Back to Tennessee
Weakley County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Weakley County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Weakley County Chancery Court. Weakley County states that its Chancery Court has exclusive jurisdiction over administration of estates, including decedents' estates, and Tennessee's chancery default is T.C.A. § 16-16-201. |
| Filing office | Weakley County Clerk and Master |
| Courthouse address | 116 W. Main Street, Suite 300, Dresden, TN 38225 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 197, Dresden, TN 38225 |
| Phone | (731) 364-3454 |
| Fax | (731) 364-5247 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, Central time. Check the county holiday calendar before traveling. |
| Cost at filing | The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, and 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. Weakley County's Clerk and Master does not publish the total court cost for opening an estate on its website, so call (731) 364-3454 before sending payment. |
| Local forms | No local probate petition, packet or checklist is published. The office publishes the 27th Judicial District local rules, a probate name index, a will name index and links to trial court forms. |
| E-filing status | No local e-filing portal is published for Weakley County Chancery Court. Local Rule 6 allows later fax and email filings after a case is open, but new cases, wills, codicils, bonds and documents needing an official seal cannot be filed that way. |
| Case lookup | Weakley County publishes an online records search for Circuit Court and General Sessions only. It does not cover the Chancery Court where estates are filed. The Clerk and Master publishes downloadable probate and will name indexes through 2011. |
| Remote appearance | Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, leaves remote proceedings to the trial court's discretion. Local Rule 9 allows some motions to be heard by telephone or Zoom, or decided without argument, when the court approves. |
| Website | https://www.weakleycountytn.gov/clerkandmaster.html |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Weakley County, make a practical list of the assets, debts, beneficiaries and next of kin. The local probate rule says a petition for letters testamentary or letters of administration must track T.C.A. § 30-1-117, and the Clerk and Master will not accept a petition that does not comply.
That inventory work is also where estate settlement often stalls. Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 institutions, helps families identify accounts before filing, and turns what you find into a more complete local probate packet for the Weakley County Clerk and Master.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Weakley County estates are filed at the Weakley County Courthouse in Dresden. The county describes itself as including five municipalities, Dresden, Gleason, Greenfield, Martin and Sharon, along with the unincorporated parts of the county. Martin is the largest town and home of the University of Tennessee at Martin, but the courthouse for probate is in Dresden.
Tennessee law sends the estate to the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county where the person lived at death, T.C.A. § 30-4-102. In most Tennessee counties, chancery is the default under T.C.A. § 16-16-201. Weakley County's own Clerk and Master page states that the Chancery Court has exclusive jurisdiction over administration of estates in Weakley County, so filings go to the Weakley County Clerk and Master.
Weakley County is in Tennessee's 27th Judicial District with Obion County. That district fact matters for scheduling and local rules, but the probate filing is still a Weakley County filing at the Dresden courthouse.
The jurisdiction process
- List the assets, debts, next of kin and beneficiaries before drafting. Weakley County Local Rule 25 says the verified petition should correspond with the subsections of T.C.A. § 30-1-117.
- Prepare the petition for letters testamentary if there is a will, or letters of administration if there is not, using the information required by T.C.A. § 30-1-117. The local rule says a noncomplying petition will not be accepted for filing.
- Take the opening papers and any original will to the Weakley County Clerk and Master at 116 W. Main Street, Suite 300, Dresden, or mail them to P.O. Box 197, Dresden, TN 38225. New cases cannot be filed by fax or email, and a will, codicil, bond or document needing an official seal is excluded from email filing by Local Rule 6.
- Pay the required amount when the office accepts the filing. The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, rising to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028, with state and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit added under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Weakley County does not publish the total court cost for opening an estate on the Clerk and Master's website, so call (731) 364-3454 first.
- If the will is handled in common form, T.C.A. § 30-1-117 does not require notice of the probate proceeding. Solemn form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117 requires notice to interested persons and goes before the Chancellor.
- After the Clerk and Master issues letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, the estate administration begins. The clerk gives notice to creditors after letters issue as required by T.C.A. § 30-2-306.
- At appointment, sign the statement supplied by the office acknowledging the duty to file required documents within sixty days, including any inventory required by T.C.A. § 30-2-301.
- If the required notices, affidavits and inventory are not filed on time, Local Rule 25 requires an extension motion within seventy days after the issuance of letters. If that does not happen, the Clerk and Master sets a hearing before the court and the court may assess that hearing's costs to the personal representative.
- Use later fax or email filing only after the estate is open and only for permitted documents. Local Rule 6 requires the Tennessee Uniform Fax Filing Cover Sheet, a PDF, one filing per transmission, no more than fifty pages and less than 15 MB.
- Administer the estate, file accountings when required, and seek court approval before paying personal representative or attorney fees from estate funds. Weakley County's Clerk and Master states that annual accountings in estates are taken and confirmed by that office.
Executor duties
Weakley County uses the statewide term personal representative, but many families still say executor. Local Rule 25 adds several practical duties to the basic Tennessee probate workflow.
| Local duty | What it means in Weakley County |
|---|---|
| Petition format | The petition for letters testamentary or letters of administration must comply with T.C.A. § 30-1-117, and the local rule says the petition should follow that statute's subsections. A noncomplying petition will not be filed. |
| Sixty-day statement | At appointment, the personal representative signs a statement from the Clerk and Master acknowledging the duty to file required documents within sixty days, including any inventory required by T.C.A. § 30-2-301. |
| Seventy-day extension motion | If required filings are not complete, the attorney for the personal representative must seek more time within seventy days after letters issue. Otherwise the office sets a hearing before the court. |
| Cost and fee consequences | The court may assess the hearing's costs to the personal representative and may deny or reduce personal representative and attorney fees for late required filings. |
| Court approval before payment | Local Rule 25 says personal representative and attorney fees must be approved by the court before payment from estate funds. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Weakley County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set or estate packet. Its trial court forms page does publish the Tennessee Uniform Fax Filing Cover Sheet, which matters in Weakley County because Local Rule 6 requires that cover sheet for fax and email filings.
The Weakley County Clerk and Master does not publish a local probate petition, packet or checklist on its website. Instead, the office publishes the 27th Judicial District Uniform Local Rules of Chancery and Circuit Court, effective April 15, 2026, including Rule 25 for probate filings.
| Published item | How it helps |
|---|---|
| 27th Judicial District local rules | Rule 25 explains local probate petition formatting, sixty-day filing duties, seventy-day extension motions and court approval of fees. |
| Tennessee Uniform Fax Filing Cover Sheet | Required by Local Rule 6 for later fax and email filings after a case is open. |
| Probate index | A downloadable name index captioned Probates 1939-2011. It is an index, not a case search and not a document download. |
| Will index | A downloadable name index captioned Wills through November 15, 2011, with will book references. |
The Clerk and Master's page also points readers to a shorter court-forms address that does not work. Use the Administrative Office of the Courts trial court forms page at https://www.tncourts.gov/administration/judicial-resources/forms-documents/court-forms.
Fees
The current statutory clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, rising 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. Weakley County's Clerk and Master does not publish the total court cost for opening an estate on its website, so call (731) 364-3454 before sending payment.
| Local charge | Weakley County detail |
|---|---|
| Card payments by phone | The Clerk and Master's office says it accepts payments by phone with a debit or credit card and applies a charge of $3 or 3 percent, whichever is greater. No effective date is published for this charge. |
| Fax and email filing user fee | Local Rule 6 says fax and email filings carry user fees tied to the Tennessee Supreme Court fax filing rules and Tenn. R. Civ. P. 5A.04. The Weakley County Chancery Court does not publish a dollar amount for that user fee. |
| Late local filing hearing | If required sixty-day filings are late and no extension motion is filed within seventy days after letters issue, Local Rule 25 allows the court to assess that hearing's costs to the personal representative. |
Timeline
- Terms of court are abolished in the 27th Judicial District. Local Rule 2 says the court is considered available for setting continuously.
- Court sessions open at 9:00 a.m. unless the court directs otherwise.
- Motion day for Weakley County Chancery Court is the second and fourth Monday. Chancery motions are set at 9:00 a.m.
- Opening an uncontested estate does not wait for motion day. The petition and any original will go to the Weakley County Clerk and Master for filing.
- At appointment, the personal representative signs the office statement acknowledging the sixty-day filing duty, including any inventory required by T.C.A. § 30-2-301.
- If required documents are not complete, an extension motion is due within seventy days after the issuance of letters. If no extension motion or required filings are submitted, the office sets a hearing before the court.
- For motions after the estate is open, the filing party carries the burden of asking for a hearing on the next available motion day or as soon after as practicable.
Local nuance
Weakley County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Fax and email filings are limited | Weakley County allows later fax and email filings after a case is open, but not new cases, wills, codicils, bonds, documents needing an official seal or documents that require a filing fee or litigation tax under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Local Rule 6 also requires PDF format, one filing per transmission, a cover sheet, a fifty-page cap and a file under 15 MB. |
| Email filing may end when e-filing begins | The local rules say e-filing is contemplated in the future and that email filing will stop in each court once e-filing is actively implemented. The Clerk and Master does not publish a current e-filing portal. |
| Online records search is limited to other courts | Weakley County's online court records system covers Circuit Court and General Sessions, not Chancery Court estates. The Clerk and Master publishes older probate and will indexes instead. |
| Historical indexes are useful but limited | The probate index is captioned Probates 1939-2011, and the will index is captioned Wills through November 15, 2011. The office states an objective of completing a computerized index for books reaching back to 1834, but the published indexes are not current case files. |
| Central time | The courthouse operates on Central time. That matters if you are calling from another part of Tennessee or another state. |
| Holiday calendar | Weakley County publishes a government holiday schedule. Check it before driving to Dresden. |
Recent updates
| Date | Local update |
|---|---|
| April 15, 2026 | The 27th Judicial District Uniform Local Rules of Chancery and Circuit Court took effect. The rules include Rule 25 on probate, Rule 6 on fax and email filing, Rule 9 on motion days and Rule 2 abolishing terms of court. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by separating jointly owned property from assets that actually need Weakley County probate. If an estate filing is needed, the petition goes to the Clerk and Master in Dresden, and any original will must reach the office on paper. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and ownership details before you decide what belongs in the probate packet. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Small estate relief is a court process under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. In Weakley County, the opening petition and any original will cannot be filed by fax or email, so plan for paper delivery to the Clerk and Master. | Sunset can organize asset information and generate a packet you can review before mailing or bringing papers to Dresden. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate where the home must be sold | A home sale usually means a full local estate administration rather than only a personal-property process. File in Weakley County Chancery Court, then use local Rule 25 deadlines carefully because late required filings can lead to a hearing and cost consequences. | Sunset helps gather financial information, prepare the probate packet and connect you with a local probate attorney when a real estate sale is involved. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Weakley County Clerk and Master | The filing office for Weakley County estates. The office publishes local rules, probate and will indexes, accepts filings at the counter and by mail, and accepts later fax and email filings once a case is open. Court staff cannot practice law or give legal advice under T.C.A. § 16-3-804. | 116 W. Main Street, Suite 300, Dresden, TN 38225. Mail to P.O. Box 197, Dresden, TN 38225. Phone (731) 364-3454. Fax (731) 364-5247. https://www.weakleycountytn.gov/clerkandmaster.html |
| 27th Judicial District local rules | The rules that govern Weakley County Chancery Court procedure. Rule 25 is the probate rule, Rule 6 covers fax and email filing, and Rule 9 covers motion day. | https://www.weakleycountytn.gov/uploads/1/0/7/5/107537459/local_rules_2026.pdf |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts trial court forms | The statewide trial court forms table. It does not provide a Weakley County probate petition, but it is where the Tennessee Uniform Fax Filing Cover Sheet is published. | https://www.tncourts.gov/administration/judicial-resources/forms-documents/court-forms |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts court clerk directory | The Judiciary's clerk directory can help a family find the right filing office if the person lived in another Tennessee county. | https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center/find-court-clerk |
| West Tennessee Legal Services | A nonprofit civil legal-help organization whose published service area includes Weakley County. Its published priorities do not name decedents' estate administration, so ask whether your matter fits before relying on it. Intake is by appointment, and clients pay no legal fees. | Toll free 800-372-8346. Main office (731) 423-0616. https://www.wtls.org/ |
| Weakley County government holiday schedule | Use the county calendar to check whether county offices are closed before driving to the Dresden courthouse. | https://www.weakleycountytn.gov/calendars.html |
When to hire an attorney
Consider hiring a Tennessee probate attorney if the will may be contested, the family needs solemn form probate under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, required filings are already late under Weakley County Local Rule 25, the estate includes a home that must be sold, or the assets and debts are unclear. Sunset connects families with a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families look for bank accounts, investments, insurance, retirement accounts and other assets that can be missed during estate settlement. That gives you a clearer starting point before you file in Weakley County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into organized probate documents for your review, so the petition, asset list and supporting materials are easier to bring or mail to the Weakley County Clerk and Master.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal help, Sunset can connect you with a vetted Tennessee probate attorney who understands local court practice and estate settlement in Weakley County.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, prepare for probate and understand next steps without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Weakley County?
File in the Weakley County Chancery Court through the Weakley County Clerk and Master. The office is at 116 W. Main Street, Suite 300, Dresden, TN 38225, and mail goes to P.O. Box 197, Dresden, TN 38225. Tennessee's county venue rule for the court exercising probate authority is T.C.A. § 30-4-102, and Weakley County's chancery role is confirmed under T.C.A. § 16-16-201.
Can I file a Weakley County estate online or by email?
No local e-filing portal is published for Weakley County Chancery Court. Local Rule 6 allows later fax and email filings after a case is open, but new cases, wills, codicils, bonds and documents needing an official seal cannot be filed by fax or email. The opening petition and any original will must reach the Clerk and Master on paper.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Weakley County?
The clerk's fee for a probate estate is $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, rising 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. The Weakley County Clerk and Master does not publish the total court cost for opening an estate on its website, so call (731) 364-3454 before sending payment.
Does Weakley County publish local probate forms?
The Weakley County Clerk and Master does not publish a local probate petition, packet or checklist on its website. The office publishes the 27th Judicial District local rules, including Rule 25 for probate, plus probate and will name indexes. For later fax or email filings, use the Tennessee Uniform Fax Filing Cover Sheet from the Administrative Office of the Courts trial court forms page.
Can I look up a Weakley County estate online?
Weakley County publishes an online court records system, but it covers Circuit Court and General Sessions, not Chancery Court estates. The Clerk and Master publishes a probate name index captioned Probates 1939-2011 and a will index captioned Wills through November 15, 2011. For a current estate file, call the Clerk and Master at (731) 364-3454 or ask the office how to view the file.
When does Weakley County Chancery Court hear probate matters?
The 27th Judicial District has abolished terms of court, so the court is considered available for setting continuously. Motion day for Weakley County Chancery Court is the second and fourth Monday at 9:00 a.m. Opening an uncontested estate is a filing with the Clerk and Master, not a motion-day setting.
Can I appear by phone or video in Weakley County Chancery Court?
Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 55, adopted by order filed June 8, 2023, says the use of teleconferencing, video conferencing or other technology is permissible at the discretion of the trial court. Local Rule 9 says the court may hear a motion by telephone or Zoom, or decide it without argument, when the court approves or on the court's own initiative. Ask the Weakley County Clerk and Master how the court is handling the specific matter.
Do I have to travel to Dresden to start probate?
Not always. The opening papers can be mailed to P.O. Box 197, Dresden, TN 38225, but the original will and the opening petition cannot be sent by fax or email. If timing matters, call (731) 364-3454 before mailing so you understand payment and paper requirements.
What happens if the sixty-day paperwork is late in Weakley County?
Local Rule 25 requires the personal representative to sign a statement acknowledging the sixty-day duty, including any inventory required by T.C.A. § 30-2-301. If required notices, affidavits and other pleadings are not filed, an extension motion is due within seventy days after letters issue. If that does not happen, the Clerk and Master sets a hearing before the court, and the court may assess costs to the personal representative or reduce fees.
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.