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Stewart County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Stewart County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Stewart County Chancery Court. Stewart County exercises probate jurisdiction through chancery under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. |
| Filing office | Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | Stewart County Courthouse, 225 Donelson Parkway, Main Floor, Dover, TN 37058 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 102, Dover, TN 37058 |
| Phone | (931) 232-5665 |
| Fax | (931) 232-0049 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed for lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. |
| Cost to file | The statewide clerk's fee under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are added on top. Stewart County does not publish a local court-cost total on its website. |
| Local probate forms | No Stewart County probate petition, checklist, brochure, or forms packet is published on the county website. |
| Online filing | Tennessee has no statewide trial-court online filing system. Stewart County does not publish a local probate online filing portal, email-filing channel, or drop box. |
| Court-records lookup | Stewart County publishes an online court-records portal at https://stewart.tncrtinfo.com/. Ask the Clerk and Master whether Chancery estate cases appear in that portal. |
| Remote proceedings | Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, leaves teleconferencing, video conferencing, or other remote court technology to the trial court's discretion. Ask the Stewart County Clerk and Master how the court applies Rule 55. |
| Website | County website: https://www.stewartcogov.com/. Clerk and Master page: https://www.stewartcogov.com/elected_officials/full_info/aturner.html |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Dover, make a practical inventory of the assets, debts, accounts, vehicles, real estate interests, and beneficiary designations involved in the estate settlement. Tennessee probate turns on what property actually needs court authority, so guessing at the asset picture can send you down the wrong path.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 institutions to help families identify accounts and property before the local filing decision is made. That gives you a cleaner Stewart County probate packet and helps you know what to ask the Clerk and Master when you call.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Stewart County estate matters are filed at the Stewart County Courthouse in Dover when the person lived in Stewart County at death. Tennessee law sends the estate to the court that exercises probate jurisdiction in the county where the person had legal residence at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102), and the chancery default comes from T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
For Stewart County, that local court is the Stewart County Chancery Court, and the filing office is the Clerk and Master. Use the mailing address for mailed papers and the courthouse address for in-person filing questions.
The jurisdiction process
- Identify the property that needs court authority, the known debts, and whether an original will exists. If the estate may qualify for the statewide small estate process under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, confirm the current petition requirements before filing.
- Prepare the petition for the appropriate Tennessee path. Stewart County does not publish a local probate packet, so call the Clerk and Master before you rely on a form from another county.
- File the papers with the Stewart County Clerk and Master at the Stewart County Courthouse, 225 Donelson Parkway, Main Floor, Dover, TN 37058, or use P.O. Box 102, Dover, TN 37058 for mail directed to the office.
- Pay the required costs. The statewide clerk's fee under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit added on top.
- Ask the Clerk and Master whether the filing can be handled in common form under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 or whether the court will set a hearing. Solemn form under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 requires notice to interested persons.
- If a hearing is set, ask how Stewart County schedules it and whether the court will consider remote participation. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, makes remote technology discretionary with the trial court.
- After the court accepts the filing, Tennessee authority is issued as letters testamentary when there is a will or letters of administration when there is not (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). For a qualifying small estate, limited letters are governed by T.C.A. § 30-4-102 and § 30-4-103.
- Administer the estate after letters issue. The clerk handles notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306, and the personal representative handles duties such as the inventory under T.C.A. § 30-2-301 unless a Tennessee exception applies.
- When debts, distributions, accountings, and any required closing steps are complete, ask the Clerk and Master what Stewart County requires to close the file.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Stewart County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set, and its self-help materials say probate matters are handled by the Clerk and Master in your county. Stewart County's own Clerk and Master page does not publish a probate petition, checklist, brochure, or forms packet.
Before you prepare a Stewart County filing, call the Clerk and Master at (931) 232-5665 and ask what the office wants included with the petition, how many copies are needed, how payment should be made, and whether the court expects a proposed order or bond paperwork.
Local nuance
Stewart County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Stewart County filing |
|---|---|
| Use the county Clerk and Master page | The Stewart County Clerk and Master page is the local source for the Dover office address, mailing address, phone, fax, and hours. |
| Lunch closure | The office hours include a closure from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. If you plan to file in person, avoid the lunch hour. |
| Fax number published | The office publishes fax number (931) 232-0049. The county website does not say whether fax filing is accepted, so call before sending legal papers by fax. |
| No office email published | The county does not publish an office-level email address for probate filings. Use the phone number, mailing address, or in-person office information instead. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| County contact page | Stewart County's local Clerk and Master page lists the courthouse address, P.O. Box, phone, fax, and lunch closure for the Dover office. |
| Current statewide cost statute | The statewide probate clerk's fee under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with litigation taxes and any costs deposit added on top. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Stewart County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by identifying whether the home passes outside probate and whether any other Stewart County property needs letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. If probate is needed, the filing goes to the Stewart County Clerk and Master in Dover. | Sunset helps separate probate assets from nonprobate assets, organize account and deed information, and prepare for a focused call with the Clerk and Master or an attorney. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | If the Tennessee small estate route under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 may apply, call the Stewart County Clerk and Master before traveling because the county does not publish a local packet. Limited letters are governed by T.C.A. § 30-4-102 and § 30-4-103. | Sunset helps collect institution information and generate an estate settlement packet so an out-of-state family member can ask the court and counsel precise questions. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually requires careful review of title and probate authority. If the child lived in Stewart County at death, start with the Stewart County Chancery Court filing office in Dover and ask whether the petition should address sale authority. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts, and property details before the petition is prepared, then connects the family with local probate counsel when a sale or title issue makes legal help important. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Stewart County Clerk and Master | The local filing office for Stewart County Chancery Court probate matters. Court staff can provide office procedures and filing logistics, but court employees may not engage in the practice of law under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. | 225 Donelson Parkway, Main Floor, Dover, TN 37058. Phone: (931) 232-5665. Fax: (931) 232-0049. |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts self-help center | The AOC Self-Help Center says probate matters are handled by the Clerk and Master in your county. It also explains that state court employees cannot give legal advice under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. | https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center |
| Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands | The organization lists Stewart County as served by its Clarksville office. Its site says an appointment is required to meet with a lawyer and that phone or mail help may be available. Ask whether your probate issue is within its current services. | 109 South Third Street, Clarksville, TN 37040. Phone: (931) 552-6656 or (800) 238-1443. Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider talking with a Tennessee probate attorney if the will may be contested, heirs disagree, real estate must be sold, a creditor problem is likely, a bond question comes up, or you are handling the estate from outside Stewart County. Sunset connects you to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify financial accounts, insurance, retirement assets, real estate leads, vehicles, debts, and other property before the Stewart County filing is prepared.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information families need for estate settlement, including asset lists, contact details, debt information, and the documents a lawyer or clerk will ask about.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal judgment, Sunset can connect the family with a Tennessee probate attorney who understands Stewart County filings and chancery practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to get oriented, organize the estate settlement, and decide what help they need without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Stewart County?
File with the Stewart County Clerk and Master for the Stewart County Chancery Court in Dover. Stewart County exercises probate jurisdiction through chancery under T.C.A. § 16-16-201, and Tennessee sends the estate to the county where the person had legal residence at death under T.C.A. § 30-4-102.
What address should I use for the Stewart County Clerk and Master?
For in-person filing questions, use the Stewart County Courthouse, 225 Donelson Parkway, Main Floor, Dover, TN 37058. For mail, use P.O. Box 102, Dover, TN 37058.
Does Stewart County publish probate forms?
Stewart County's Clerk and Master page does not publish a probate petition, checklist, brochure, or forms packet. Call (931) 232-5665 before using a form from another Tennessee county, especially for a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
Can I start a Stewart County probate case through a statewide online filing system?
No statewide trial-court online filing system exists in Tennessee. Stewart County does not publish a local probate online filing portal, email-filing channel, or drop box, so contact the Clerk and Master for filing logistics.
Can I look up Stewart County estate cases online?
Stewart County publishes an online court-records portal at https://stewart.tncrtinfo.com/. The portal states that users can select court type and case type, but you should ask the Clerk and Master whether Chancery estate cases are included.
What does it cost to file a probate case in Stewart County?
The statewide clerk's fee under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are added on top, and Stewart County does not publish a local court-cost total on its website.
Can I attend a Stewart County probate hearing by phone or video?
Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, says remote court technology is permissible at the discretion of the trial court. Ask the Stewart County Clerk and Master how the court applies Rule 55 in the specific case.
What authority document will I receive in Stewart County?
Tennessee uses letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not, under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. For a qualifying small estate, the court issues limited letters under T.C.A. § 30-4-102 and § 30-4-103.
Do I have to travel to Dover for every step?
Not always, but the county website does not publish a probate-specific remote or mail-handling policy. Call the Clerk and Master before traveling, especially because the office closes for lunch from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.
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.