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Manitowoc County, WI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Manitowoc County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | The Circuit Court for Manitowoc County. Estate filings go through the Manitowoc County Register in Probate. |
| Courthouse address | Manitowoc County Courthouse, 1010 South 8th Street, Room B-11, Manitowoc, WI 54220. Room B-11 is in the basement. |
| Mailing address | Manitowoc County Register in Probate, Room B-11, 1010 South 8th Street, Manitowoc, WI 54220. |
| Phone | (920) 683-4016 for the Manitowoc County Register in Probate. The clerk of circuit court main line is a different counter. |
| Fax | (920) 683-2766 for the Register in Probate. Do not treat fax as the ordinary way to file an estate. |
| Hours | Monday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Tuesday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; holidays excepted. The office asks callers to call ahead because staff may be out of the office. |
| Filing fee | The statewide estate fee is due when the inventory is filed, not when the case is opened. Through October 31, 2026, it is $20 if the value of property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent of that value if it is more (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2, (1)(a)3). Effective November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 raises the minimum to $36 and the threshold to $18,500; the 0.2 percent rate remains the same. |
| Local forms | Yes. Manitowoc County publishes four local probate forms for waiver of the fiduciary income tax return and Closing Certificate for Fiduciaries, in informal and formal administration. |
| Electronic filing | Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use Wisconsin circuit court electronic filing. Self-represented filers may choose electronic filing or paper filing by traditional methods (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(a), (b), (c)). The electronic filing fee is $35 per party per case, current as of August 2026 (Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m), § 801.18(7)). |
| Case search | Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, WCCA, at https://wcca.wicourts.gov/. Probate cases are Wisconsin circuit court cases and use probate case-type codes, but ask the Register in Probate for copies of documents. |
| Remote appearance | Manitowoc County publishes a remote-hearing practice. A remote request uses statewide form GF-306 and order GF-307, and a telephone appearance is requested through the judicial assistant for the assigned judge or court commissioner. The court decides whether to allow it. |
| Website | https://manitowoccountywi.gov/departments/register-in-probate/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Manitowoc County, identify the assets, debts, real estate, bank accounts, insurance and anything else of value. The Register in Probate gives the same practical first step: learn as much as you can about the assets before you call, because the asset picture determines whether an administration, a summary route or a non-court transfer may fit.
Sunset helps families do that first estate settlement step by searching for accounts and assets across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then organizing what was found so the Manitowoc County filing path is clearer before you contact Room B-11.
Which court handles jurisdiction
File a Manitowoc County estate at the Manitowoc County Register in Probate, Room B-11 of the Manitowoc County Courthouse, if the decedent was domiciled in Manitowoc County at death. Wisconsin places jurisdiction for administration of a decedent's estate in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death; if the decedent had no Wisconsin domicile, jurisdiction is in a Wisconsin county where the decedent's property is located, and the court that first exercises jurisdiction has exclusive jurisdiction (Wis. Stat. § 856.01).
The courthouse in Manitowoc serves the whole county, including the cities of Manitowoc, Two Rivers and Kiel, and villages such as Cleveland, Francis Creek, Mishicot, Reedsville, St. Nazianz, Valders and Whitelaw. Manitowoc County is its own single-county circuit with four branches (Wis. Stat. § 753.06(4)(c)); it does not share a probate filing counter with another county.
The jurisdiction process
- Start with the asset list and the will. List the decedent's accounts, debts, real estate, insurance and other property before you call the Manitowoc County Register in Probate at (920) 683-4016. If someone holds the original will, Wisconsin requires it to be filed with the proper court within 30 days after that person has knowledge of the death and of the duty to file it (Wis. Stat. § 856.05(1)). Ask the Register in Probate how it wants the original will handled when you make the appointment.
- Choose the statewide path. Informal administration begins with the probate registrar and is the usual self-help track when the will permits it or all interested persons consent. Formal administration is a court proceeding. The court system's self-help guide, prepared by the Wisconsin Register in Probate Association, says a formal administration requires the assistance of an attorney, while informal administration may be granted without an attorney's assistance. Transfer by affidavit, summary settlement and summary assignment are statewide alternatives for qualifying estates under Wis. Stat. § 867.03, § 867.01 and § 867.02.
- Use the statewide PR forms and Manitowoc County's local forms when they apply. Statewide probate forms are on the Wisconsin Court System probate forms index, Category 26. Common forms include PR-1801 for informal administration, PR-1806 for proof of heirship, PR-1810 for Domiciliary Letters, PR-1811 for the inventory, PR-1816 for closing an informal administration, and PR-1901 for formal administration. Manitowoc County also publishes local waiver forms for the fiduciary income tax return and Closing Certificate for Fiduciaries under Wis. Stat. § 71.13(3).
- Make the local appointment if you are self-represented. Manitowoc County requires a self-represented petitioner to make an appointment before the Register in Probate accepts documents for an informal probate. Call (920) 683-4016 first, and use Room B-11 in the basement of the courthouse.
- File by the proper method. Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use Wisconsin circuit court electronic filing. A self-represented filer may use electronic filing voluntarily or file by traditional paper methods (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(a), (b), (c)). Mail paper filings to the Manitowoc County Register in Probate, Room B-11, 1010 South 8th Street, Manitowoc, WI 54220. If you file on paper, the county's general filing instructions say to file copies and keep your originals, but confirm the original will procedure with the Register in Probate.
- The Wisconsin estate fee is not paid when the case is opened. Through October 31, 2026, the estate fee is $20 if the value of property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent of that value if it is more (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2, (1)(a)3). Effective November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 raises the minimum to $36 and the threshold to $18,500; the 0.2 percent rate remains the same. The fee is paid when the inventory or other document setting the net value is filed. If the case is electronically filed, the separate electronic filing fee is $35 per party per case, current as of August 2026 (Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m), § 801.18(7)).
- Handle notice and the claim date set by order. In Wisconsin, the claim deadline is a date set by order, by the court in formal administration or by the probate registrar in informal administration, at not less than three and not more than four months from the date of the order (Wis. Stat. § 859.01). Notice of that deadline is published as a class 3 notice in a newspaper published in the county (Wis. Stat. § 859.07(1), § 879.05(4)). If the decedent or the decedent's spouse received medical assistance or long-term care benefits, or if another agency-notice condition applies, the personal representative must give the required agency and county clerk notice by registered or certified mail not less than 30 days before the claim deadline (Wis. Stat. § 859.07(2)).
- Ask for remote appearance only if a hearing is set. Many informal administrations do not require a hearing. If a Manitowoc County probate hearing is scheduled, the county publishes a remote request route using GF-306 and GF-307, and a telephone request route through the judicial assistant for the assigned judge or court commissioner. The assigned court official decides. If you need an adjournment more than 48 hours before a scheduled proceeding, Manitowoc County Local Rule 2.01 requires the request to be in writing, state the specific reason, go to the presiding judge, and be copied to the other parties with their position stated.
- Receive authority and administer the estate. The authority document for a Wisconsin personal representative is Domiciliary Letters, PR-1810, in both informal and formal administration. After appointment, the personal representative handles assets, creditor issues, taxes, inventory and distribution under Wisconsin law. The inventory is due within a reasonable time and no later than six months after appointment unless the court changes the time (Wis. Stat. § 858.01).
- Record real estate paperwork in Room 107 when needed. If the estate settlement requires recording a transfer by affidavit, a summary order, a certificate, or an abridgment of final judgment for Manitowoc County real estate, use the Manitowoc County Register of Deeds in Room 107 on the first floor of the same courthouse. That office records documents at the counter from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and requires the electronic real estate transfer return receipt to accompany the original deed when that return is required.
- Close the estate. Informal administration closes by filing the personal representative's sworn statement to close, PR-1816, and the appointment terminates six months later if no challenge or other proceeding is pending (Wis. Stat. § 865.16(2)). Formal administration closes through final judgment and an order discharging the personal representative. If a fiduciary income tax return or Closing Certificate for Fiduciaries issue arises, Manitowoc County's local waiver forms may be relevant under Wis. Stat. § 71.13(3).
Executor duties
A Wisconsin personal representative is the person given authority to administer the estate. Manitowoc County adds three practical local duties to the statewide work:
- Call before a self-represented informal filing. If you are representing yourself, make an appointment with the Manitowoc County Register in Probate before bringing or sending documents for an informal probate. The office requires it and asks callers to call ahead because staff may be out of the office.
- Plan for the local tax-waiver forms at closing. Where the court requires a Closing Certificate for Fiduciaries, the certificate comes from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue. Manitowoc County publishes its own petition and order for waiver of the fiduciary income tax return and the closing certificate, in both administration tracks, for an estate with no reportable income and a decedent with no unfiled returns or unpaid taxes (Wis. Stat. § 71.13(3)).
- Confirm paper originals before filing. If you file on paper rather than electronically, the county's general instruction is to file copies and keep the originals because paper is scanned into the court record and discarded. Ask the Register in Probate what it wants done with the original will.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Manitowoc County
Manitowoc County uses Wisconsin's statewide PR probate forms, published in Category 26 on the Wisconsin Court System circuit court forms index. Common statewide forms include PR-1801 Application for Informal Administration, PR-1806 Proof of Heirship, PR-1810 Domiciliary Letters, PR-1811 Inventory, PR-1816 Personal Representative's Statement to Close Estate, PR-1901 Petition for Formal Administration, PR-1912 Final Judgment, PR-1913 Abridgment of Final Judgment and PR-1915 Order Discharging Personal Representative.
Unlike many Wisconsin counties, Manitowoc County also publishes local probate forms. Its Register in Probate forms page lists a petition and an order for waiver of the fiduciary income tax return and Closing Certificate for Fiduciaries in informal administration, and the same petition and order for formal administration. The local petition asks the court to address that waiver issue, and the local order, if granted, waives filing of the fiduciary income tax return and Closing Certificate for Fiduciaries under Wis. Stat. § 71.13(3).
The county's Register in Probate says mandatory statewide forms are required, and its office keeps forms on hand. Use the statewide PR forms for the administration itself and the Manitowoc County forms only for the local waiver issue they address.
Local nuance
Manitowoc County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Manitowoc County estate |
|---|---|
| Appointment for self-represented informal filings | The Register in Probate requires self-represented petitioners to make an appointment before the office accepts documents for an informal probate. Call (920) 683-4016 before you send or bring papers. |
| Actual office hours | The office opens at 8:30 a.m. and stays open until 5:00 p.m. on Monday. Tuesday through Friday hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., holidays excepted. |
| Three offices in one courthouse | The Register in Probate is in Room B-11 in the basement. The Clerk of Circuit Court is in Room 105, and the Register of Deeds is in Room 107 on the first floor. |
| Local tax-waiver forms | Manitowoc County publishes four local probate forms for waiver of the fiduciary income tax return and Closing Certificate for Fiduciaries under Wis. Stat. § 71.13(3), one petition and one order for each administration track. |
| Remote-hearing practice | The county publishes a process for requesting Zoom through GF-306 and GF-307, and a telephone appearance through the judicial assistant for the assigned judge or court commissioner. The assigned court official decides whether remote appearance is allowed. |
| Real estate recording window | The Manitowoc County Register of Deeds is in Room 107 and records documents at the counter from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Bring the electronic real estate transfer return receipt with the original deed when that return is required. |
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| August 15, 2025 | The current Manitowoc County local court rules took effect. The provisions that may affect an estate are the general rules on adjournments, facsimile transmission and attorney of record; the set contains no probate-specific rule. |
| January 1, 2026 | Legal Action of Wisconsin and Judicare Legal Aid merged into one organization, Legal Action of Wisconsin. Manitowoc County readers use the statewide Legal Action of Wisconsin intake at (855) 947-2529. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Manitowoc County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by deciding whether the home is part of the probate estate at all. The estate counter is the Register in Probate in Room B-11. The title counter is the Register of Deeds in Room 107, where certain post-death real estate documents are recorded and where summary confirmation of an interest in property may be available through the register of deeds route under Wis. Stat. § 867.046(2). The recording window is 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. | Sunset identifies accounts and assets before filing, helps sort what is and is not part of the estate settlement, and prepares the packet for the Room B-11 counter. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Call the Register in Probate first. A self-represented petitioner must make an appointment before the office accepts documents for an informal probate. Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use electronic filing, while a self-represented filer may use electronic filing voluntarily or paper filing by traditional methods (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(a), (b), (c)). If electronic filing is used, the fee is $35 per party per case, current as of August 2026 (Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m), § 801.18(7)). | Sunset can search for accounts from wherever the child lives, generate the Wisconsin packet, and connect the family to a Wisconsin probate attorney if a hearing, dispute or formal proceeding appears likely. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate where a home must be sold | A sale often makes attorney help important. The court system's self-help guide says formal administration requires the assistance of an attorney, while informal administration may be granted without an attorney's assistance. Locally, ask Room B-11 about any will held for safekeeping, use the county's remote-appearance request process if a hearing is set, follow Local Rule 2.01 for any adjournment request more than 48 hours before a proceeding, and record final real estate paperwork in Room 107. | Sunset builds the asset picture, prepares the estate settlement packet and connects the parent with a local probate attorney for the sale and closing steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Manitowoc County Register in Probate | The local office for probate filings, records, forms, appointments and questions about Room B-11. Use (920) 683-4016 and the county's Register in Probate page. |
| Manitowoc County Register in Probate services page | Explains the office's role, the appointment requirement for self-represented informal filings, the wills-for-safekeeping collection and the office's practical instruction to gather asset information before calling. |
| Manitowoc County Register in Probate forms page | Provides the county's four local probate forms for waiver of the fiduciary income tax return and Closing Certificate for Fiduciaries, plus links to statewide forms. |
| Manitowoc County local court rules | Current local rules effective August 15, 2025. The rules include general requirements for adjournments, facsimile transmission and attorney of record, but no probate-specific rule. |
| A Personal Representative's Guide to Informal Estate Administration in Wisconsin | An 89-page Wisconsin Court System self-help guide prepared by the Wisconsin Register in Probate Association for informal administration. |
| Wisconsin Court System self-help law center, probate | Statewide probate self-help page with links to the informal administration guide, probate forms, the Register in Probate directory and other Wisconsin probate resources. |
| Circuit court probate forms | The statewide PR form set, Category 26, used for Wisconsin probate matters, including informal administration, formal administration and related probate procedures. |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, WCCA | Public case search for Wisconsin circuit court cases, including probate case types. Use the Register in Probate for copies of estate documents. |
| Manitowoc County Register of Deeds | The office in Room 107 where Manitowoc County real estate paperwork is recorded after death when a recording step is required. |
| Legal Action of Wisconsin | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Wisconsin residents, with statewide intake at (855) 947-2529. Let the intake process decide whether the issue is within the program's services. |
| Wisconsin Free Legal Answers | A website where eligible Wisconsin residents can ask a non-criminal legal question and receive brief volunteer attorney guidance. |
When to hire an attorney
In a Wisconsin court proceeding, a personal representative appears by attorney (Wis. Stat. § 879.15(2)). Informal administration under Wis. Stat. ch. 865 runs administratively before the probate registrar rather than as a proceeding in court, which is why the Wisconsin Court System publishes a personal representative's guide to informal estate administration and why probate registrar staff have a statutory duty to advise, within their competence, on preparing those documents (Wis. Stat. § 865.065(2)). The court system's self-help guide, prepared by the Wisconsin Register in Probate Association, states that a formal administration requires the assistance of an attorney, that informal administration may be granted without an attorney's assistance, and that summary settlement does not require an attorney's assistance; the Manitowoc County Register in Probate publishes the same boundary in its own words. Summary settlement and summary assignment also carry their own express right to appear in person (Wis. Stat. § 867.01(5), § 867.02(5)). Locally, counsel makes sense when real estate must be sold, an heir objects, a claim is disputed, the family needs a formal administration, or the personal representative lives out of state. Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. The Manitowoc County Register in Probate tells families to learn everything they can about assets, real estate, bank accounts, insurance and anything of value before they call the office. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions so families can start the estate settlement with a clearer asset picture.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset information, family information and court requirements into a draft probate packet for Manitowoc County, including the statewide Wisconsin PR forms and reminders about the local Room B-11 appointment requirement for self-represented informal filings.
Find a local probate attorney. When a formal administration, a real estate sale, a dispute or a court appearance makes counsel important, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Wisconsin probate attorney who can handle the Manitowoc County filing and the estate settlement steps that follow.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize assets, generate documents and find attorney help without paying Sunset. Manitowoc County still applies the statewide Wisconsin court fees and any attorney fees agreed to with counsel.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file to probate a will in Manitowoc County?
File with the Manitowoc County Register in Probate, Room B-11, Manitowoc County Courthouse, 1010 South 8th Street, Manitowoc, WI 54220. The direct phone number is (920) 683-4016. Wisconsin places the estate in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death (Wis. Stat. § 856.01).
Do I need an appointment to file an estate in Manitowoc County?
Yes, if you are representing yourself and filing an informal probate. The Manitowoc County Register in Probate requires self-represented petitioners to make an appointment before the office accepts documents for an informal probate. For other estate errands, call (920) 683-4016 first because the office asks callers to call ahead when staff may be out of the office.
When is the Manitowoc County Register in Probate open?
The office is open Monday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Tuesday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., holidays excepted. No separate midday closure or local filing cutoff is published for the probate office, so call (920) 683-4016 before traveling.
Is the Register in Probate the same office as the Clerk of Circuit Court in Manitowoc County?
No. The Register in Probate is in Room B-11 and handles estate filings. The Clerk of Circuit Court is a separate department in Room 105 with a different main number. A Manitowoc County estate goes to the Register in Probate.
What does it cost to open an estate in Manitowoc County?
The statewide estate fee is paid when the inventory is filed, not when the case is opened. Through October 31, 2026, it is $20 if the value of property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent of that value if it is more (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2, (1)(a)3). Effective November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 raises the minimum to $36 and the threshold to $18,500; the 0.2 percent rate remains the same. If electronic filing is used, the separate fee is $35 per party per case, current as of August 2026 (Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m), § 801.18(7)). Manitowoc County's local instruction is to round payments to the nearest whole dollar.
Does Manitowoc County have its own probate forms?
Yes. In addition to the statewide Wisconsin PR forms, Manitowoc County publishes four local probate forms for waiver of the fiduciary income tax return and Closing Certificate for Fiduciaries, a petition and an order for informal administration and a petition and an order for formal administration. The waiver is tied to Wis. Stat. § 71.13(3).
Can I mail a probate filing to Manitowoc County, or do I have to use electronic filing?
A self-represented filer may use electronic filing voluntarily or file by traditional paper methods (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(b), (c)). Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use Wisconsin circuit court electronic filing (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(a)). Mail paper filings to the Manitowoc County Register in Probate, Room B-11, 1010 South 8th Street, Manitowoc, WI 54220, and call first if you are filing a self-represented informal probate because an appointment is required.
Can I appear remotely for a Manitowoc County probate hearing?
Possibly. Manitowoc County publishes a remote-hearing practice and says the courts intend to use Zoom in appropriate situations and to permit it when requested by the parties. A remote request uses GF-306 and GF-307. A telephone appearance is requested through the judicial assistant for the assigned judge or court commissioner. The assigned court official decides, and many informal administrations do not involve a hearing.
Can I look up a Manitowoc County estate case online?
Wisconsin circuit court cases, including probate case types, are searchable through WCCA at https://wcca.wicourts.gov/. Search by name or case number. If you need an actual estate document, contact the Manitowoc County Register in Probate in Room B-11.
Do I need a lawyer for a Manitowoc County estate?
Formal administration requires attorney assistance according to the Wisconsin 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 Manitowoc County states the same boundary on its Register in Probate services page. In any Wisconsin court proceeding, a personal representative appears by attorney (Wis. Stat. § 879.15(2)), so get counsel if the matter becomes formal, contested or court-supervised.
Where do I record the paperwork for a house in Manitowoc County?
Use the Manitowoc County Register of Deeds in Room 107 on the first floor of the same courthouse. That office records documents at the counter from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and requires the electronic real estate transfer return receipt to accompany the original deed when that return is required. The Register of Deeds cannot draft documents or give legal advice.
Can I leave my will with the Manitowoc County Register in Probate?
No new wills for safekeeping are accepted by that office. The Register in Probate holds a collection of wills deposited in the past, will take stored wills from a law office that closes, can search the collection by name, and will file a stored will after being notified of the death. Separately, a person who holds the will of someone who has died has a 30-day duty to file it with the proper court under Wis. Stat. § 856.05(1).
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.