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Forest County, WI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Forest County information |
|---|---|
| Court and filing office | The Circuit Court for Forest County. Estate filings go through the Forest County Register in Probate. |
| Courthouse address | Forest County Courthouse, 200 E. Madison Street, Crandon, WI 54520 |
| Mailing | Call the Forest County Register in Probate at (715) 478-2418 before mailing an original will or first filing. |
| Phone | (715) 478-2418 |
| Fax | (715) 478-2430 |
| Hours | 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday |
| Estate fee | Through October 31, 2026, Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2 sets $20 where the property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent above that amount. From November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 changes those figures to $36 and $18,500; the 0.2 percent rate does not change. The estate fee is collected when the inventory is filed. |
| Local forms | No Forest County probate forms of its own are published. Use the statewide Wisconsin PR forms. |
| Electronic filing | Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use electronic filing. A self-represented party may choose electronic filing or traditional paper methods under Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(b), (c). The e-filing fee is $35 per party per case under Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m) and § 801.18(7). |
| Case search | Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, WCCA, at https://wcca.wicourts.gov/ |
| Remote appearance | Ask the Forest County Register in Probate before any hearing is scheduled. |
| Website | https://co.forest.wi.gov/register-probate-depart |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Forest County, make a working list of the assets, debts, real estate, beneficiaries and possible creditors. Wisconsin uses different paths for informal administration, formal administration, summary settlement, summary assignment and transfer by affidavit, and the right path depends on what exists in the estate and who agrees.
Sunset's estate settlement tools help families identify accounts and assets before choosing a filing path. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions, organizes what is found, and helps prepare the probate packet for the Forest County Register in Probate.
Which court handles jurisdiction
File a Forest County estate in Crandon when the decedent was domiciled in Forest County at death. Wisconsin jurisdiction for a decedent's estate is in the county of domicile at death, or, for a nonresident decedent, in a Wisconsin county where the decedent's property is located, with the first Wisconsin court to act having exclusive jurisdiction under that subsection (Wis. Stat. § 856.01).
Forest County shares one circuit with Florence County under Wis. Stat. § 753.06(9)(c), but the Forest County probate counter is in Crandon, not Florence. The county seat is Crandon, and the county's municipalities include Crandon, Alvin, Argonne, Armstrong Creek, Blackwell, Caswell, Freedom, Hiles, Laona, Lincoln, Nashville, Popple River, Ross and Wabeno.
The jurisdiction process
- Start by identifying the estate assets, debts, heirs, beneficiaries and any original will. Whoever holds the original will has a 30-day duty to file it after learning of the death and that they hold or are named in the will (Wis. Stat. § 856.05(1)).
- Choose the Wisconsin path that matches the situation. Informal administration begins with PR-1801. Formal administration begins with PR-1901. Transfer by affidavit uses PR-1831 when the requirements of Wis. Stat. § 867.03 are met, including the $50,000 gross-value test in Wis. Stat. § 867.03(1g).
- Prepare the statewide PR forms and any required consents, proof of heirship, notice forms and proposed authority document. Forest County does not publish separate local probate forms.
- File with the Forest County Register in Probate at the Forest County Courthouse in Crandon. Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use electronic filing. A self-represented party may choose electronic filing or traditional paper methods under Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(b), (c). Call (715) 478-2418 before mailing an original will or first filing.
- Plan for the statewide estate fee at the inventory stage. Through October 31, 2026, Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2 sets $20 at $10,000 or less and 0.2 percent above that amount, based on property subject to administration less encumbrances, liens or charges. From November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 changes those figures to $36 and $18,500; the 0.2 percent rate does not change. An e-filed case also carries a $35 per-party fee under Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m) and § 801.18(7).
- Follow the notice and creditor-claim order. In Wisconsin, the court in a formal administration, or the probate registrar in an informal administration, sets the claim deadline by order at a date not less than three nor more than four months from the date of the order (Wis. Stat. § 859.01). Publication follows Wis. Stat. § 859.07(1) and § 879.05(4).
- Ask the Forest County Register in Probate how any hearing will be scheduled and whether a remote appearance request is possible. No standing Forest County probate calendar is published.
- After appointment, use Domiciliary Letters, PR-1810, as the personal representative's authority document. File the inventory within a reasonable time and no later than six months after appointment unless the court changes that deadline (Wis. Stat. § 858.01).
- Administer and close the estate. Informal administration may close with PR-1816 after the required notices, claims period and distributions. Formal administration closes through the formal final judgment and discharge forms.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Forest County
Forest County publishes no probate forms of its own. Use the statewide Wisconsin circuit court PR forms, Category 26, and file them with the Forest County Register in Probate in Crandon.
| Form | Use |
|---|---|
| PR-1801 | Application for Informal Administration |
| PR-1806 | Proof of Heirship, Informal and Formal Administration |
| PR-1810 | Domiciliary Letters, Informal and Formal Administration |
| PR-1811 | Inventory, Informal and Formal Administration |
| PR-1816 | Personal Representative's Statement to Close Estate, Informal Administration |
| PR-1831 | Transfer by Affidavit, for the Wis. Stat. § 867.03 path that includes the $50,000 gross-value test in Wis. Stat. § 867.03(1g) |
| PR-1901 | Petition for Formal Administration |
Local nuance
Forest County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means in Forest County |
|---|---|
| Shared circuit | Forest County and Florence County share one circuit under Wis. Stat. § 753.06(9)(c), but a Forest County estate is filed in Crandon with the Forest County Register in Probate. |
| Correct phone line | Use (715) 478-2418 for the Forest County Register in Probate. The Clerk of Circuit Court is a separate office at the same courthouse. |
| Local forms | No separate Forest County probate forms are published. The statewide PR form set is the filing form set. |
| Local scheduling | No standing Forest County probate hearing day or filing-to-hearing window is published. Ask the Register in Probate how the next step will be scheduled. |
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | Legal Action of Wisconsin and Judicare Legal Aid merged into one organization, Legal Action of Wisconsin, with statewide intake at (855) 947-2529. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Forest County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start with the Forest County Register in Probate in Crandon. Wisconsin marital property and survivorship ownership can affect whether a full estate administration is needed, so gather the deed, account titles and any will before filing. | Sunset identifies accounts and assets, organizes the estate settlement picture, and helps prepare the packet for the Forest County counter. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Call (715) 478-2418 before mailing a first filing. A self-represented party may use traditional paper methods rather than electronic filing under Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(b), (c). If PR-1831 is considered, the $50,000 figure is the gross-value test in Wis. Stat. § 867.03(1g). | Sunset helps find accounts from wherever the child lives, prepares the local packet, and connects the family with a Wisconsin probate attorney if the matter becomes contested or court-supervised. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale often points toward formal administration. The court system's self-help guide, prepared by the Wisconsin Register in Probate Association, states that formal administration requires the assistance of an attorney. | Sunset assembles the asset list and probate packet, then connects the parent with a local probate attorney for the sale and closing steps of the estate settlement. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link |
|---|---|---|
| Forest County Register in Probate | Local filing office for Forest County estate matters, with the published phone, fax and courthouse address. | https://co.forest.wi.gov/register-probate-depart |
| Forest County Clerk of Circuit Court | Separate court office at the same courthouse. Use the Register in Probate for estate filing questions. | https://co.forest.wi.gov/clerk-of-circ-cor-depart |
| A Personal Representative's Guide to Informal Estate Administration in Wisconsin | The court system's 89-page guide for informal administration. | https://www.wicourts.gov/services/public/selfhelp/docs/probateguide.pdf |
| Wisconsin Court System self-help law center, probate | Statewide probate self-help information and links to forms and the informal administration guide. | https://www.wicourts.gov/services/public/selfhelp/probate.htm |
| Circuit court probate forms | Statewide PR-series forms used in Wisconsin probate matters. | https://www.wicourts.gov/forms1/circuit/ccform.jsp?Category=26&SubCat=All |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, WCCA | Statewide public case search for Wisconsin circuit court cases, including probate case types. | https://wcca.wicourts.gov/ |
| Legal Action of Wisconsin | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Wisconsin residents, with statewide intake at (855) 947-2529. | https://legalaction.org/ |
When to hire an attorney
In a Wisconsin court proceeding, a personal representative appears by attorney (Wis. Stat. § 879.15(2)). Informal administration runs administratively before the probate registrar rather than as a proceeding in court (Wis. Stat. § 865.01), and probate registrar staff have a statutory duty to advise, within their competence, on preparing informal-administration documents (Wis. Stat. § 865.065(2)). The court system's self-help guide, prepared by the Wisconsin Register in Probate Association, states that formal administration requires the assistance of an attorney, while informal administration may be granted without an attorney's assistance and summary settlement does not require an attorney's assistance. Summary settlement and summary assignment also carry an express right to appear in person (Wis. Stat. § 867.01(5), § 867.02(5)). If the estate involves a dispute, a home sale, creditor conflict, missing heirs or a formal administration, Sunset connects the family to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families understand what the decedent owned, what may pass outside probate, and what belongs in the Forest County estate settlement plan.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset uses the facts you provide to assemble the forms and supporting information for the Wisconsin path that fits the estate, including the Forest County filing office and the statewide PR form set.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Forest County matter needs counsel, especially a formal administration, dispute or real estate sale, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Wisconsin probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, identify assets, prepare for probate, and get matched with local help without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file to probate a will in Forest County?
File with the Forest County Register in Probate at the Forest County Courthouse, 200 E. Madison Street, Crandon, WI 54520. Call (715) 478-2418 before mailing an original will or first filing.
Forest County shares a circuit with Florence County. Do I have to go to Florence?
No. Forest County and Florence County share one circuit under Wis. Stat. § 753.06(9)(c), but Forest County has its own Register in Probate office and probate counter in Crandon.
When is the Forest County Register in Probate open?
The published courthouse hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call (715) 478-2418 before traveling if you need to file an original will or a time-sensitive document.
Can I mail a probate filing to Forest County, or do I have to use electronic filing?
Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use electronic filing. A self-represented party may choose electronic filing or traditional paper methods under Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(b), (c). Because the county does not publish a separate mailing instruction for original wills, call the Forest County Register in Probate before mailing one.
What does it cost to open an estate in Forest County?
The estate fee is statewide. Through October 31, 2026, Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2 sets $20 where the property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent above that amount. From November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 changes those figures to $36 and $18,500; the 0.2 percent rate does not change. The fee is collected when the inventory is filed. If the case is e-filed, the e-filing fee is $35 per party per case under Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m) and § 801.18(7).
Does Forest County have its own probate forms?
No Forest County probate forms of its own are published. Use the statewide Wisconsin PR forms, including PR-1801 for informal administration, PR-1901 for formal administration, PR-1810 for Domiciliary Letters, and PR-1831 for transfer by affidavit under Wis. Stat. § 867.03, including the $50,000 gross-value test in Wis. Stat. § 867.03(1g).
Can I look up a Forest County estate case online?
Yes. Wisconsin circuit court cases, including probate case types, are searchable through Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, WCCA, at https://wcca.wicourts.gov/. A Forest County probate case may carry a PR or IN case-type code. Do not rely on WCCA for document access without checking what is available in that specific case.
Do I need a lawyer for a Forest County estate?
Formal administration requires the assistance of an attorney according to the court system's self-help guide prepared by the Wisconsin Register in Probate Association. Informal administration may be granted without an attorney's assistance, and summary settlement does not require an attorney's assistance. In any Wisconsin court proceeding, a personal representative appears by attorney (Wis. Stat. § 879.15(2)), so get legal help if the matter becomes contested or court-supervised.
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.