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Henderson County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Court and filing office | Henderson County Chancery Court, Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | 17 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor, Room 2, Lexington, TN 38351 |
| Mailing address | No separate mailing address is published on the Henderson County Chancery Court page. Call before mailing original documents. |
| Phone | (731) 968-2801 |
| Fax | (731) 968-9085 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Cost to start | The statutory clerk cost for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486. It rises to $300 effective January 1, 2027, and $325 effective January 1, 2028. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are additional under T.C.A. § 8-21-401(a). Henderson County does not publish a local total on the county pages checked. |
| Local probate packet | Henderson County's Chancery Court page, Clerk and Master page and departments page do not publish a probate petition packet or checklist. Call the Clerk and Master before you prepare forms. |
| Electronic filing | No Henderson County probate e-filing portal is published on the county pages checked. Tennessee is not running a statewide trial-court e-filing system. |
| Case lookup | The county pages checked do not publish an online estate case lookup, and henderson.tncrtinfo.com does not provide a public Henderson County page. |
| Remote participation | No Henderson County-specific practice is published. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, leaves remote proceedings to the trial court's discretion. |
| Website | https://www.hendersoncountytn.gov/en-US/chancery-court-c34d4fd0 |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you start estate settlement in Henderson County, make a working list of the decedent's probate assets, non-probate transfers, debts, account statements and real estate issues. The Clerk and Master can process filings, but court staff cannot choose forms, complete forms or give legal advice.
Sunset's asset discovery searches across 2,300 institutions, which can help you decide whether a full estate, a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, or another attorney-guided path fits the property you have found.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Henderson County Chancery Court in Lexington serves Henderson County estates. 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 most Tennessee counties, that court is the chancery court and the filing office is the Clerk and Master under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
For Henderson County, the county court-system materials do not show any transfer of probate out of chancery. That means the local filing point is the Clerk and Master for the Henderson County Chancery Court at 17 Monroe Street in Lexington.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the estate path before you go to the courthouse. If the property may qualify as a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, ask the Clerk and Master what Henderson County wants in the petition for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
- Prepare the petition. For a regular estate, Tennessee uses a verified petition for letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. Bring the will, if any, the death certificate, asset information, names and addresses for interested people, and any bond information your lawyer or the court requires.
- Take the papers to the Henderson County Chancery Court Clerk and Master at 17 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor, Room 2, Lexington, TN 38351, during the published hours. The statutory clerk cost for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486. It rises to $300 effective January 1, 2027, and $325 effective January 1, 2028. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401(a).
- Ask how Henderson County wants any hearing, notice or order handled. Common form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 is the ordinary uncontested will route; solemn form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 requires notice to interested people.
- If travel is difficult, ask the Clerk and Master how the court applies Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55. Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, says using teleconferencing, video conferencing or other technology to conduct court business remotely is permissible at the discretion of the trial court.
- After the court admits the will or appoints a personal representative, the Clerk and Master issues letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. Banks, title companies and buyers usually ask for those letters before recognizing the personal representative.
- Follow the creditor and notice steps. The clerk gives notice to creditors after letters issue under T.C.A. § 30-2-306, and the personal representative must handle known-creditor mailings required by that same statute.
- Administer and close the estate settlement. File any inventory required by T.C.A. § 30-2-301, keep receipts and accountings, resolve claims, sell property only with proper authority, distribute remaining property, and ask the court to close the estate when administration is complete.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Henderson County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set. Its self-help materials direct estate and probate readers to the clerk in their own county.
Henderson County's Chancery Court page, Clerk and Master page and departments page do not publish a local probate petition packet, checklist or small estate form under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. A separate Chancery Court FAQs page could not be opened during page review, so call the Clerk and Master at (731) 968-2801 before you rely on a form from another county.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Henderson County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Confirm whether the home passes outside probate before opening a Henderson County estate. If probate is still needed for other assets, the filing point is the Clerk and Master for the Henderson County Chancery Court under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. | Sunset helps separate probate assets from jointly owned or beneficiary-designated property, then builds the estate settlement task list. |
| out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Call the Henderson County Clerk and Master before traveling, because no local small estate packet under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 is published online. Ask what the court wants for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 and whether any court appearance can be handled under Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023. | Sunset helps find accounts, organize balances and decide whether the property list supports a smaller estate settlement plan. |
| parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of a probate home usually needs full estate authority, not just a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. The parent should speak with a Tennessee probate attorney before asking the Henderson County Chancery Court for letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. | Sunset helps gather financial information, prepare a probate packet and connect the family with local counsel for the real estate issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Henderson County Chancery Court Clerk and Master | Receives Henderson County estate filings at 17 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor, Room 2, Lexington, TN 38351. Phone: (731) 968-2801. Court staff can provide filing logistics, but cannot choose forms or give legal advice. |
| Tennessee courts self-help center | Directs estate and probate readers to the clerk in their own county and states that state court employees may not engage in the practice of law under T.C.A. § 16-3-804(b). |
| Tennessee court clerks directory | Helps families confirm the correct Tennessee county clerk office when the decedent lived in another county or owned property in more than one place. |
| Justice for All Tennessee | State court access-to-justice site linked from the Tennessee courts self-help center. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider hiring a Tennessee probate attorney if anyone may contest the will, heirs disagree, a home must be sold, creditor claims are uncertain, the estate may need solemn form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, or you live outside Tennessee and cannot manage courthouse steps in Lexington. Sunset connects you to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families uncover bank, investment, retirement and insurance accounts so the personal representative can begin estate settlement with a clearer asset list.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns what you know about the family, the will, the assets and the debts into an organized probate packet for Henderson County, ready for attorney review or court filing instructions.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal judgment, Sunset helps connect the family with a Tennessee probate attorney who can advise on the Henderson County Chancery Court process.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, track tasks and prepare for the next step without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Henderson County, Tennessee?
Henderson County estate filings go through the Henderson County Chancery Court Clerk and Master in Lexington. Tennessee venue for an estate is tied to the court that exercises probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102), and Henderson County uses the chancery court under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
What is the Henderson County probate office address?
The Henderson County Chancery Court page lists the office at 17 Monroe Street, 2nd Floor, Room 2, Lexington, TN 38351. The published phone number is (731) 968-2801, and the published fax number is (731) 968-9085.
Does Henderson County publish local probate forms?
The county's Chancery Court page, Clerk and Master page and departments page do not publish a local probate packet or petition form. Tennessee does not provide a statewide probate form set, so call the Henderson County Clerk and Master before using a form from another Tennessee county, including a small estate form under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
Can I start a Henderson County estate electronically?
No Henderson County probate e-filing portal is published on the county pages checked. Tennessee is not running a statewide trial-court e-filing system, so call the Clerk and Master for current delivery options before sending originals.
What does it cost to start probate in Henderson County?
The statutory clerk cost for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486. It rises to $300 effective January 1, 2027, and $325 effective January 1, 2028. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are additional under T.C.A. § 8-21-401(a), and Henderson County does not publish a local total on the county pages checked.
Can I look up a Henderson County estate case online?
The Henderson County court pages checked do not publish an online estate case lookup. The henderson.tncrtinfo.com subdomain does not provide a public Henderson County page.
Do I have to travel to Lexington for a Henderson County probate hearing?
Ask the Henderson County Clerk and Master before making travel plans. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, allows remote proceedings at the trial court's discretion, but no Henderson County-specific remote practice is published on the county pages checked.
Who issues letters testamentary or letters of administration in Henderson County?
In Henderson County, the Clerk and Master issues letters testamentary or letters of administration after the court admits the will or appoints the personal representative under T.C.A. § 30-1-117.
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.