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Pickett County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Pickett County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Pickett County Chancery Court |
| Filing office | Pickett County Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | 1 Courthouse Square, Suite 203, Byrdstown, TN 38549 |
| Mailing address | No separate mailing address is printed on the county officials page; use the suite-numbered courthouse address unless the Clerk and Master gives different mailing instructions. |
| Phone | (931) 864-3359 |
| Fax | No fax number is printed for the Clerk and Master on the county officials page. |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | A court directory lists Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; call before traveling because the county officials page lists contact details but not a separate hours table. |
| Probate estate clerk fee under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 | The statutory clerk fee is $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 are added on top. Pickett County does not print the total amount on its site. |
| Local probate forms | No Pickett County probate petition, packet or checklist is printed on the county site. Ask the Clerk and Master what the office wants for your filing. |
| E-filing status | No Pickett County Chancery Court e-filing portal is printed on the county site. Tennessee does not have a statewide trial-court e-filing system. |
| Case lookup | The Pickett County Clerk and Master page does not print an online case lookup, and Pickett County is not listed in the multi-county Tennessee Online Court Records System office list. |
| Remote appearance | Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, leaves teleconferencing, video conferencing or other technology to the trial court's discretion. Ask the Clerk and Master how the Pickett County Chancery Court handles a specific hearing. |
| Website | https://dalehollow.com/officials/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you ask the Pickett County Clerk and Master to open an estate, list the property, debts, likely heirs or beneficiaries, and whether the person who died left a will. Tennessee forms and filing details depend on the county office, and Pickett County does not print a local probate packet online.
Sunset can support estate settlement by helping identify accounts and assets across 2,300 institutions before you decide what to file. That asset picture helps you ask the Pickett County office better questions about the filing path, fee total, and documents to bring or mail.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Pickett County filings go to the Pickett County Chancery Court at the courthouse in Byrdstown. Byrdstown is the county seat and the county's only incorporated town.
Tennessee law sends the estate to the court exercising probate authority in the county where the person lived at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102). In Pickett County, Private Acts of 2019, ch. 18 places that work in the Chancery Court and makes the Clerk and Master the filing office, consistent with T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm that Pickett County is the right county under T.C.A. § 30-4-102, then gather the death certificate, the original will if there is one, names and addresses of interested people, a list of property, and known debts.
- Call the Pickett County Clerk and Master at (931) 864-3359 because the county site does not print a local probate packet or total cost. Ask what petition, proposed order, bond paperwork, copies, and payment method the office wants.
- File at the Pickett County Clerk and Master, 1 Courthouse Square, Suite 203, Byrdstown, TN 38549. For an ordinary estate, Tennessee uses letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not (T.C.A. § 30-1-117).
- If the estate may qualify under the Small Estate Probate Act, use the current petition-for-limited-letters route under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 rather than relying on older affidavit language. The Clerk and Master can tell you what local paperwork the office requires.
- Pay the required amount. The statutory probate estate clerk fee is $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, and T.C.A. § 8-21-401 allows additional state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit, so confirm the Pickett County total before sending payment.
- Ask whether the matter can proceed without a hearing or must be set for the Chancellor. Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, permits remote court technology only at the court's discretion, so ask the Pickett County office how to handle any requested remote appearance.
- After the clerk issues letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, use those letters to administer estate assets and follow Tennessee notice requirements. The clerk gives notice to creditors after issuance of letters under T.C.A. § 30-2-306.
- Administer and close the estate by tracking receipts, payments, creditor issues, required notices, and any inventory required by T.C.A. § 30-2-301. Keep copies of everything you file or receive from the Pickett County Clerk and Master.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Pickett County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not provide a statewide probate form set for decedent estates. Pickett County's own site also does not print a local probate petition, packet or checklist for Chancery Court estates.
For a Pickett County estate, call or email the Clerk and Master before preparing papers. This is especially important for estate settlement if you are using an older description of Pickett County probate practice, because the filing office changed after Private Acts of 2019, ch. 18 returned the work to Chancery Court under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
Local nuance
Pickett County-specific considerations
Pickett County is a local example of Tennessee's court map changing over time. Private Acts of 1982, ch. 237 placed probate matters in the General Sessions Court and made the County Clerk the record keeper. Private Acts of 2019, ch. 18 later returned probate work to the Pickett County Chancery Court under T.C.A. § 16-16-201 and made the Clerk and Master the filing office.
That history matters because an older directory, genealogy note, or local reference may point you to General Sessions or the County Clerk for probate. Current Pickett County estate filings go through the Clerk and Master at Suite 203 in the Byrdstown courthouse.
Recent updates
| Date | Local update | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2019 | Private Acts of 2019, ch. 18 gave the Pickett County Chancery Court probate authority under T.C.A. § 16-16-201 and made the Clerk and Master the filing office. | Current Pickett County estate filings go to the Clerk and Master, not the County Clerk office that handled the older General Sessions arrangement. |
| January 1, 2026 | 2025 Public Chapter 486 changed the statewide probate estate clerk fee to $275 effective January 1, 2026. | Pickett County does not print a total local cost online, so confirm the full amount, including any state and local litigation taxes under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, before mailing payment. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Pickett County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by separating property that may pass outside probate from property that needs Chancery Court authority. If probate is needed, file through the Pickett County Clerk and Master in Byrdstown and ask what local packet the office wants. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, and ownership details so the spouse does not open a larger estate settlement process than needed. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Confirm with the Clerk and Master whether the estate fits the Small Estate Probate Act under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 and what Pickett County filing papers are required. Do not rely on older Pickett County references that send probate to General Sessions. | Sunset helps organize the asset list and can help the child connect with a local attorney if a Byrdstown filing or hearing is needed. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A real-estate sale usually needs ordinary probate authority rather than limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. The parent should call the Pickett County Clerk and Master before filing to ask about required pleadings, fee total, and whether the Chancellor must set the matter. | Sunset helps build the estate settlement picture, gather account information, and route the family to a vetted Tennessee probate attorney when court approval or a sale is involved. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Pickett County Clerk and Master | The local filing office for Pickett County estates. Court staff can provide filing logistics, but Tennessee court employees cannot engage in the practice of law under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. | 1 Courthouse Square, Suite 203, Byrdstown, TN 38549. Phone (931) 864-3359. Email [email protected]. |
| Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands | The Cookeville office lists Pickett County in its service area. Its published resources do not list decedent estate administration among priorities, so ask whether your matter fits before relying on it. | Cookeville office: (931) 528-7436. General intake: 1-800-238-1443. |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts clerk directory | The statewide clerk directory can help if the person who died lived in another Tennessee county and Pickett County is not the right filing location. | https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center/find-court-clerk |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families locate financial accounts, insurance, retirement assets, debts, and other estate details so the Pickett County filing starts from a clearer inventory.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information a personal representative needs for estate settlement, then helps prepare a county-ready packet to review before contacting the Pickett County Clerk and Master.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Pickett County estate needs legal advice, a real-estate sale, a contested issue, or a court appearance, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to understand the estate settlement workload, organize next steps, and get connected to the right probate help without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Pickett County?
File with the Pickett County Clerk and Master for the Pickett County Chancery Court at 1 Courthouse Square, Suite 203, Byrdstown, TN 38549. Private Acts of 2019, ch. 18 returned Pickett County probate work to chancery under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
Why do older sources say Pickett County probate is in General Sessions?
They may be describing the former arrangement. Private Acts of 1982, ch. 237 placed probate in General Sessions, but Private Acts of 2019, ch. 18 moved it back to Chancery Court under T.C.A. § 16-16-201 and made the Clerk and Master the filing office.
Does Pickett County publish probate forms online?
The Pickett County site does not print a local probate petition, packet or checklist. Call the Clerk and Master at (931) 864-3359 or email [email protected] to ask what papers the office wants for the type of filing you plan to make.
Can I e-file a Pickett County probate case?
No Pickett County Chancery Court e-filing portal is printed on the county site, and Tennessee has no statewide trial-court e-filing system. Ask the Clerk and Master how the office accepts filings for your situation.
How much does it cost to open probate in Pickett County?
The statutory probate estate clerk fee is $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486. T.C.A. § 8-21-401 allows state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit on top of that fee, and Pickett County does not print the total local amount online, so confirm the total before sending payment.
Can I look up a Pickett County probate case online?
The Pickett County Clerk and Master page does not print an online case lookup. Pickett County also is not listed in the multi-county Tennessee Online Court Records System office list checked for this page.
Can I attend a Pickett County probate hearing by phone or video?
Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, says remote technology for court proceedings is permissible at the discretion of the trial court. Ask the Pickett County Clerk and Master how the Chancery Court wants you to handle any specific hearing.
Do I have to travel to Byrdstown to start a Pickett County estate?
Call the Clerk and Master before traveling or mailing papers. The county site gives a phone number and an office-level email, but it does not print local probate forms, a total cost, or a remote-hearing practice.
What authority document will I receive in Pickett County?
For an ordinary estate, Tennessee calls the personal representative's authority letters testamentary if there is a will and letters of administration if there is not, under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. In a qualifying Small Estate Probate Act matter, the court issues 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.