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Lake County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Lake County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Lake County Chancery Court |
| Filing office | Lake County Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | Lake County Courthouse, 229 Church Street, Box 12, Tiptonville, TN 38079 |
| Mailing | No separate mailing address is posted by the Chancery Court. Use the address posted for the Clerk and Master unless the office gives you different mailing instructions. |
| Phone | (731) 253-8926 |
| Fax | No fax number is posted for the Clerk and Master. |
| Public hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Starting statutory probate charge | The state probate estate charge is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486. It rises to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit may be added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Lake County does not post the total amount due at the counter. |
| Forms posted by court | No Lake County probate petition, packet or checklist is posted on the county Chancery Court page. |
| Electronic filing | Tennessee does not have a statewide trial-court electronic filing system. No Lake County Chancery Court electronic filing portal is posted. |
| Case lookup | Lake County has an online lookup at lake.tncrtinfo.com, but it lists Circuit Court and General Sessions only, not Chancery estate cases. |
| Remote hearing request | Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, leaves teleconferencing, video conferencing and other remote technology to the trial court's discretion. Ask the Lake County Chancery Court how it handles any specific hearing. |
| Website | Lake County Chancery Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you open a Lake County estate, list the known assets, debts, beneficiaries, real property issues and financial accounts. Tennessee probate forms are not supplied as one statewide packet, and Lake County does not post a local probate packet online, so a complete asset picture helps you ask the Clerk and Master the right questions before filing.
Sunset can search more than 2,300 institutions to help families find accounts, insurance, investments and other property that may affect estate settlement. That asset search is especially useful in Lake County because the public online lookup does not show Chancery estate cases.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Tennessee sends an estate to the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102). In most Tennessee counties that court is Chancery Court unless public, private, special or local law provides otherwise (T.C.A. § 16-16-201). In Lake County, estates go to the Lake County Chancery Court, and papers are handled by the Clerk and Master.
The Tiptonville courthouse serves all of Lake County, including Tiptonville, the county's only incorporated town. If the person lived in another Tennessee county at death, use the clerk for that county instead.
The jurisdiction process
- Decide which Tennessee route fits before you prepare papers. An uncontested will is usually presented in common form, which is addressed in T.C.A. § 30-1-117. If the estate is a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, the current route is a petition for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, not a no-court transfer.
- Prepare the petition and supporting documents. 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). Lake County does not post a local probate packet online, so call the Clerk and Master before relying on a form from another county.
- File with the Lake County Clerk and Master at the Lake County Courthouse, 229 Church Street, Box 12, Tiptonville, TN 38079. The Chancery Court page does not list a fax number, email filing procedure or electronic filing portal for estate matters.
- Confirm the amount due before filing or mailing payment. The state probate estate charge is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486, and rises to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit may be added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, and Lake County does not post the total amount online.
- After letters issue, follow the Tennessee notice and administration steps. The clerk gives notice to creditors within thirty days after letters testamentary or letters of administration are issued (T.C.A. § 30-2-306), and the personal representative must handle required notices and the inventory under T.C.A. § 30-2-301 unless an exception applies.
- If a hearing is needed, ask the Clerk and Master how the Lake County Chancery Court sets the date. No Lake County probate hearing day, term date or filing-to-hearing window is posted.
- If travel is difficult, ask about remote participation before the hearing is set. Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, makes remote technology permissible at the trial court's discretion and does not create a statewide default.
- Use the letters issued by the Clerk and Master to collect probate property, pay valid debts, handle notices, keep records and close the estate when the administration is ready for approval.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Lake County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not offer a statewide estate packet, and Lake County does not post a local probate petition, packet or checklist on its Chancery Court page. The Clerk and Master is the Lake County office to call before you prepare or mail papers.
Do not treat a form from another Tennessee county as a Lake County form. A Lincoln County small-estate PDF has circulated on state-hosted pages, but it is not a Lake County document and it reflects an older procedure. The current Tennessee small estate process is under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
Local nuance
Lake County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Lake County estate |
|---|---|
| Old County Clerk references | Because T.C.A. § 16-16-201 makes probate jurisdiction depend on whether local law changes the default, Lake County history matters. Private Acts of 1982, ch. 373 briefly moved probate powers to the County Clerk, but Private Acts of 1983, ch. 115 repealed that change. Current Lake County estate filings go through Chancery Court and the Clerk and Master. |
| Online lookup limits | Lake County's online lookup at lake.tncrtinfo.com is real, but it lists Circuit Court and General Sessions only. Chancery estate cases are not listed there, so a person looking for a Lake County probate file should contact the Clerk and Master. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| State probate charge changed January 1, 2026 | 2025 Public Chapter 486 sets the probate estate charge at $275 effective January 1, 2026, with increases to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. Local total amounts may still include litigation taxes and costs under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Lake County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Confirm whether the home actually needs probate before opening a Chancery Court estate in Tiptonville. If other probate assets exist, the Clerk and Master handles the estate through Lake County Chancery Court. | Sunset helps identify accounts, insurance and other assets so the spouse can separate nonprobate property from property that needs estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Call the Lake County Clerk and Master before traveling, because Lake County does not post a local packet or a Chancery electronic filing portal. If the Tennessee small estate route applies, it proceeds under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. | Sunset helps organize asset information and can generate a packet outline for review before the child contacts the Tiptonville filing office. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home-sale issue usually needs standard estate administration or a court order, not the limited small estate route under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. The filing starts with the Lake County Clerk and Master in Chancery Court. | Sunset helps locate financial accounts, estimate the estate picture and connect the parent with a Tennessee probate attorney when a sale or court order is involved. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Lake County Clerk and Master | The filing office for Lake County estate matters in Chancery Court. Court staff can explain office procedure, but state court employees cannot engage in the practice of law or give legal advice under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. | 229 Church Street, Box 12, Tiptonville, TN 38079. Phone: (731) 253-8926. |
| West Tennessee Legal Services | A nonprofit civil legal-help organization whose service area includes Lake County. Its public materials focus on housing, consumer debt, family law and benefits, so ask whether an estate matter fits its services before relying on it. | wtls.org. Toll free: 800-372-8346. Main office: (731) 423-0616. |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts clerk directory | The statewide clerk directory helps if the person lived in a different Tennessee county and the estate belongs outside Lake County. | Find a court clerk |
When to hire an attorney
Consider hiring a Tennessee probate attorney if family members disagree, the will may be challenged, a home must be sold, creditors are disputed, the estate may be insolvent or you are handling the matter from outside Lake County. Counsel can also help when a county has no posted form packet and the filing office cannot give legal advice. Sunset connects you to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify bank accounts, investments, insurance and other property that can change the probate plan before papers are filed.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the estate information you provide into an organized packet you can review before contacting the Lake County Clerk and Master or an attorney.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal help, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Tennessee probate attorney familiar with estate settlement.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, documents and next steps without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for a Lake County resident?
File in the Lake County Chancery Court through the Clerk and Master at the Lake County Courthouse in Tiptonville. Tennessee sends the estate to the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102), and Lake County uses Chancery Court under the T.C.A. § 16-16-201 framework.
What address should I use for the Lake County Clerk and Master?
The Chancery Court page lists 229 Church Street, Box 12, Tiptonville, TN 38079. No separate mailing address is posted, so call (731) 253-8926 before mailing payment or original documents.
Does Lake County post probate forms online?
No Lake County probate petition, packet or checklist is posted on the county Chancery Court page. Tennessee also does not supply a single statewide estate packet, so ask the Lake County Clerk and Master what paperwork the office expects for your filing.
Can I submit a Lake County probate filing electronically?
Tennessee does not have a statewide trial-court electronic filing system, and Lake County does not post a Chancery Court electronic filing portal for estate matters. Call the Clerk and Master before relying on email, fax or any other non-counter submission method.
How much does it cost to open a Lake County estate?
The state probate estate charge is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with scheduled increases to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit may be added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Lake County does not post the total amount due online, so confirm the total with the Clerk and Master.
Can I look up a Lake County probate case online?
Lake County has an online lookup at lake.tncrtinfo.com, but that system lists Circuit Court and General Sessions only. It does not list Chancery estate cases, so contact the Clerk and Master for Lake County probate file questions.
Can I attend a Lake County probate hearing by phone or video?
Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, says teleconferencing, video conferencing and other remote technology are permissible at the discretion of the trial court. Lake County does not post a probate-specific remote hearing procedure, so ask the Clerk and Master before making travel plans.
What does Lake County issue after the personal representative is appointed?
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). In a qualifying small estate, the court may issue limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
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.