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Lewis County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Lewis County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Lewis County Chancery Court, through the Lewis County Clerk and Master. The office describes probate work as administering estates, appointing personal representatives and handling related guardianship and conservatorship matters under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. |
| Courthouse address | 29 West Main Street, Hohenwald, TN 38462 |
| Mailing | The Clerk and Master's page publishes the street address only. Call before mailing original wills or estate papers. |
| Phone | (931) 796-3734 |
| Fax | The Clerk and Master's page does not publish a fax number. The local cost schedule prices fax and email filing, so call the office before sending papers that way. |
| Hours | 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday |
| Cost to start | The Lewis County schedule under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 is effective January 1, 2026. It lists an Estate total of $479.50 effective January 1, 2026, including a $90.00 notice-to-creditors charge effective January 1, 2026 under T.C.A. § 30-2-306. The statewide clerk's probate-estate fee is $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, rising to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. |
| Forms | The office posts a local chancery and probate cost schedule, a civil summons form, a subpoena form and a link to 32nd Judicial District local rules. The office does not post a probate petition packet on its Clerk and Master page. |
| Electronic filing | No Lewis County online probate e-filing portal is posted. The local cost schedule prices fax and email filing at $5.00 effective January 1, 2026 plus $1.00 per page effective January 1, 2026. |
| Case lookup | The Clerk and Master page does not post an online case lookup. The Lewis County subdomain at the Tennessee Online Court Records System is not a working Lewis County portal, and Lewis County is not listed in that multi-county selector. |
| Remote options | Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, leaves remote proceedings to the trial court's discretion. Ask the Lewis County Clerk and Master how the court handles a specific hearing. |
| Website | https://www.lewiscountytn.com/clerk-master |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you start a Lewis County estate settlement, make a working list of probate assets, nonprobate transfers, debts, likely creditors and the location of the original will. The Clerk and Master can receive filings, issue letters and process the estate, but court staff cannot choose the right petition or give legal advice.
Sunset helps families find assets first, including account discovery across 2,300 institutions, so the petition and cost decisions match the actual estate rather than guesses. That is especially important before deciding whether to start a full estate, a T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 small estate, or another Tennessee route.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Lewis County estates are filed in Hohenwald when Tennessee law places probate venue in Lewis County. Tennessee defines the court for a small estate as the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the decedent had legal residence at death, T.C.A. § 30-4-102, and the general chancery default is T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
For Lewis County, the local filing office is the Lewis County Clerk and Master for the Lewis County Chancery Court. The county's General Sessions private act, Private Acts of 1941, ch. 509, concerns civil and criminal jurisdiction and does not move wills or estate administration away from chancery under § 16-16-201.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the correct Lewis County route before preparing papers. An uncontested will may proceed in common form under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, a noticed matter may require solemn form under § 30-1-117, and a T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 small estate uses limited letters under § 30-4-103.
- Prepare the petition and supporting documents for the Lewis County Clerk and Master at 29 West Main Street in Hohenwald. If there is a will, plan to bring the original will unless the court gives different instructions for the specific filing.
- Check the Lewis County cost schedule before filing. The local schedule is effective January 1, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, and the statewide clerk's probate-estate fee is $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with higher statutory amounts of $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028.
- Ask the Clerk and Master whether your filing must be delivered at the counter, by mail, or through the office's priced fax or email filing channel. No online probate e-filing portal is posted for Lewis County.
- If a hearing is needed, ask the Clerk and Master how the court sets the date and whether the judge will allow any remote participation. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, makes remote technology permissible only at the trial court's discretion.
- After the petition is accepted and the court grants authority, the clerk issues letters testamentary when there is a will or letters of administration when there is not, under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. Financial institutions, buyers and title companies usually ask for these letters before they will work with the personal representative.
- Follow the post-appointment duties tied to Tennessee law. The clerk handles notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306, and the personal representative handles required estate administration steps such as the inventory under T.C.A. § 30-2-301 unless the court or will excuses it.
- Administer the estate, pay allowed expenses and claims, distribute property and close the case through the Lewis County Chancery Court when the estate is ready for final settlement.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Lewis County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set for estate settlement. Its self-help center directs estate and probate readers to the clerk in their own county, which in Lewis County means the Lewis County Clerk and Master.
The Lewis County Clerk and Master page posts a local chancery and probate cost schedule effective January 1, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, a civil summons form, a subpoena form and a link labeled 32nd Local Rules. It does not post a probate petition packet on that page, so call the office before drafting or sending a petition.
Do not use a form from another Tennessee county just because it is hosted on a state website. Tennessee probate forms are handled locally, and the papers should match the Lewis County Chancery Court's requirements.
Fees
Lewis County publishes a local chancery and probate cost schedule captioned effective January 1, 2026 and tied to T.C.A. § 8-21-401. The statewide clerk's probate-estate fee is $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, rising to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028; local totals can be higher because state and local litigation taxes and cost components are added under § 8-21-401.
| Charge | Lewis County amount |
|---|---|
| Estate opening total | $479.50 effective January 1, 2026, including $90.00 effective January 1, 2026 for notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306 |
| Petition under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 | Three hundred eighty-nine dollars and fifty cents, effective January 1, 2026 |
| Ancillary estate | Three hundred eighty-nine dollars and fifty cents, effective January 1, 2026 |
| Muniment of title under T.C.A. § 32-2-111 | Three hundred eighty-nine dollars and fifty cents, effective January 1, 2026 |
| Estate claim | $50.00 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, filed in triplicate under the Lewis County schedule |
| Exception to claim | $100.00 effective January 1, 2026 |
| Settlement or accounting | $75.00 effective January 1, 2026 |
| Additional copies of letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 | $5.00 each effective January 1, 2026 |
| Fax or email filing | $5.00 effective January 1, 2026 plus $1.00 per page effective January 1, 2026 |
Local nuance
Lewis County-specific considerations
Lewis County's own cost schedule prices fax and email filing at $5.00 effective January 1, 2026 plus $1.00 per page effective January 1, 2026. The Clerk and Master's webpage does not post a separate local rule explaining which probate filings may be sent that way, so call the office before relying on fax or email for an original will, a petition or a deadline-sensitive paper.
Lewis County is in Tennessee's 32nd Judicial District. The Clerk and Master's page states that the Clerk and Master is appointed by the circuit judges who serve as chancellors for the district.
Recent updates
| Date | Local update |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Lewis County's published chancery and probate cost schedule took effect under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. It aligns with 2025 Public Chapter 486, which set the statewide probate-estate clerk fee at $275 effective January 1, 2026, with increases to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by separating the home from the probate estate if title or beneficiary rules keep it outside the court case. If other Lewis County probate assets need administration, the petition goes through the Lewis County Clerk and Master in Hohenwald. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and title questions so the spouse does not open a larger estate settlement than the assets require. |
| Out-of-state adult child with T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 small estate | Call the Lewis County Clerk and Master before traveling. The office does not post a probate petition packet online, and no online probate e-filing portal is posted, but the local cost schedule prices fax and email filing. | Sunset helps assemble asset information, generate a packet for attorney review and coordinate local help if an in-person filing or hearing is needed. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale involving real property usually needs careful review before filing in Lewis County Chancery Court. The authority document will be letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 if the court appoints a personal representative. | Sunset helps locate accounts and connect the family with a vetted Tennessee probate attorney before the home sale is built into the estate plan. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Lewis County Clerk and Master | The local starting point for Lewis County estate settlement filings, letters, cost questions and scheduling questions. The office is at 29 West Main Street in Hohenwald and can be reached at (931) 796-3734. |
| Tennessee Courts Self Help Center | The statewide self-help page says most estate and probate matters are handled by the Clerk and Master in the county. It also states that court system employees cannot engage in the practice of law under T.C.A. § 16-3-804(b), including legal referrals, legal research or legal advice. |
| Tennessee court clerks list | The statewide clerks list is useful if the decedent lived in another Tennessee county or if you need to compare the Lewis County filing office with a different county's clerk. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider talking with a Tennessee probate attorney if the will may be contested, heirs disagree, real property must be sold, creditor issues are unclear, a T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 small estate may not fit, or you live outside Tennessee and cannot easily appear in Hohenwald. Sunset connects you to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families build a clearer picture of what exists before they choose a Lewis County probate path. That makes estate settlement decisions less dependent on memory, old mail or incomplete bank statements.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset can organize the information needed for the petition, family details, asset list and next-step documents so you have a cleaner packet to review before contacting the Lewis County Clerk and Master or an attorney.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate involves real property, conflict, missing heirs, creditor questions or a court hearing, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted probate attorney who handles Tennessee matters.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying Sunset, and the service is designed to reduce the administrative burden after a death.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Lewis County?
Lewis County probate filings go through the Lewis County Clerk and Master for the Lewis County Chancery Court at 29 West Main Street in Hohenwald. Tennessee's chancery default for probate jurisdiction is T.C.A. § 16-16-201, and Tennessee venue for the county exercising probate authority is tied to the decedent's legal residence at death under T.C.A. § 30-4-102.
What phone number should I use for the Lewis County probate office?
Call the Lewis County Clerk and Master at (931) 796-3734. Use that number before mailing original documents, sending papers by fax or email, or asking how the court is setting a hearing.
Does Lewis County have probate e-filing?
No Lewis County online probate e-filing portal is posted. Tennessee does not provide a statewide trial-court e-filing system for local probate cases, and Lewis County's own cost schedule instead prices fax and email filing at $5.00 effective January 1, 2026 plus $1.00 per page effective January 1, 2026.
Can I look up a Lewis County estate case online?
The Lewis County Clerk and Master page does not post an online case lookup. The Lewis County subdomain at the Tennessee Online Court Records System is not a working Lewis County portal, and Lewis County is not listed in that multi-county selector.
What forms does Lewis County publish for probate?
The Clerk and Master page posts a chancery and probate cost schedule effective January 1, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, a civil summons form, a subpoena form and a 32nd Local Rules link. It does not post a probate petition packet on that page, so call the office before preparing the filing.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Lewis County?
The Lewis County schedule under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 lists an Estate total of $479.50 effective January 1, 2026, including $90.00 effective January 1, 2026 for notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306. The statewide clerk's probate-estate fee is $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with statutory increases to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028, and local totals add taxes and costs.
Can I appear remotely for a Lewis County probate hearing?
Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, also cited as Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, says use of teleconferencing, video conferencing or other technology for remote proceedings is permissible at the discretion of the trial court. Ask the Lewis County Clerk and Master how the judge wants your specific hearing handled.
Do I have to travel to Hohenwald to handle a Lewis County estate?
Not every estate settlement step necessarily requires travel, but Lewis County does not post an online probate e-filing portal and does not post a probate petition packet. Call the Clerk and Master before sending original papers or relying on fax or email filing.
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.