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Maury County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Maury County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Maury County Chancery Court, with filings handled by the Maury County Clerk and Master. Probate jurisdiction in this county follows the chancery default in T.C.A. § 16-16-201. |
| Courthouse address | Maury County Judicial Building, 1115 South Main Street, Columbia, TN 38401. |
| Mailing | The Clerk and Master publishes the same 1115 South Main Street address for paper delivery. The probate procedures say completed filings may be dropped off, or sent by USPS, UPS or FedEx, and recommend certified or trackable delivery. |
| Phone | 931-375-1307. The county also publishes 931-375-1300 as another Clerk and Master line. |
| Fax | 931-375-1319. |
| Hours | Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. Staff hours are listed as 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but the public office window is the shorter 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. period. |
| 2026 opening cost | The Maury County fee schedule effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026 lists a petition for probate with or without a will at $456.50. The statewide clerk's fee component is $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, rising to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028; T.C.A. § 8-21-401 keeps state and local litigation taxes and other costs separate. |
| Local forms and documents | The county publishes probate procedures, a 2026 fee schedule, a creditor claim form, an accounting template, a fax cover sheet, a docket sheet and local rules. It does not publish a probate petition packet and says the Clerk and Master cannot provide forms. |
| E-filing status | No e-filing for new estates. The county probate procedures state that a new estate may not be started by email or fax. |
| Case search | Maury County publishes an online court records system at https://maury.tncrtinfo.com/. Its court type choices include Clerk and Master, but the public search is behind a verification step and the county does not publish the estate coverage or date range. |
| Remote appearance | Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, leaves remote proceedings to the court's discretion. Maury County publishes a recurring Zoom meeting for the chancery and circuit civil motion docket and a docket sheet that lets a party request a Zoom hearing or an in-person hearing. |
| Website | https://www.maurycounty-tn.gov/210/Clerk-Master |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you start estate settlement in Maury County, make a list of the accounts, vehicles, personal property, debts, possible creditors, and any real estate tied to the person who died. Maury County's local procedures ask for different starting papers depending on whether the estate is testate, intestate, a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, a muniment of title under § 32-2-111, or an administrator ad litem matter.
Sunset can help you identify accounts and assets across 2,300 institutions before you decide what to submit in Columbia. That asset picture matters because Maury County opens new estates only on paper, asks filers to allow up to two weeks for processing, and returns incorrect papers for correction.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Tennessee sends an estate to the court that exercises probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death, as that term is used in T.C.A. § 30-4-102. In most Tennessee counties, probate jurisdiction is in chancery and the Clerk and Master is the filing office under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. Maury County follows that pattern: the Maury County Chancery Court handles estates, and the Maury County Clerk and Master receives the papers.
All Maury County estate filings go to the Maury County Judicial Building at 1115 South Main Street in Columbia. The Clerk and Master's page names Columbia, Mount Pleasant and Spring Hill in its county work, but there is one estate filing office, in Columbia. The General Sessions Court has Columbia and Mt. Pleasant locations for other work; it is not the estate filing office described by Maury County's published probate procedures.
Maury County is part of Tennessee's 22nd Judicial District. The local rules published by the Clerk and Master are captioned for Giles, Lawrence, Maury and Wayne counties, but the probate filing is still a Maury County filing at the Clerk and Master's office in Columbia.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the correct local path before preparing papers. Maury County's probate procedures list starting papers for a testate estate, an intestate estate, a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, a muniment of title under § 32-2-111, and an administrator ad litem matter. For a will case, include the original will.
- Prepare the opening papers yourself or through counsel. Maury County says the Clerk and Master cannot provide forms or legal advice, and the local rules say the office is not authorized to provide forms for petitions, inventories or similar estate documents. If you represent yourself, the county says you will be treated as an attorney.
- Submit the paper filing to the Maury County Clerk and Master at 1115 South Main Street, Columbia, TN 38401. You may drop off completed filings at the Clerk and Master's office or send them by USPS, UPS or FedEx. The county recommends certified or trackable delivery. A new estate is not accepted by email, fax or e-filing.
- Include the required payment. The Maury County fee schedule effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026 lists a petition for probate with or without a will at $456.50. The statutory clerk's fee component is $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with increases to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028; T.C.A. § 8-21-401 separates that fee from litigation taxes and other costs.
- Allow time for the office review. Maury County asks filers to allow up to two weeks for processing new probate matters. If the papers are incorrect, the county says they will be returned for correction and may be resubmitted.
- After approval, receive the authority papers. The Clerk and Master's office says it will generate letters testamentary, letters of administration or limited letters, as applicable, together with the notice to creditors. Tennessee uses letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). Limited letters in a small estate are governed by T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
- Handle creditor notice and claims. In a regular administration, the Clerk gives the notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306. Maury County's claim form tells creditors to file an original plus two copies with the Clerk and Master, verified by affidavit, within the earlier of four months from the first publication date or twelve months from the date of death, with the $50.00 claim cost effective January 1, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401.
- Use the motion docket only when a court setting is needed. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, allows remote court proceedings at the court's discretion. Maury County publishes a recurring Zoom meeting for the chancery and circuit civil motion docket and a docket sheet that lets a party request Zoom or in-person handling, but opening an uncontested estate starts with the paper filing.
- Administer and close the estate. File any required inventory under T.C.A. § 30-2-301, address claims and distributions, keep the estate on track, and close it. The local probate rule published by the Clerk and Master expects the personal representative and attorney to take all necessary steps to close the estate no later than eighteen months after appointment unless good cause is shown.
Executor duties
The local rules published by the Maury County Clerk and Master add practical duties on top of the statewide estate-administration duties. A personal representative may administer an estate without an attorney, but the office says it cannot provide legal advice or forms. If statutory requirements for an inventory under T.C.A. § 30-2-301, accountings or final settlements are missed, the local probate rule says the Clerk and Master may send the personal representative and attorney a notice to appear before a judge to explain why the required action has not been taken.
The same local rule says the personal representative and attorney must take all necessary steps to close the estate no later than eighteen months after appointment unless good cause is shown. It also says compensation issues are normally addressed when the estate is substantially complete, and that petitions for fees require at least five days notice to interested parties.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Maury County
Tennessee does not provide a statewide probate petition packet for Maury County filers. The Administrative Office of the Courts' statewide trial court forms table does not provide the local estate-starting papers a Maury County filer needs, and the Judiciary's self-help page sends most probate and estate questions to the county Clerk and Master.
Maury County publishes useful probate documents, but not a probate petition packet. The Clerk and Master's page links probate procedures revised in 2026, a Maury County Chancery Court fee schedule effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, a 2026 creditor claim form, a detailed annual accounting and order template, a 2026 uniform fax cover sheet, a docket information sheet, a copy policy and the 22nd Judicial District local rules.
The important limitation is local: Maury County's probate procedures say the Clerk and Master cannot provide forms and that filers must prepare their own documents. The local rules the office publishes say the Clerk and Master's office is not authorized to provide legal advice or forms for petitions, inventories or similar documents needed in estate administration.
Fees
Maury County publishes a current probate cost schedule. The schedule is captioned for Maury County Chancery Court and is effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026. It lists a petition for probate with a will and a petition for probate without a will at $456.50.
That county total is higher than the statewide statutory clerk's fee because T.C.A. § 8-21-401 separates clerk fees from state and local litigation taxes and other costs. Under 2025 Public Chapter 486, the statutory clerk's fee for probate estates is $275 effective January 1, 2026, rising to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. Maury County's opening cost also reflects publication where required, and the county schedule notes that Maury County Sheriff's Department service of process is an added $52.00 under the fee schedule effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.
The county schedule also states that each estate receives two letters testamentary or letters of administration with the opening cost, and that additional certified letters cost $5.50 each under the fee schedule effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026. Copies are $0.50 per page and certification with seal is $5.00 under the same effective 2026 schedule and T.C.A. § 8-21-401.
Timeline
- Opening review: Maury County asks filers to allow up to two weeks for processing new probate matters. If a matter is urgent, the county says to contact the Clerk and Master's office.
- Motion settings: the local rules published by the Clerk and Master say regular sessions open at 9:00 a.m. unless the court directs otherwise, and that each division has one motion day in each county each month with motions set at 9:00 a.m. Confirm the current motion date with the office before relying on the rule.
- Fee petitions: the local probate rule says petitions for fees require at least five days notice to interested parties and are normally heard when the estate is substantially complete.
- Creditor claims: Maury County's 2026 claim form states that claims must be filed within the earlier of four months from the first publication date of notice to creditors or twelve months from the decedent's date of death, with the notice process tied to T.C.A. § 30-2-306.
- Closing target: the local probate rule published by the Clerk and Master expects the personal representative and attorney to take all necessary steps to close the estate no later than eighteen months after appointment unless good cause is shown.
Local nuance
Maury County-specific considerations
Maury County has several local rules and office procedures that change how estate settlement feels at the counter. New estates are paper filings only, and the county says a new estate may not be started by email or fax. Later filings may use the county's fax cover sheet when fax filing is allowed, but the cover sheet refers to a service charge under Tenn. R. Civ. P. 5A.04, a payment deadline within ten days, and a fifty-page limit unless the court authorizes more.
The Clerk and Master publishes a 22nd Judicial District probate rule that applies to Maury and Wayne counties only. It says the attorney of record remains responsible for seeing that the estate is properly managed, administered, distributed and closed until the estate is closed or the court allows withdrawal. It also says a personal representative may proceed without an attorney, but the Clerk and Master's office cannot provide legal advice or forms.
Maury County's creditor claim form is also local. It is captioned for the Chancery Court of Maury County, Probate Division, and tells creditors to file an original plus two copies with the Clerk and Master, verified by affidavit, with the $50.00 claim cost effective January 1, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. The claim deadline language tracks the earlier of four months from first publication or twelve months from death under T.C.A. § 30-2-306.
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Maury County's Chancery Court fee schedule effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026 took effect. It lists a petition for probate with or without a will at $456.50, while the statewide statutory clerk's fee became $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with increases to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. |
| 2026 | The Clerk and Master's Probate Procedures for Maury County Chancery Court were revised for 2026 and state that the office does not allow e-filing and that a new estate cannot be started by email or fax. |
| 2026 | The Clerk and Master's page lists a 2026 creditor claim form and a 2026 uniform fax cover sheet for the Maury County Clerk and Master. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path in Maury County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | First separate jointly owned property from assets that actually require a Maury County estate. If an estate is needed, the petition, oath, order and any original will are submitted on paper to the Clerk and Master at 1115 South Main Street in Columbia. Once approved, the office says it will generate the letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 and the notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306. | Sunset helps organize accounts, debts and title information so the spouse can see what belongs in the estate settlement and what may pass outside the estate. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | The small estate process under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 is still a court filing, and limited letters under that chapter come from the Clerk and Master. Maury County lists the minimum pleadings it expects and warns that a will waiver of bond does not remove the need for waivers or an appropriate bond under T.C.A. § 30-4-103. New estates cannot be started by email or fax, so plan on trackable mail or a trip to Columbia. | Sunset helps gather the asset list before the child spends time and postage on a petition that may not match the property involved. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually points away from the personal-property small estate route under T.C.A. § 30-4-102 and toward a full administration or a will-related real-property route. Maury County's 2026 fee schedule separately prices requests in probate estates to sell real property, and the local rule expects the estate to be closed within eighteen months after appointment unless good cause is shown. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and title issues early, then helps the family decide whether to prepare a packet, request attorney help, or both. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Maury County Clerk and Master | The filing office for Maury County estates. The office publishes probate procedures, a 2026 fee schedule, a creditor claim form, an accounting template, a fax cover sheet, a docket sheet and local rules. Court staff cannot tell you what forms to use, how to complete them, or how to proceed, and state court employees may not give legal advice under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. | 1115 South Main Street, Columbia, TN 38401. Phone 931-375-1307. Fax 931-375-1319. https://www.maurycounty-tn.gov/210/Clerk-Master |
| Probate Procedures for Maury County Chancery Court | The county's own step list for opening an estate, including minimum pleadings, paper delivery, processing time, local cost guidance and what the office will prepare after approval. | https://www.maurycounty-tn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6864/Probate-Procedures-for-Maury-County-Chancery-Court-2025 |
| Maury County Chancery Court fee schedule | The dated local cost list effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026, including probate petitions, claims, copies and certification. T.C.A. § 8-21-401 and 2025 Public Chapter 486 set the statewide clerk's fee component at $275 effective January 1, 2026, with later increases to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. | https://www.maurycounty-tn.gov/DocumentCenter/View/6949/Chancery-Court-Cost-Clerk-fees-Jan-1-2026-through-Dec-31-2026 |
| Maury County online court records system | The county's case lookup. Its court type choices include Clerk and Master. The search is behind a verification step and offers a subscription login, so call the office if an estate does not appear. | https://maury.tncrtinfo.com/ |
| Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Columbia office | A nonprofit civil legal-help organization whose published Columbia office service area includes Maury County. Its own page says to call before coming in and that a visitor cannot meet with a lawyer without an appointment. Ask whether your estate issue fits its services. | 1503 Hatcher Lane, Suite 105, Columbia, TN 38401. Phone 931-381-5533 or 800-238-1443. Open 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. https://las.org/get-help/office-locations-and-the-counties-we-serve/ |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts clerk directory | The Judiciary's own clerk directory. Use it if the person who died lived in another Tennessee county and you need to identify that county's filing office. | https://www.tncourts.gov/courts/court-clerks/clerks-list |
When to hire an attorney
Counsel often makes sense in Maury County when there is a contested will, a home sale, creditor disputes, missing heirs, a bond question in a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, or a self-represented filing that has already been returned for correction. Maury County's own probate procedures strongly recommend hiring an attorney for probate matters, and the local rules put responsibility on counsel to keep an estate properly managed and closed. Sunset connects you to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families locate accounts, benefits, insurance, vehicles, real property clues and debts before they decide what to submit in Maury County. A clearer asset list makes estate settlement less reactive and helps avoid starting the wrong local path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family and asset information you provide into an organized probate packet for review. In Maury County, that matters because the Clerk and Master says it cannot provide forms and will return incorrect self-represented papers for correction.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate needs legal judgment, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Tennessee probate attorney who understands chancery-court practice and local filing expectations in Columbia.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset's estate settlement tools without paying Sunset. That lets you focus on finding assets, preparing the next step and deciding whether the Maury County filing should be handled on your own or with counsel.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Maury County?
Submit estate papers to the Maury County Clerk and Master for the Maury County Chancery Court at 1115 South Main Street, Columbia, TN 38401. Maury County follows the chancery-court probate jurisdiction structure in T.C.A. § 16-16-201, and the county's own probate procedures direct completed filings to the Clerk and Master's office in the Maury County Judicial Building.
Can I start a Maury County estate through email or an electronic filing system?
No for a new estate. Maury County's probate procedures revised in 2026 state that the office does not allow e-filing at this time and that a new estate is not accepted by email or fax. Use the counter or trackable mail to the Clerk and Master in Columbia.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Maury County?
The Maury County fee schedule effective January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026 lists a petition for probate with or without a will at $456.50. The statewide clerk's fee component is $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, increasing to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028; T.C.A. § 8-21-401 treats litigation taxes and other costs as additional charges.
Does the Maury County Clerk and Master give out probate forms?
No. The office publishes probate procedures, a fee schedule, a claim form, an accounting template, a fax cover sheet, a docket sheet and local rules, but it says the Clerk and Master cannot provide forms or legal advice. The local rule also says the office is not authorized to provide forms for petitions, inventories under T.C.A. § 30-2-301 or similar estate documents.
How long does the Maury County Clerk and Master take to process a new estate?
Maury County asks filers to allow up to two weeks for processing new probate matters. If the matter is urgent, the county's procedures say to contact the Clerk and Master's office.
Can I look up a Maury County estate online?
Maury County publishes an online court records system at https://maury.tncrtinfo.com/, and the available court type choices include Clerk and Master. The public search is behind a verification step, and the county does not publish the estate date range or document access details, so call the office if you cannot find the matter.
Can I appear by Zoom in Maury County Chancery Court?
Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, allows remote court proceedings only at the court's discretion. Maury County publishes a recurring Zoom meeting for the chancery and circuit civil motion docket and a docket sheet that lets a party request Zoom or in-person handling. Ask the Clerk and Master how the court wants your specific matter handled.
Do I have to travel to Columbia to start probate?
Not necessarily. Maury County allows completed filings to be dropped off at the Clerk and Master's office or sent by USPS, UPS or FedEx to 1115 South Main Street, Columbia, TN 38401. The office recommends certified or trackable delivery. New estates are paper filings, so do not rely on email, fax or e-filing to start the case.
How do I file a creditor claim against a Maury County estate?
Maury County's 2026 claim form says a creditor claim must be filed with the Clerk and Master as an original plus two copies, verified by affidavit, with the $50.00 claim cost effective January 1, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. The form says the deadline is the earlier of four months from the first publication date of notice to creditors or twelve months from the date of death, consistent with T.C.A. § 30-2-306.
How long do I have to finish administering a Maury County estate?
The local probate rule published by the Maury County Clerk and Master expects the personal representative and attorney to take all necessary steps to close the estate no later than eighteen months after appointment unless good cause is shown. If administration runs longer, the rule says the Clerk and Master may collect accrued costs from the estate.
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.