Back to Tennessee
Moore County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court and filing office | Moore County Chancery Court, through the Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | 196 Main Street, Suite 312, Lynchburg, TN 37352 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 206, Lynchburg, TN 37352 |
| Phone | (931) 759-7028 |
| Fax | The Clerk and Master does not publish a fax number on the county site or in the CTAS county directory. |
| Hours | Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. |
| Probate fee | The statewide clerk fee for a probate estate 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 are added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Moore County does not publish the total counter cost for opening an estate. |
| Moore County forms | The Clerk and Master does not publish a local probate petition, packet or checklist on the county website. |
| Online filing | No e-filing portal is published for Moore County Chancery Court. |
| Case lookup | The Clerk and Master does not publish an online probate case lookup. Moore County is not listed in the multi-county tncrtinfo.com office list. |
| Remote appearance | Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, leaves remote technology to the trial court's discretion. Moore County does not publish a separate probate remote-appearance procedure. |
| Website | https://metromoorecounty.org/about_us/court_system/clerk___master.php |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you contact the Moore County Clerk and Master, list the assets, debts, possible heirs, and whether there is an original will. That list determines whether the estate settlement belongs in ordinary probate, a petition under T.C.A. § 30-4-101 to § 30-4-105, or another Tennessee route.
Sunset can help families look for accounts across 2,300 institutions, organize known liabilities, and prepare a probate packet before you call the Lynchburg courthouse about local payment and filing details.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Tennessee sends an 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 most Tennessee counties the default court is chancery and the filing officer is the Clerk and Master (T.C.A. § 16-16-201); in Moore County, Private Acts of 1974, ch. 206 places the probate work in the Moore County Chancery Court and the Clerk and Master.
The Moore County courthouse is in Lynchburg. The same courthouse serves Moore County, including Lynchburg, and no separate probate satellite location is published by the county.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the assets, debts, heirs, and any will. For a petition under The Small Estate Probate Act, use T.C.A. § 30-4-101 to § 30-4-105 and remember that the petition route is tied to the property listed in the petition.
- Prepare the petition for the correct Tennessee authority document. Tennessee uses letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not (T.C.A. § 30-1-117).
- Use Moore County's filing office. File with the Clerk and Master for the Moore County Chancery Court at 196 Main Street, Suite 312, Lynchburg, TN 37352, or coordinate with the office before mailing papers to P.O. Box 206.
- Confirm payment before sending money. The statutory probate estate fee is $275, effective January 1, 2026, under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028; state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, and Moore County does not publish the total counter cost.
- Ask the Clerk and Master how the matter will be set. Uncontested common form probate proceeds under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, while solemn form probate requires notice under T.C.A. § 30-1-117.
- If a hearing is needed, ask whether the court will allow telephone or video participation. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, permits remote technology at the trial court's discretion, and Moore County does not publish a separate local remote procedure.
- After the clerk issues letters, administer the estate. The clerk handles notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306, and the personal representative handles required estate tasks, including any inventory duties under T.C.A. § 30-2-301.
- Keep copies of all filed papers, receipts, notices, and correspondence. Moore County does not publish an online probate case lookup, so your file is the practical working history of the estate settlement.
- Close the estate through the Moore County Chancery Court when administration is complete and the court is ready to approve the final papers.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Moore County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set for decedent estates. Its self-help materials direct probate and estate questions to the clerk in the relevant county.
Moore County's Clerk and Master does not publish a local probate petition, packet, checklist, or local form for a petition under T.C.A. § 30-4-101 to § 30-4-105 on the county website. Call the Clerk and Master before you prepare or mail a packet, especially because the office does not publish the total court cost under T.C.A. § 8-21-401.
Local nuance
Moore County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Consolidated local government | Moore County and Lynchburg operate as a consolidated metropolitan government, but probate filings still go to the Moore County Chancery Court and Clerk and Master under Private Acts of 1974, ch. 206 and T.C.A. § 16-16-201. |
| Thursday half-day | The Clerk and Master is open Thursday only from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Plan Lynchburg courthouse trips for a full business day when possible. |
| Will contests | The county's 1974 act says a contested will-validity matter is certified to Circuit Court under the statute cited in that act. Ask the Clerk and Master how the court handles that step before assuming an uncontested path. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by separating probate assets from property that may pass outside the estate. If a probate filing is still needed, the Moore County Chancery Court filing office is the Clerk and Master in Lynchburg. | Sunset helps identify accounts, organize asset information, and prepare an estate settlement packet before you call the Clerk and Master about local filing and payment details. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | For a petition under T.C.A. § 30-4-101 to § 30-4-105, call the Clerk and Master before mailing papers because Moore County does not publish a local packet, e-filing portal, or total court cost under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. | Sunset helps gather institution information, generate a draft packet, and connect you with local counsel if travel or Tennessee procedure becomes the harder part. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Real property usually makes the estate more court-intensive. The filing still starts with the Clerk and Master for the Moore County Chancery Court, and legal advice is especially important before listing or selling the home. | Sunset helps organize assets and debts, prepare documents for attorney review, and connect the family with a vetted Tennessee probate attorney. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Moore County Clerk and Master | Filing office for Moore County estates in the Moore County Chancery Court. Court staff can explain office logistics, but cannot give legal advice under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. | 196 Main Street, Suite 312, Lynchburg, TN 37352. Mail: P.O. Box 206, Lynchburg, TN 37352. Phone: (931) 759-7028. |
| Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands | Civil legal-help organization with a Tullahoma office that lists Moore County in its service area. Ask the organization whether an estate matter fits its current intake. | Tullahoma office: (931) 455-7000. General intake: 1-800-238-1443. https://las.org/get-help/office-locations-and-the-counties-we-serve/ |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts court clerk directory | Statewide clerk directory for finding the correct clerk if the person who died lived in another Tennessee county. | https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center/find-court-clerk |
When to hire an attorney
Consider hiring a Tennessee probate attorney if there is a will contest, a home must be sold, heirs disagree, debts are unclear, or you are handling the estate from outside Moore County. The Clerk and Master can handle filing logistics but cannot give legal advice under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. Sunset connects families with a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families locate financial accounts, insurance, retirement assets, and other property so the estate settlement starts from a clearer asset list.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you gather into organized documents you can review before contacting the Moore County Clerk and Master or a Tennessee attorney.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate needs legal advice, Sunset can connect you with a vetted attorney who handles Tennessee probate.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Moore County?
File Moore County estate papers with the Clerk and Master for the Moore County Chancery Court in Lynchburg. Tennessee venue for a petition under T.C.A. § 30-4-101 to § 30-4-105 is tied to the county where the person had legal residence at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102), and Moore County's Chancery Court structure is set by Private Acts of 1974, ch. 206 and T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
What is the Moore County probate filing fee?
The statutory probate estate fee 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 are added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, and Moore County does not publish the total court cost on its website.
Are Moore County probate forms online?
The Moore County Clerk and Master does not publish a local probate petition, packet, or checklist online. Tennessee also does not provide a statewide decedent-estate form set, so call the Clerk and Master before preparing a petition, including a petition under T.C.A. § 30-4-101 to § 30-4-105.
Does Moore County have e-filing for probate?
No e-filing portal is published for Moore County Chancery Court. Call the Clerk and Master before relying on anything other than courthouse filing or mail coordination.
Can I appear remotely for a Moore County probate hearing?
Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, says the use of teleconferencing, video conferencing, or other technology for remote proceedings is permissible at the trial court's discretion. Moore County does not publish a separate probate remote-appearance practice, so ask the Clerk and Master how the court wants the issue handled.
Is there a Moore County probate case lookup?
The Clerk and Master does not publish an online probate case lookup, and Moore County is not listed in the multi-county tncrtinfo.com office list. Keep stamped copies and correspondence because you may need to contact the office directly for case-status questions.
Do I have to travel to Lynchburg for a Moore County estate?
Not every estate requires the same amount of in-person activity, but Moore County does not publish an online filing portal or a local remote filing procedure. If you live outside Tennessee, call the Clerk and Master before mailing originals or payment, and consider using Sunset to connect with a local probate attorney.
What happens after letters testamentary or letters of administration are issued?
Letters testamentary and letters of administration are the authority documents named in T.C.A. § 30-1-117. After letters issue, the clerk handles notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306, and the personal representative handles required estate administration, including any inventory duty under T.C.A. § 30-2-301.
When is the Moore County Clerk and Master open?
The office is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Do not plan a Thursday afternoon courthouse visit.
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.