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Trousdale County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Trousdale County Chancery Court. Tennessee uses the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county of residence, with chancery as the default unless changed by law (T.C.A. § 16-16-201; T.C.A. § 30-4-102). |
| Filing office | Trousdale County Clerk and Master, Chancery Court |
| Courthouse address | County Justice Center, 303 East Main Street, Suite 1, Hartsville, TN 37074 |
| Mailing | The county directory does not publish a separate mailing address for this office. Call before mailing originals. |
| Phone | (615) 374-2996 |
| Fax | (615) 374-1100 |
| Hours | The county directory does not list public hours for the Clerk and Master. Call before visiting. |
| Cost to start | The statutory probate estate fee is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with state and local litigation tax and any deposit added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Trousdale County does not publish a local total online. |
| Forms | The Trousdale County Clerk and Master page does not publish a county probate packet or checklist. |
| Electronic filing | No Trousdale County Chancery Court electronic filing portal is published. Tennessee has no statewide trial-court electronic filing system. |
| Case lookup | The Clerk and Master page does not publish an online case lookup, and Trousdale does not appear in the multi-county Tennessee Online Court Records selector. |
| Remote appearance | Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, leaves teleconferencing, video conferencing and other remote technology to the trial court's discretion. Ask the Clerk and Master how Trousdale County applies Rule 55. |
| Website | Trousdale County Clerk and Master directory page on trousdalecountytn.gov |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you start an estate settlement in Trousdale County, identify what the person owned, what was payable to a named beneficiary, what was jointly titled, and what debts or claims may exist. The court paperwork depends on the assets that actually need probate authority.
Sunset can help you search for accounts and assets across 2,300 institutions before you choose a probate path. A cleaner asset list makes the Hartsville filing easier to prepare and reduces the chance that estate settlement work has to be reopened later.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Trousdale County probate filings are handled at the Trousdale County Chancery Court in Hartsville. Tennessee law sends an estate to the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the decedent lived at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102). In counties not changed by public, private, special or local acts, that court is chancery court and the filing officer is the Clerk and Master (T.C.A. § 16-16-201).
For Trousdale County, the local materials point to the chancery path. The Hartsville/Trousdale County Metropolitan Government charter says the consolidation has no effect on the Chancery Court, and the Circuit Court Clerk serves other county-wide courts with the exception of the Chancery Court. Trousdale's General Sessions private act materials, including Private Acts of 1939, ch. 390, do not grant probate, wills or estate-administration authority away from chancery.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm that Trousdale County is the right place. Tennessee venue for a small estate is the county where the decedent had legal residence at death (T.C.A. § 30-4-102), and regular estate papers are filed in the court exercising probate jurisdiction for the county (T.C.A. § 16-16-201).
- Prepare the petition and supporting papers. If there is a will, the petition asks for letters testamentary; if there is no will, it asks for letters of administration (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). If the estate qualifies for the small estate process, use the petition for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
- Use Trousdale County's local filing office. Deliver the petition, original will if one exists, death certificate when required for the chosen path, and proposed orders to the Trousdale County Clerk and Master at the County Justice Center in Hartsville.
- Confirm the amount due before filing. The statutory probate estate fee is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, and T.C.A. § 8-21-401 allows litigation tax and other required amounts on top. Trousdale County does not publish a local total online.
- Handle notice based on the route. Common form probate does not require notice of the probate proceeding, while solemn form requires notice to interested persons (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). After letters issue in a regular estate, the clerk gives notice to creditors under T.C.A. § 30-2-306.
- Ask how hearings are scheduled. Trousdale County does not publish a probate hearing calendar online. If the filing needs a chancellor's setting, ask the Clerk and Master for the local scheduling step.
- Ask before planning a remote appearance. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, permits remote technology at the trial court's discretion, but it does not create a statewide default.
- Obtain the authority document. The Clerk and Master issues letters testamentary or letters of administration for a regular estate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. For a small estate, the clerk issues limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
- Administer and close the estate. Follow the duties in the letters, preserve assets, address claims, file any inventory required by T.C.A. § 30-2-301, and return to the Clerk and Master for settlement or closing instructions.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Trousdale County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set for county estate filings. Its self-help materials send probate and estate matters to the appropriate county clerk.
The Trousdale County Clerk and Master page does not publish a local probate packet, checklist or small estate forms under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. Call the Clerk and Master before visiting to ask what paper packet the office wants for letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117.
Local nuance
Trousdale County-specific considerations
Trousdale County's metropolitan government status does not move probate filings to the Circuit Court Clerk. The Hartsville/Trousdale County charter leaves the Chancery Court unaffected and says the Circuit Court Clerk serves other county-wide courts with the exception of the Chancery Court.
The practical result is simple for estate settlement: Trousdale County uses the chancery structure. The Chancery Court exercises probate jurisdiction under T.C.A. § 16-16-201, and the Clerk and Master is the filing office for probate papers in Hartsville.
Recent updates
| Local update | What changed |
|---|---|
| Current Clerk and Master page | The former Trousdale County Clerk and Master URL ending in clerk_and_master.php is no longer the useful county page. The current county directory page is the local government catalogue entry for the Clerk and Master. |
| State probate estate fee | The statutory probate estate fee is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, with litigation tax and other required amounts addressed by T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | How Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by listing the home, deed information, accounts and debts. If any asset needs probate authority in Trousdale County, the papers go through the Chancery Court in Hartsville, and letters testamentary or letters of administration are requested under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. | Sunset helps identify accounts, organize the estate settlement file and prepare a probate packet for attorney review or court filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Ask the Clerk and Master what Trousdale paper packet is required. Tennessee's small estate route is a petition for limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, filed in the county where the person lived at death under T.C.A. § 30-4-102. | Sunset helps gather account information before you decide whether the small estate path fits and helps coordinate the next step without starting from scratch. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually makes attorney help important. The Trousdale County Chancery Court in Hartsville is the local probate forum under T.C.A. § 16-16-201, and the representative may need letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 before acting for the estate. | Sunset helps organize assets and debts, generate a working estate settlement packet and connect the family with a probate attorney when the real estate step needs legal guidance. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Trousdale County Clerk and Master | The local filing office for Chancery Court probate matters in Hartsville. Court staff can give filing logistics, but state court employees may not engage in the practice of law or give legal advice (T.C.A. § 16-3-804(b)). |
| Tennessee Courts self-help center | The state judiciary's self-help page directs most probate and estate matters to the clerk in the county. It also explains that court employees cannot give legal advice (T.C.A. § 16-3-804(b)). |
| Tennessee court clerks list | The statewide clerks directory can help confirm the proper court office when a Tennessee county uses a different probate structure under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. |
| Justice for All Tennessee | The Tennessee judiciary links to this statewide access-to-justice site from its self-help center. |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families build a clearer picture of bank, investment, retirement and insurance assets so the probate filing is based on a real inventory of what exists.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized probate packet that can be reviewed before it is delivered to the Trousdale County Clerk and Master.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate settlement needs legal advice, a home sale, a contested hearing or solemn form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Tennessee probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, understand the next steps and move forward without paying Sunset for the service.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Trousdale County?
Probate papers for Trousdale County are filed through the Trousdale County Chancery Court's Clerk and Master at the County Justice Center in Hartsville. Tennessee uses the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county, and chancery is the default where not changed by law (T.C.A. § 16-16-201; T.C.A. § 30-4-102).
Does Trousdale County's metro government change the probate office?
No. The Hartsville/Trousdale County charter leaves the Chancery Court unaffected and excludes the Chancery Court from the Circuit Court Clerk's combined court-clerk duties. Trousdale probate jurisdiction remains with Chancery Court under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
Does Trousdale County publish probate forms online?
The Trousdale County Clerk and Master page does not publish a probate packet, checklist or small estate forms under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. Call the Clerk and Master before going to the courthouse so you know what paper documents to bring.
Can I electronically file a Trousdale County probate case?
No Trousdale County Chancery Court electronic filing portal is published. Tennessee does not have a statewide trial-court electronic filing system, so plan to ask the Clerk and Master for the required local filing method.
Can I look up a Trousdale County probate case online?
The Clerk and Master page does not publish an online case lookup. Trousd County also does not appear in the multi-county Tennessee Online Court Records selector, so call the Clerk and Master for case-access instructions.
What is the probate filing fee in Trousdale County?
The statutory probate estate fee is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486. T.C.A. § 8-21-401 also allows state and local litigation tax and other required amounts on top, and Trousdale County does not publish a local total online.
Can I attend a Trousdale County probate hearing remotely?
Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, says teleconferencing, video conferencing or other technology for court proceedings is permissible at the trial court's discretion. Trousdale County does not publish a probate-specific remote appearance practice, so ask the Clerk and Master before relying on a remote appearance.
What document gives me authority to act for a Trousdale County estate?
Tennessee uses letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is not (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). In a small estate, the court issues limited letters under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
Do I need to travel to Hartsville?
Possibly. Because Trousdale County does not publish electronic filing or a standing remote-hearing practice, call the Clerk and Master before making travel plans. Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, leaves remote technology to the trial court's discretion.
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.