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Jackson County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Jackson County Chancery Court, with probate jurisdiction under T.C.A. § 16-16-201 |
| Filing office | Jackson County Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | 101 East Hull Avenue, Gainesboro, TN 38562 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 342, Gainesboro, TN 38562 |
| Phone | (931) 268-9516 |
| Fax | (931) 268-9512 |
| Hours | Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; Wednesday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; closed Saturday and Sunday |
| Cost to file | The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486; state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Jackson County's page does not publish a local total. |
| County forms | The Clerk and Master page does not publish Jackson County probate forms, packets or checklists. |
| E-filing status | Jackson County's Clerk and Master page does not publish a probate e-filing portal. Tennessee has no statewide trial-court e-filing system. |
| Case search | Jackson County's clerk does not publish an online case search on its website. The Tennessee Online Court Records System selector does not list Jackson County, and jackson.tncrtinfo.com returns 404. |
| Remote proceedings | Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, leaves teleconferencing, video conferencing and other remote court technology to the trial court's discretion. |
| Website | https://jacksoncountytn.gov/clerk-and-master/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Jackson County, make a working list of the decedent's accounts, real estate interests, vehicles, debts, recurring bills and possible beneficiaries. The right estate settlement path depends on what exists, what passes outside probate, and whether anyone is likely to object.
Sunset can help you search across 2,300 institutions before you prepare the petition, so you do not file in Gainesboro with an incomplete asset picture. That asset work also helps you decide what to ask the Clerk and Master before making a courthouse trip.
Which court handles jurisdiction
This page covers probate filings for people who lived in Jackson County, Tennessee, at death. It is about Jackson County's courthouse in Gainesboro, not the city of Jackson in Madison County.
For venue, Tennessee law sends the estate to the court exercising probate authority in the county where the person had legal residence at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102). In counties where probate jurisdiction is not placed elsewhere, chancery court handles probate under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. In Jackson County, the papers go to the Jackson County Clerk and Master for the Jackson County Chancery Court.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the estate settlement path before filing. If you are seeking ordinary letters, Tennessee calls the authority document letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not (T.C.A. § 30-1-117).
- Prepare the petition and supporting documents for the Jackson County Clerk and Master. Jackson County's page does not publish a local probate form packet, so call the office at (931) 268-9516 before you rely on a form from another county.
- File with the Jackson County Clerk and Master at 101 East Hull Avenue in Gainesboro, or mail to P.O. Box 342, Gainesboro, TN 38562 if the office tells you mailing is appropriate for your filing.
- Confirm the amount due before filing. The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486; state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, and Jackson County does not publish a local total on its page.
- Ask the Clerk and Master whether your matter can proceed in common form or needs a noticed hearing. Common form probate is addressed in T.C.A. § 30-1-117; solemn form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 requires notice to interested persons.
- Ask how Jackson County will schedule any required hearing. Jackson County is in a five-county chancery circuit with Macon, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson counties, so do not assume a hearing date is available on demand.
- If travel is difficult, ask the office 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 for court proceedings is permissible at the trial court's discretion.
- After the clerk issues letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, administer the estate, respond to creditor and beneficiary requirements, and close the estate through the Clerk and Master. The clerk gives notice to creditors after letters issue under T.C.A. § 30-2-306, and inventory duties are tied to T.C.A. § 30-2-301.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Jackson 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.
The Jackson County Clerk and Master page does not publish Jackson County-specific probate forms, packets or checklists. Before using any Tennessee probate form from another county, call the Jackson County Clerk and Master at (931) 268-9516 and ask what the office wants filed for your type of estate settlement.
If the estate may qualify for the Small Estate Probate Act, use the statutory name and route carefully: it is a petition process under T.C.A. § 30-4-101 et seq., and county forms from before the 2023 changes may not match current law.
Local nuance
Jackson County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Gainesboro courthouse | Jackson County probate filings go through the Clerk and Master in Gainesboro at 101 East Hull Avenue, with mail directed to P.O. Box 342. |
| Wednesday half day | The office publishes Wednesday hours of 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., while Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday run 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Five-county chancery circuit | Jackson County shares its chancellor with Macon, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson counties, so ask the Clerk and Master how hearing dates are set before making travel plans. |
| Passport acceptance work | The Clerk and Master page also lists passport acceptance services, including two passport photos, an original or certified birth certificate, and a legal state photo ID. That is separate from probate, but it helps identify the correct local office page. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Jackson County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by separating assets that may pass outside probate from assets that require action in Jackson County Chancery Court. If letters are needed, file through the Clerk and Master in Gainesboro. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and property interests before you decide whether a Jackson County filing is needed. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Call the Jackson County Clerk and Master before traveling or mailing papers. A small estate route uses the Small Estate Probate Act, T.C.A. § 30-4-101 et seq., and Jackson County does not publish a local packet online. | Sunset helps organize the asset list and can help you prepare questions for the Gainesboro office before you make the trip. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually requires careful review before filing. If the estate needs letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, the Jackson County Clerk and Master is the filing office. | Sunset helps collect financial information, generate a probate packet, and connect the family with a Tennessee probate attorney when a sale or family dispute makes counsel important. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link or contact |
|---|---|---|
| Jackson County Clerk and Master | The local filing office for Jackson County Chancery Court probate matters. Call before filing because the office page does not publish a probate packet or local cost total. | (931) 268-9516; 101 East Hull Avenue, Gainesboro, TN 38562; https://jacksoncountytn.gov/clerk-and-master/ |
| Tennessee courts self-help center | The statewide self-help page points estate and probate readers to the county Clerk and Master. It also states that court staff cannot 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 judiciary's clerk directory can help confirm the right filing office if you are comparing Jackson County with another Tennessee county. | https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/court-clerks/clerks-list |
| Justice for All | The Tennessee judiciary's self-help page links to this statewide access-to-justice resource. | https://justiceforalltn.com |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a Tennessee probate attorney if the will is disputed, a home must be sold, heirs disagree, the estate has creditor issues, or you are filing from outside Jackson County and cannot easily appear or correct papers in Gainesboro. If legal counsel is the right next step, Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families build a clearer asset picture before filing, so the Jackson County estate settlement starts with better information.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you gather into an organized probate packet you can review before contacting the Jackson County Clerk and Master.
Find a local probate attorney. When a sale, dispute, creditor issue or out-of-county filing makes the case harder, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Tennessee probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Jackson County, Tennessee?
File with the Jackson County Clerk and Master for the Jackson County Chancery Court in Gainesboro. The office address is 101 East Hull Avenue, Gainesboro, TN 38562, and the mailing address is P.O. Box 342, Gainesboro, TN 38562. Tennessee's chancery default for probate jurisdiction is T.C.A. § 16-16-201, and Jackson County's Clerk and Master page identifies probate transactions as part of that office's work.
Is Jackson County probate filed in the city of Jackson?
No. This page is for Jackson County, Tennessee, whose courthouse city is Gainesboro. The city of Jackson is in Madison County.
Does Jackson County publish probate forms online?
The Jackson County Clerk and Master page does not publish a county probate packet, form set or checklist. Call (931) 268-9516 before using a form from another Tennessee county, especially for a small estate under T.C.A. § 30-4-101 et seq.
What is the filing fee in Jackson County probate?
The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, and Jackson County's page does not publish a local total. Call the Clerk and Master at (931) 268-9516 before filing.
Can I e-file probate in Jackson County?
Jackson County's Clerk and Master page does not publish a probate e-filing portal. Tennessee has no statewide trial-court e-filing system, so ask the office how it wants papers delivered before you mail or bring them.
Can I look up a Jackson County probate case online?
Jackson County's clerk does not publish an online case search on its website. The Tennessee Online Court Records System selector does not list Jackson County, and jackson.tncrtinfo.com returns 404.
What are the Jackson County Clerk and Master hours?
The office publishes hours of Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The office is closed Saturday and Sunday.
Does Jackson County publish probate hearing days or wait times?
The Jackson County Clerk and Master page does not publish probate hearing days or filing-to-hearing wait times. Because Jackson County shares a chancellor with Macon, Smith, Trousdale and Wilson counties, ask the Clerk and Master how your matter will be scheduled.
Can I appear remotely for a Jackson County probate hearing?
Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, says teleconferencing, video conferencing or other technology may be used for court proceedings at the trial court's discretion. Jackson County does not publish a separate probate remote-practice page, so ask the Clerk and Master how the court wants you to handle travel concerns.
Do I have to travel to Gainesboro to open an estate?
Call the Jackson County Clerk and Master before making travel plans. The office can tell you whether your filing can be mailed, whether a hearing is needed, and how the court applies Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, to any request for remote participation.
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.