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Wilson County, TN Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Wilson County detail |
|---|---|
| Court for estates | Wilson County Probate Court, a probate division tied to General Sessions by local private acts, with the Wilson County Clerk and Master serving as the probate filing office. |
| Probate counter | Wilson County Probate Court Clerk's Office, 134 South College Street, Room 201, Lebanon, TN 37087. |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 1557, Lebanon, TN 37088. Call before mailing time-sensitive originals. |
| Probate phone | (615) 466-5311. The separate chancery line is not the estate line. |
| Fax | Probate fax: (615) 549-6805. The office publishes a fax filing cover sheet and a fifty-page limit unless the court authorizes more. |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, Central time. The office publishes no lunch closure or filing cutoff. |
| Costs | The statutory clerk's fee for probate estates, including small estates under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 and muniment of title under T.C.A. § 32-2-111, is $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, rising to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. County court costs under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 include taxes and other items on top. Wilson County publishes $392.00 for an estate case other than a small estate when notice is published in the Wilson Post, and $367.00 for a small estate, each as of January 1, 2026. |
| Local forms | Yes. Wilson County publishes its own Probate Court forms page, including a post-2023 Petition for Limited Letters for a Small Estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. |
| Electronic filing | Tennessee has no statewide trial-court electronic filing system for probate. Wilson County's Clerk and Master does not publish a probate electronic filing portal. The Circuit Court Clerk's separate electronic form is not the probate counter. |
| Online records | Wilson County has an online records system for Circuit Court and General Sessions, but the Clerk and Master's Probate Court records are not listed as a covered office. Use the Clerk and Master's document request form or call (615) 466-5311 with the docket number. |
| Remote appearance | Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, leaves teleconferencing, video conferencing and other remote court technology to the trial court's discretion. Wilson County publishes no local probate remote-appearance procedure. |
| Website | https://wilcoclerkandmaster.com/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a Wilson County filing path, make a practical list of what the person owned, what was jointly owned, what named a beneficiary, and what debts or bills may still be open. Estate settlement goes faster when the first petition matches the accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts, and family relationships you already know.
Sunset can help organize that first pass by searching for accounts across 2,300 institutions, identifying likely assets, and turning the information into a clearer probate packet for the Wilson County Probate Court.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Wilson County probate filings are handled in Lebanon at the Wilson County Probate Court, with papers taken by the Wilson County Clerk and Master at 134 South College Street, Room 201. The county's own profile names Lebanon, Mt. Juliet, and Watertown as its three cities, and the courthouse is in Lebanon even when the family lives closer to Mt. Juliet or Nashville.
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 many Tennessee counties that court is chancery under T.C.A. § 16-16-201, but Wilson County is one of the local private act counties, so the Wilson County Probate Court hears the estate and the Wilson County Clerk and Master takes the papers. Wilson County's own small estate guidance under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 says the same thing in practical terms: if the person died in Wilson County but lived in another county, the petition belongs in the county of residence.
The jurisdiction process
- Start with the asset and debt list. For Wilson County estate settlement, identify the heirs or beneficiaries, the original will if there is one, and the debts you know about before papers are prepared.
- Confirm Wilson County residence. The estate belongs in Wilson County only if the person lived there at death, even if death occurred at a Wilson County facility (T.C.A. § 30-4-102).
- Choose the filing path. Wilson County publishes a Petition for Limited Letters for a Small Estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, with a $50,000 personal-property limit under T.C.A. § 30-4-102 and a forty-five-day waiting period under T.C.A. § 30-4-103. For an ordinary estate, the office does not publish a general petition form, so the verified petition is prepared under state law.
- Gather the Wilson County papers. For the local small estate packet under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, the office lists the petition, an order for limited letters, consent forms for next of kin, the original will if there is one, a copy of the death certificate, and a TennCare release when required by T.C.A. § 71-5-116.
- Take or mail the papers to the Wilson County Clerk and Master. Use the probate counter at 134 South College Street, Room 201, Lebanon, TN 37087, or mail to P.O. Box 1557, Lebanon, TN 37088. The original will must reach the office on paper.
- Pay the Wilson County probate cost. The statutory clerk's fee under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 is $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486, rising to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028, and Wilson County's published totals include additional court costs. As of January 1, 2026, the office publishes $392.00 for an estate case other than a small estate when notice is published in the Wilson Post, and $367.00 for a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
- Attend any needed hearing. Wilson County does not publish a probate hearing day or expected wait. If a hearing is needed, ask the Probate Court Clerk for the date and ask whether Tenn. Sup. Ct. R. 55, adopted June 8, 2023, will allow any telephone or video participation in that matter.
- Receive authority from the Clerk and Master. Tennessee calls the personal representative's authority letters testamentary when there is a will and letters of administration when there is no will (T.C.A. § 30-1-117). In a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, Wilson County issues limited letters instead.
- Handle notice and later filings. Notice to creditors is handled under T.C.A. § 30-2-306, and Wilson County's $392.00 estate-case cost as of January 1, 2026 assumes publication in the Wilson Post. Later documents may be faxed to (615) 549-6805 with the office's cover sheet, subject to the fifty-page limit and the Tenn. R. Civ. P. 5A.04 service charge.
- Close or revisit the estate. Wilson County publishes an estate status report, an order to close, and a petition to re-open an estate, with a $75.00 re-opening cost as of January 1, 2026.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Wilson County
Tennessee's Administrative Office of the Courts does not publish a statewide probate form set for estates. Wilson County does publish its own Probate Court forms page through the Clerk and Master.
| Form or packet | How it is used locally |
|---|---|
| Petition for Limited Letters for a Small Estate | Wilson County's local small estate packet under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. The guidelines cite the $50,000 limit in T.C.A. § 30-4-102 and the forty-five-day wait in T.C.A. § 30-4-103. |
| Uniform fax filing cover sheet | Used for fax filings to the Clerk and Master. The office's cover sheet refers to a fifty-page limit unless the court authorizes more and to a Tenn. R. Civ. P. 5A.04 service charge due within ten days. |
| Claim forms | Wilson County publishes a claim form and a separate claim form for a personal representative. Claims against the estate are handled under T.C.A. § 30-2-307. |
| Personal representative oath and cost bond | Used when a personal representative is being appointed. Letters testamentary and letters of administration are issued under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. |
| Estate status report, order to close, and petition to re-open estate | Used for later administration steps and closing. Wilson County publishes a $75.00 re-opening cost as of January 1, 2026, within its court costs schedule under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
| Other probate forms | The local page also lists a fiduciary oath, executor appointment order, summons, subpoena, and TennCare Estate Recovery form. Any TennCare step should be handled with T.C.A. § 71-5-116 in mind. |
The office's site does not publish a general petition form for an ordinary estate. For that filing, use the statutory petition requirements and the Wilson County Probate Court's local cost and filing instructions.
Fees
The clerk's fee for a probate estate is set by T.C.A. § 8-21-401 at $275, effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486. The same public chapter raises that statutory amount to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. State and local litigation taxes and any costs deposit are charged on top under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, which is why the Wilson County counter total is higher than the statutory clerk's fee.
| Wilson County item | Published amount |
|---|---|
| Estate case other than a small estate, with publication in the Wilson Post | $392.00, as of January 1, 2026, for court costs under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
| Small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 | $367.00, as of January 1, 2026, for court costs under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
| Muniment of title under T.C.A. § 32-2-111 | $367.00, as of January 1, 2026, for court costs under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
| Re-open estate | $75.00, as of January 1, 2026, for court costs under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
| Claim against estate | $50.00, as of January 1, 2026, for court costs under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 and claims against the estate under T.C.A. § 30-2-307. |
| Petition to sell real estate in an estate case | $200.00, as of January 1, 2026, for court costs under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
| Copies and certification | $0.50 per page plus $5.00 for certification, as of January 1, 2026, within the local court costs schedule under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
Wilson County's small estate guidelines under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 state that using a credit card for that $367.00 cost as of January 1, 2026 adds a 3 percent charge. The office also publishes a phone payment option for copies and other document charges.
Local nuance
Wilson County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Probate is not in chancery | Wilson County is a private act county under the exception recognized by T.C.A. § 16-16-201. Estates go to the Wilson County Probate Court, while the Wilson County Clerk and Master serves as the probate filing office. |
| The office has separate probate contact points | The estate counter is Room 201 at 134 South College Street, and the probate phone is (615) 466-5311. The office also publishes a separate probate fax, (615) 549-6805. |
| The fee schedule is dated | Wilson County publishes probate court costs as of January 1, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401, including $392.00 for an estate case other than a small estate, $367.00 for a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, and $367.00 for muniment of title under T.C.A. § 32-2-111. |
| Fax filing is available | The Clerk and Master publishes a Tennessee Courts uniform facsimile filing cover sheet. The cover sheet states that a fax over fifty pages, including the cover page, will not be filed without court authorization and that a Tenn. R. Civ. P. 5A.04 service charge is due within ten days. |
| The online records portal is limited | The Wilson online records system lists Circuit Criminal, Circuit Civil, General Sessions, and General Sessions Division 3. The Clerk and Master's Probate Court records are not listed as a covered office, so call the Probate Court Clerk or use the Chancery and Probate document request form. |
| Probate and chancery are separate here | The office publishes a $500.00 appeal bond from Probate to Chancery and a $154.00 Probate to Chancery will-contest appeal cost, each as of January 1, 2026, within its court costs schedule under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. |
| Judicial Center conduct rules | The office states that no cell phones or electronic devices are allowed in the Judicial Center or courtroom, no food or drink is allowed in the courtroom, and shorts, tank tops, halter tops, and bare midriffs are not appropriate attire. |
Recent updates
| Date | Wilson County update |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | The Wilson County Clerk and Master's Probate Fees page is headed as of January 1, 2026, the same date the current statutory $275 probate-estate clerk's fee took effect under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401. The statutory amount rises to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Wilson County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by checking how the deed and accounts are titled. The home may not be the asset that drives the Wilson County Probate Court filing, but the original will and any probate assets still go through the Clerk and Master at Room 201. If letters testamentary or letters of administration are needed, they issue under T.C.A. § 30-1-117. | Sunset helps separate jointly held property, beneficiary assets, debts, and probate assets so the spouse can focus the estate settlement filing on what actually needs court authority. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Wilson County publishes a local Petition for Limited Letters for a Small Estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, with a $367.00 cost as of January 1, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. Papers can be mailed, later filings can be faxed, and document copies can be requested online and returned by email. The two things that still need a trip or the post are the original will, which the office asks to be brought in, and the Consent to Serve Without Bond forms from each next of kin, which have to be signed and notarized or signed under penalty of perjury. | Sunset helps gather account information, prepare a cleaner small estate asset list under T.C.A. § 30-4-102, and reduce back-and-forth for a child handling estate settlement from outside Tennessee. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale takes the estate past the small estate route under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105. Wilson County publishes a specific $200.00 cost as of January 1, 2026 under T.C.A. § 8-21-401 for a petition to sell real estate in an estate case, on top of the estate-case cost. | Sunset helps identify accounts and debts before counsel prepares the petition, and can connect the family with a local probate attorney for a real-estate sale inside the estate. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Wilson County Probate Court Clerk's Office | The filing office for Wilson County estates. It publishes the Probate Court's fee schedule, probate forms, records inspection policy, and online document request form. The office says staff cannot give legal advice or tell you what to file, but its small estate form under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 says the office is authorized to help complete that petition. | 134 South College Street, Room 201, Lebanon, TN 37087. Mail to P.O. Box 1557, Lebanon, TN 37088. Probate phone: (615) 466-5311. Probate fax: (615) 549-6805. https://wilcoclerkandmaster.com/probate-court/ |
| Wilson County probate forms | The local form page includes the Petition for Limited Letters for a Small Estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, the personal representative oath and cost bond, fiduciary oath, claim forms, status report, order to close, re-open petition, and fax cover sheet. | https://wilcoclerkandmaster.com/probate-forms/ |
| Wilson County Probate Court fees | The local cost page is headed as of January 1, 2026 and lists estate cases, small estates under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, muniment of title under T.C.A. § 32-2-111, claims, copies, certification, and other court costs under T.C.A. § 8-21-401. | https://wilcoclerkandmaster.com/probate-fees/ |
| Records inspection and document requests | The Clerk and Master explains how to inspect recent, pending, and older Chancery and Probate files. It also publishes an online Chancery and Probate document request form that can send copies by email or regular mail. | https://wilcoclerkandmaster.com/records-inspection/ and https://wilcoclerkandmaster.com/request-court-documents/ |
| Tennessee Administrative Office of the Courts self-help center | The Judiciary's self-help page directs estate and probate readers to the clerk in their county and states the court-staff boundary under T.C.A. § 16-3-804(b). It does not provide a statewide probate form packet. | https://www.tncourts.gov/programs/self-help-center |
| Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and the Cumberlands, Gallatin office | This civil legal aid program lists Wilson County in its service area. Its published instructions say to call before going in, that lawyer meetings require an appointment, and that help may be possible by phone or mail. Ask whether your estate issue fits its services. | 106 Public Square, Suite 109, Gallatin, TN 37066. 615-451-1880 or 800-238-1443. https://las.org/get-help/office-locations-and-the-counties-we-serve/ |
When to hire an attorney
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for bank, brokerage, retirement, insurance, and other accounts so families can start estate settlement with a better asset map before they go to the Wilson County Probate Court.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information needed for the petition, letters testamentary or letters of administration under T.C.A. § 30-1-117, notices, and closing materials, then helps tailor the packet to Wilson County's local forms and filing office.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal judgment, such as a real-estate sale, a will contest, or a dispute among heirs, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Tennessee probate attorney familiar with local court practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, understand the local filing path, and move from asset discovery to the probate packet without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file an estate in Wilson County?
Use the Wilson County Probate Court, not the chancery side of the office. Papers go to the Wilson County Clerk and Master at 134 South College Street, Room 201, Lebanon, TN 37087, or by mail to P.O. Box 1557, Lebanon, TN 37088. Wilson County is a private act county under T.C.A. § 16-16-201, and venue follows the county where the person lived at death under T.C.A. § 30-4-102.
Which phone number should I call for a Wilson County estate?
Call the Probate Court Clerk line at (615) 466-5311. The (615) 444-2835 number is the chancery line, although the office also lists it for card payments by phone.
Can I file a Wilson County probate case online?
The Clerk and Master does not publish a probate electronic filing portal, and Tennessee has no statewide trial-court electronic filing system for probate. Later documents may be faxed to the probate fax number, (615) 549-6805, with the office's cover sheet and any Tenn. R. Civ. P. 5A.04 service charge.
What does probate cost in Wilson County?
The statutory clerk's fee is $275 effective January 1, 2026 under 2025 Public Chapter 486 and T.C.A. § 8-21-401, rising to $300 in 2027 and $325 in 2028. Wilson County's published court costs as of January 1, 2026 are $392.00 for an estate case other than a small estate when notice is published in the Wilson Post, and $367.00 for a small estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105.
Does Wilson County have local probate forms?
Yes. Wilson County publishes a Probate Court forms page with a Petition for Limited Letters for a Small Estate under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105, oath and bond forms, claim forms, a status report, an order to close, a re-open petition, and a fax cover sheet. The office does not publish a general petition form for an ordinary estate.
Can I look up a Wilson County estate online?
The county's online records system covers Circuit Court and General Sessions offices, but the Clerk and Master's Probate Court records are not listed as a covered office. For an estate file, call (615) 466-5311 with the docket number or use the Clerk and Master's online Chancery and Probate document request form.
Can I appear by phone or video in Wilson County Probate Court?
Wilson County publishes no local probate remote-appearance procedure. Tenn. Sup. Ct. Rule 55, adopted June 8, 2023, says the use of teleconferencing, video conferencing, or other remote technology is permissible at the trial court's discretion, so ask the Probate Court Clerk how the judge is handling your matter.
Do I have to travel to Lebanon for every step?
Not always. Papers can be mailed, later documents can be faxed with the office's cover sheet, costs can be paid by card over the phone where the office allows it, and copies can be requested through the online document request form. The original will still has to reach the office on paper.
What if my parent died in Wilson County but lived somewhere else?
Wilson County's own small estate guidance under T.C.A. §§ 30-4-101 to 30-4-105 says the petition belongs in the county of residence, not Wilson County, if the person died in Wilson County but lived in another county. Tennessee venue for that local decision is tied to T.C.A. § 30-4-102.
What should I know before going to the Judicial Center?
The office says no cell phones or electronic devices are allowed in the Judicial Center or courtroom, no food or drink is allowed in the courtroom, and shorts, tank tops, halter tops, and bare midriffs are not appropriate attire.
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.