearing.
- Ask the Clerk and Master how Haywood County schedules any needed probate hearing. The county page does not publish probate hearing days, docket-sounding dates, or a remote-hearing procedure. Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, leaves remote technology to the trial court's discretion.
- After the court accepts the filing, obtain the Tennessee authority document. The document is letters testamentary if there is a will and letters of administration if there is not, under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. A small estate uses limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
- Administer the estate after letters issue. The clerk gives notice to creditors within 30 days after letters issue, and the creditor period is governed by T.C.A. § 30-2-306. Return any required inventory to the clerk of the court exercising probate authority under T.C.A. § 30-2-301, collect assets, handle allowed claims, and ask the court how to close the estate when administration is complete.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Haywood County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set for estates. Its self-help materials send most probate and estate questions to the county-level clerk, and Haywood County's local court page identifies the Chancery Court office as the place for probate matters.
For Haywood County, the Chancery Court page and the Court Systems index do not publish a local probate petition, packet, or checklist. Call the Clerk and Master at (731) 772-0122 before you go to the Brownsville courthouse, especially if you need the petition format, cost to file under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, or the court's current copy and certification process.
Local nuance
Haywood County-specific considerations
Haywood County publishes one local probate history point that matters for older files: the Chancery Court page says Chancery Court has handled probate since 1982, while wills or probate files from 1826 through 1982 are held by the County Clerk's office. If your estate settlement involves an older will or prior family estate, call the Chancery Court office first so staff can point you to the correct county office.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Haywood County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by separating assets that pass outside probate from assets that need Haywood County Chancery Court authority. If letters are needed, the filing goes through the Clerk and Master in Brownsville, and letters testamentary or letters of administration are issued under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. | Sunset helps identify accounts, title issues, and beneficiary-designated assets before you spend time on a court filing that may not be needed for every asset. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Call the Haywood County Clerk and Master before traveling because the county does not publish a local probate packet. If the Tennessee small-estate path fits, it is a court petition for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, not an out-of-court transfer. | Sunset helps organize the asset list and generate a probate packet so the call with the Clerk and Master is focused and efficient. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually requires full probate authority in Haywood County Chancery Court rather than limited small-estate authority under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. The parent should ask the Clerk and Master what petition and order the court requires before a sale can proceed. | Sunset helps gather account information, prepare the estate settlement file, and connect the family with a Tennessee probate attorney when a sale, heirship, or court order is involved. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Haywood County Chancery Court, Clerk and Master | The first local stop for current Haywood County probate filings. The office can provide filing logistics, hours, and current cost information under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, but court staff cannot choose forms or give legal advice. | 100 South Dupree Avenue, Brownsville, TN 38012. Phone: (731) 772-0122. |
| Tennessee Courts Self Help Center | The statewide court self-help page says most probate and estate matters are handled by the Clerk and Master in the county. It also states that court employees cannot engage in the practice of law under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. | https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center |
| Tennessee court clerks list | A statewide directory for locating court clerk offices when a filing, old file, or county-office question needs routing. | https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/court-clerks/clerks-list |
| West Tennessee Legal Services, Jackson office | The Jackson office's published service area includes Haywood County. Ask intake whether a probate or estate-administration issue fits current priorities. | 210 West Main Street, Jackson, TN 38301. Toll free: 800-372-8346. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a Tennessee probate attorney if the will may be contested, the estate owns real estate that must be sold, heirs disagree, a creditor issue is significant, or you are filing from outside Tennessee and cannot easily appear in Brownsville. Sunset connects you to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families locate accounts, policies, and property information so the Haywood County estate settlement starts from a clearer asset picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family information you provide into an organized probate packet you can review before contacting the Haywood County Clerk and Master or an attorney.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal judgment, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Tennessee probate attorney for the Brownsville filing and any court-specific issues.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying Sunset, and the platform keeps the process organized from asset discovery through the probate filing.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Haywood County?
Current Haywood County probate filings go through Haywood County Chancery Court in Brownsville. The county page states that, since 1982, Chancery Court has had exclusive jurisdiction to probate wills and administer estates, and that fits the chancery structure in T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
What is the Haywood County probate office address?
The Chancery Court office is at 100 South Dupree Avenue, Brownsville, TN 38012. The county page also styles the address as 100 South Dupree Street. The phone number is (731) 772-0122.
Does Haywood County publish probate forms online?
The Haywood County Chancery Court page and Court Systems index do not publish a local probate petition, packet, or checklist. Call the Clerk and Master before you go to the courthouse, because Tennessee does not provide a statewide probate form set for county estate filings.
Can I e-file a probate case in Haywood County?
Tennessee has no statewide trial-court electronic filing system, and Haywood County's own site does not publish a Chancery Court probate electronic filing portal. Call the Clerk and Master at (731) 772-0122 to ask how the office currently accepts filings.
How much does it cost to start probate in Haywood County?
The statutory probate estate fee is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are additional under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, and Haywood County's Chancery Court page does not publish the total counter amount.
Can I look up a Haywood County probate case online?
haywood.tncrtinfo.com opens a generic Tennessee Online Court Records portal, but it does not say on its face whether Haywood County Chancery Court probate or estate files are included. The county Chancery Court page says files may be viewed on site.
Can I appear remotely for a Haywood County probate hearing?
Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, says the use of teleconferencing, video conferencing, or other technology for remote proceedings is permissible at the court's discretion. Haywood County does not publish a probate-specific remote-hearing practice on its Chancery Court page, so ask the Clerk and Master how the court handles your setting.
Do I have to travel to Brownsville to open the estate?
Not always, but the Haywood County page does not publish a mail-filing, fax-filing, or electronic-filing procedure for probate. If you live out of state, call the Clerk and Master before travel and ask whether your filing can be handled by mail or whether a Tennessee attorney should appear for you.
What if I need a Haywood County will file from before 1982?
The Haywood County Chancery Court page says wills or probate files from 1826 through 1982 are held by the County Clerk's office, while later probate matters are handled by Chancery Court. Call the Chancery Court office first so you are routed to the correct office.
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.