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Milwaukee County, WI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Milwaukee County information |
|---|---|
| Court and filing office | Circuit Court for Milwaukee County, Probate Division. File with the Milwaukee County Register in Probate. |
| Courthouse address | Milwaukee County Courthouse, 901 N. 9th Street, Room 207, Milwaukee, WI 53233. |
| Mailing address | Milwaukee County Register in Probate, 901 N. 9th Street, Room 207, Milwaukee, WI 53233. No separate probate mailing address or P.O. Box is published. |
| Phone | (414) 278-4444. Choose option 2 and ask for the Register in Probate or a deputy register. The (414) 278-5362 number is the Clerk of Circuit Court in Room 104, not the probate counter. |
| Fax | (414) 223-1814, probate fax. Milwaukee County local rules do not allow filing by fax or email. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The county suggests calling ahead before coming in because informal filing review can take time. |
| Estate fee | Through October 31, 2026, the statewide fee is $20 when the value of property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent above that value. Effective November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 raises those figures to $36 and $18,500; the 0.2 percent rate does not change. The fee is paid when the inventory or other document setting net value is filed (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2, (1)(a)3, as amended by 2025 Wis. Act 179). |
| Local forms | Yes. Milwaukee County publishes local claims, objection and contest forms in addition to the statewide Wisconsin PR forms. |
| eFiling status | Attorneys and high-volume filing agents must eFile (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(a)); eFiling is voluntary for self-represented filers, who may instead file in person or by mail. The eFiling fee is $35 per party per case (Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m), § 801.18(7)). |
| Case search | Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, https://wcca.wicourts.gov/. Probate case numbers use PR or IN case-type codes. Do not rely on WCCA for document images. |
| Remote appearance | The court publishes Zoom remote-appearance instructions. The meeting ID and password come on the Notice of Hearing, and the court decides whether a specific hearing is remote. |
| Website | https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Courts/Court-Divisions/Probate-Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file in Milwaukee County, identify the decedent's accounts, real estate, mortgages, liens and debts. Milwaukee's informal-administration bond guidelines turn on the estimated value of the estate, and Wisconsin's estate fee is assessed later from the inventory, so asset discovery is not just paperwork preparation. It shapes the first filing.
Milwaukee County's probate page warns that an informal filing is reviewed before it is accepted, that the review may take time, and that a matter found inappropriate for informal administration comes back with a requirement to retain counsel. Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families build the financial picture before the first trip, mailing or eFiling, which can make estate settlement less repetitive and less risky.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Milwaukee County probate filings go to one location: the Milwaukee County Register in Probate, Room 207 of the Milwaukee County Courthouse at 901 N. 9th Street in Milwaukee. The Safety Building, the Vel Phillips Youth and Family Justice Center in Wauwatosa, and the Criminal Justice Facility are Milwaukee County court locations, but probate filings are handled at the courthouse in Room 207.
The same Room 207 counter serves Milwaukee County residents from Milwaukee, Wauwatosa, West Allis, Oak Creek, Franklin, Whitefish Bay, Shorewood, South Milwaukee and the county's other municipalities. Wisconsin places administration of a decedent's estate in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death; if the decedent had no Wisconsin domicile, the case may proceed in a Wisconsin county where the decedent's property is located, and the first court to exercise jurisdiction has exclusive jurisdiction (Wis. Stat. § 856.01).
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm that Milwaukee County is the right county. A Milwaukee County domiciliary's estate is handled through the Circuit Court for Milwaukee County and the Milwaukee County Register in Probate in Room 207 (Wis. Stat. § 856.01).
- Identify assets and debts before choosing forms. Milwaukee's informal bond guidelines turn on the estimated estate value, and the statewide estate fee is calculated later from property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2, (1)(a)3, as amended by 2025 Wis. Act 179).
- File the will if there is one. Wisconsin law gives the person holding the will a 30-day duty to file it with the court or deliver it to the person named to act as personal representative (Wis. Stat. § 856.05(1)).
- Choose the track and read the court system's informal-estate guide. The guide prepared by the Wisconsin Register in Probate Association says informal administration may be granted without an attorney's assistance and that formal administration requires an attorney's assistance. Milwaukee County's own page says a filer whose case is not accepted for informal administration will be told that formal administration is required and counsel must be retained.
- Prepare the statewide PR forms Milwaukee County lists for informal administration, including PR-1801, PR-1806, PR-1803, PR-1807, PR-1808, PR-1804, PR-1805 and, when needed, PR-1802. Add Milwaukee County's local forms when the case involves a claim, objection, objection to claim, pretrial conference order or demand for formal proceedings.
- File in person in Room 207, by mail to 901 N. 9th Street, Room 207, Milwaukee, WI 53233, or through Wisconsin circuit court eFiling. Attorneys and high-volume filing agents must eFile (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(a)); self-represented filers may eFile voluntarily or use paper by traditional methods. The eFiling fee is $35 per party per case (Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m), § 801.18(7)). Fax and email are not filing channels under Milwaukee County local rules.
- Expect Register in Probate review. The Register in Probate or a deputy register reviews an informal filing to decide whether informal administration is appropriate, and the county says the review process may take time.
- Watch the claim deadline order. The court, or the probate registrar in an informal administration, sets the 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). Milwaukee County's local rule treats an order that names only a month as setting the deadline on the last day of that month.
- Publish notice and send required agency notices. Notice of the claim deadline is published under Wisconsin law (Wis. Stat. § 859.07(1)). If the decedent or the decedent's spouse received medical assistance or long-term care benefits, or if the decedent owed the state or county, written notice goes to the proper agency and the county clerk by registered or certified mail not less than 30 days before the claim deadline (Wis. Stat. § 859.07(2)).
- Obtain Domiciliary Letters, PR-1810. This is the Wisconsin authority document for the personal representative on both informal and formal tracks.
- File the inventory, PR-1811, within a reasonable time and no later than six months after appointment unless the court changes the deadline. The inventory must state which property is marital property (Wis. Stat. § 858.01). The statewide estate fee is paid with the inventory or other document setting net value, not at the first filing (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)3).
- Record real-estate documents when needed. Milwaukee County real-estate recordings go to the Milwaukee County Register of Deeds in Room 103, which closes at 4 p.m.
- Appear if a hearing is set. Uncontested probate matters may be scheduled before the circuit court commissioner assigned to assist with probate matters under local rules. The court also publishes Zoom remote-appearance instructions, and the Notice of Hearing provides the meeting information when remote appearance is allowed.
- Close the estate. Informal administration closes by the personal representative's sworn statement, PR-1816, and appointment terminates six months later if no challenge or related proceeding is pending (Wis. Stat. § 865.16(2)). Milwaukee County local rules add that an estate with no claims or objections is not closed until at least 14 days after the creditor deadline, and that estates should be closed within 18 months from filing the petition or application unless the court extends the time.
Executor duties
- Post a surety bond if Milwaukee County's informal guidelines call for one. The county says the minimum surety bond is $50,000, that bonds are required in all informal administrations with no will, and that Milwaukee County does not accept signature bonds.
- Get every order, certificate and judgment other than a final judgment to the judge or circuit court commissioner for signature within 30 days after the hearing date, prepared by the prevailing party.
- File the inventory on time. Milwaukee County local rules allow the court to remove a personal representative or attorney and appoint a successor when an estate is not closed or an inventory is not filed on time and the attorney does not respond to court notice.
- Do not close early. If no claims were filed, or no objection to any claim was filed, the estate is not closed until at least 14 days after the creditors' deadline.
- Close within 18 months of filing the petition or application, or file a petition for extension before that period ends with an affidavit explaining why the estate cannot be closed. The statewide extension forms are PR-1833 and PR-1834.
- Expect the final account to be reviewed by a deputy register in probate before the hearing for procedural compliance, form and content.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Milwaukee County
Wisconsin probate forms are published in the statewide circuit court probate forms index at https://www.wicourts.gov/forms1/circuit/ccform.jsp?Category=26&SubCat=All. Milwaukee County also publishes local probate forms for items where the county has local practice needs.
| Form group | Milwaukee County use |
|---|---|
| Statewide informal administration forms | Milwaukee County's informal-estate page points readers to PR-1801 Application for Informal Administration, PR-1806 Proof of Heirship, PR-1803 Waiver and Consent, PR-1807 Consent to Serve, PR-1808 Statement of Informal Administration, PR-1810 Domiciliary Letters, PR-1804 Notice to Creditors, PR-1805 Notice Setting Time to Hear Application and Deadline for Filing Claims and PR-1802 Declination to Serve or Resignation. |
| Statewide closing forms | The county lists PR-1817 Declaration of Service, PR-1811 Inventory, PR-1814 Estate Account, PR-1815 Estate Receipt and PR-1816 Personal Representative's Statement to Close Estate. |
| Milwaukee County estate-side forms | The county lists Hearing Data Sheet, Objection, Objection to Claim, Pretrial Conference Order and Demand Formal Probate under probate claims forms. |
| Guardianship and mental-health forms at the same office | Room 207 also handles guardianship, protective placement and civil mental-health matters, and the county publishes local forms for those case types. Use those only when the case involves those subjects, not as decedent-estate forms. |
| Other documents Milwaukee County expects | The county's informal checklist also points to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services probate claims notice form and IRS Form 56, Notice Concerning Fiduciary Relationship. The DHS item connects to the agency-notice duty under Wis. Stat. § 859.07(2). |
Timeline
- Informal filing review happens before acceptance. Milwaukee County says the Register in Probate or a deputy register reviews the filing, that the review may take time, and that an in-person filer may want to call ahead.
- The claim deadline is set by order at a date not less than three nor more than four months from the date of the order (Wis. Stat. § 859.01). If a Milwaukee County order names only a month, the local rule treats the deadline as the last day of that month.
- A request for continuance in a contested probate matter is filed within 10 days after service of notice of the scheduled proceeding. A later request requires a personal appearance and good cause.
- Orders, certificates and judgments other than final judgments are submitted for signature no later than 30 days after the matter was heard or was to be heard.
- The inventory is filed within a reasonable time and no later than six months after appointment unless the court extends or shortens the time (Wis. Stat. § 858.01).
- If no claims were filed, or no objection to a claim was filed, Milwaukee County local rules do not allow the estate to close until at least 14 days after the creditors' deadline.
- Milwaukee County local rules call for estates to close within 18 months from filing the petition or application unless the court extends the time. A petition for extension is filed before the 18 months expire and is supported by an affidavit explaining the delay.
- Before a hearing on approval of a final account, a deputy register in probate reviews the petition and proposed final account for procedural compliance, form and content.
- In an informal administration, the personal representative's appointment terminates six months after the sworn closing statement is filed if no challenge or related proceeding is pending (Wis. Stat. § 865.16(2)).
Local nuance
Milwaukee County-specific considerations
- One Room 207 office handles several probate-related subjects. The Milwaukee County Register in Probate keeps records for wills admitted to probate, decedents' estates, testamentary trusts, guardianships, protective placements, civil mental-health commitments and records filed for safekeeping.
- Two courthouse numbers are easy to confuse. Room 207 at (414) 278-4444 is the probate line. Room 104 at (414) 278-5362 is the Clerk of Circuit Court, which handles civil, criminal, family, traffic and ordinance records.
- Bond is a real Milwaukee County gate. The county's informal-administration guidelines say a filer without an attorney will likely need some level of surety bond, the county minimum is $50,000, bonds are required for all informal administrations with no will, and Milwaukee County does not accept signature bonds.
- Contests have a local route. An objection or cross-petition is filed in the Register in Probate Office in Room 207, may not be raised by motion, must be accompanied by a demand for formal proceedings if the estate is being administered informally, and is routed by a deputy register in probate either to a pretrial before a deputy register acting as circuit court commissioner or to a circuit judge.
- Uncontested probate matters may be heard by the circuit court commissioner assigned to assist with probate matters.
- Milwaukee County local rules add two closing clocks: no closing until at least 14 days after the creditors' deadline when no claims or objections were filed, and closing within 18 months of filing the petition or application unless the court extends the time.
- Older records have local access rules. Milwaukee County probate records reach back to the 1830s. Records created before 1985 are viewed in person in Room 207; records from 1985 to June 1, 2003 may be viewed in person or through WCCA; records after June 1, 2003 are accessed through WCCA. A mailed search request must be prepaid with the statutory search fee and include a self-addressed stamped envelope, and copies carry a per-page fee under Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(h)1 and (1)(j).
- No fax and no email filing. The probate fax exists, but Milwaukee County local rules do not accept documents for filing by facsimile or email.
- Two courthouse counters have different closing times. The Register in Probate is open until 4:30 p.m.; the Milwaukee County Register of Deeds in Room 103, where probate real-estate documents may need to be recorded, closes at 4 p.m.
Small-estate Alternatives
Milwaukee County has a local rule for the summary assignment path. An order for summary assignment may assign assets according to an apparently valid will when the will contains a valid attestation clause. That is a Milwaukee County rule about summary assignment under Wis. Stat. § 867.02; the statewide dollar tests and the differences between transfer by affidavit, summary settlement and summary assignment are statewide rules.
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Milwaukee County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Wisconsin marital property rules matter, and the inventory in any Milwaukee County estate must state which property is marital property (Wis. Stat. § 858.01). If the home was held as survivorship marital property, a surviving spouse may be able to confirm title through the Milwaukee County Register of Deeds in Room 103 instead of opening a court estate, using the summary confirmation route in Wis. Stat. § 867.046. | Sunset finds accounts, titles and debts so the spouse can separate survivorship property from assets that actually belong in the estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Milwaukee County local rules allow a nonresident personal representative with bond if a resident agent is appointed to accept service of process. A nonresident nominated by a will to serve without bond may be appointed as co-personal representative without bond if an eligible Wisconsin resident is appointed as co-personal representative and keeps control and possession of Wisconsin assets until final distribution. Milwaukee County's informal bond guidelines still matter, including the $50,000 minimum surety bond and the rule that signature bonds are not accepted. If real property passes by transfer by affidavit, the certified affidavit is recorded with the register of deeds in the county where the property is located (Wis. Stat. § 867.03(2m)). | Sunset assembles the asset picture and probate packet remotely, which helps an out-of-state child avoid repeated trips to Room 207. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | The parent files through Room 207, obtains Domiciliary Letters if appointed, files the inventory within six months after appointment and pays the Wis. Stat. § 814.66 estate fee with that inventory. If anyone objects, an informal estate must move toward formal proceedings through a demand for formal proceedings, and Milwaukee County local rules route the contest to a pretrial path or a circuit judge. Recording after a sale or closing occurs at the Milwaukee County Register of Deeds in Room 103, and the local rules set an 18-month closing clock unless the court extends the time. | Sunset's asset discovery helps surface mortgages, liens and accounts before the sale plan is built, which supports estate settlement inside the local closing timeline. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Link or phone |
|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Justice Center | Courthouse self-help center in Room G9 for people without an attorney. It hosts brief legal advice and referral clinics that can include probate questions, subject to volunteer capacity. Its form-completion clinic is for family law, not probate. | https://www.milwaukeejusticecenter.org/ |
| Marquette Volunteer Legal Clinics | Free brief legal advice on civil matters, staffed by volunteer law students and attorneys. Milwaukee County's informal probate page names the clinic as a source of assistance, and the clinic subject list includes probate. | https://law.marquette.edu/mvlc/ |
| Milwaukee County Law Library | Public law library in the Milwaukee County Courthouse with Wisconsin legal materials and public access research tools. Staff are not attorneys and cannot help fill out forms. | (414) 278-4900 |
| Wisconsin Court System informal-estate guide | A Personal Representative's Guide to Informal Estate Administration in Wisconsin, prepared by the Wisconsin Register in Probate Association and hosted by the Wisconsin Court System. Milwaukee County tells filers to review it before filing. | https://www.wicourts.gov/services/public/selfhelp/docs/probateguide.pdf |
| Wisconsin probate forms | Statewide circuit court probate forms, including the PR series used in Milwaukee County. | https://www.wicourts.gov/forms1/circuit/ccform.jsp?Category=26&SubCat=All |
| Legal Action of Wisconsin | Free civil legal aid for eligible low-income Wisconsin residents. Whether intake can help with decedent estate administration depends on the program's own screening. | https://legalaction.org/ and (855) 947-2529 |
| SeniorLAW | Legal Action of Wisconsin program providing free legal assistance to Milwaukee County residents who are 60 and older. Do not assume estate-administration representation without intake screening. | https://legalaction.org/services/specific-populations/ |
| Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee | Milwaukee County civil legal aid organization. Its published practice areas include housing, consumer, immigration, guardian ad litem by appointment and related civil matters, but not public probate-estate administration intake. | https://lasmilwaukee.com/ |
| Milwaukee Bar Association lawyer referral | Referral service for attorneys and community resources. Attorneys charge for services. | https://findmilwaukeelawyers.org/ and (414) 274-6768 |
When to hire an attorney
Milwaukee County's own probate page says that if an informal filing is not a proper subject for informal administration, the filer will be notified that formal administration is required and counsel must be retained. 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 and that informal administration may be granted without one. In a Wisconsin court proceeding, a personal representative appears by attorney (Wis. Stat. § 879.15(2)); informal administration runs administratively before the probate registrar, and probate registrar staff have a statutory duty to advise on preparing ch. 865 documents within their competence (Wis. Stat. § 865.065(2)). In Milwaukee County, objections, cross-petitions, a demand for formal proceedings, nonresident personal representative issues and bond problems are common reasons to get counsel early. Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney at no cost.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps families identify accounts, real estate, mortgages, liens and other property before filing in Room 207. In Milwaukee County, that matters because the bond guidelines and the inventory-based estate fee both depend on knowing what the estate actually includes.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps organize the information needed for Wisconsin PR forms, Milwaukee County local forms and the asset schedules that support the inventory. That turns estate settlement from a blank form exercise into a checklist built around the decedent's actual property.
Find a local probate attorney. If the case needs formal administration, if an objection is filed, or if a Milwaukee County bond or nonresident personal representative issue needs legal judgment, Sunset connects the family with a vetted local probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset does not charge families for asset discovery, packet generation or the attorney connection. Families can use Sunset for organization and decide what to file, mail, eFile or bring to the Milwaukee County Register in Probate.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Milwaukee County?
File with the Milwaukee County Register in Probate at the Milwaukee County Courthouse, 901 N. 9th Street, Room 207, Milwaukee, WI 53233. Milwaukee County accepts probate filings in person, by mail to that address, or through Wisconsin circuit court eFiling.
What is the phone number and hours for the Milwaukee County Register in Probate?
Call (414) 278-4444, choose option 2, and ask for the Register in Probate or a deputy register. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The (414) 278-5362 number is the Clerk of Circuit Court in Room 104, not the probate counter.
Do I have to eFile a Milwaukee County probate case?
Attorneys and high-volume filing agents must eFile (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(a)). eFiling is voluntary for self-represented filers, who may file in person or by mail instead. The eFiling fee is $35 per party per case (Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m), § 801.18(7)).
Will I need a bond to open informal administration in Milwaukee County?
Milwaukee County says a filer proceeding without an attorney will likely need some level of surety bond, and that bonds are required for all informal administrations with no will. The county's minimum surety bond is $50,000, and Milwaukee County does not accept signature bonds.
How much is the estate fee in Milwaukee County?
The fee is statewide. Through October 31, 2026, it is $20 when the value of property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent above that value. Effective November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 raises those figures to $36 and $18,500; the 0.2 percent rate does not change. It is paid when the inventory or other document setting net value is filed (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2, (1)(a)3, as amended by 2025 Wis. Act 179).
Are there Milwaukee County probate forms as well as Wisconsin forms?
Yes. Use the statewide probate forms at https://www.wicourts.gov/forms1/circuit/ccform.jsp?Category=26&SubCat=All, and add Milwaukee County local forms when the case involves a hearing data sheet, objection, objection to claim, pretrial conference order or demand for formal proceedings.
Can I look up a Milwaukee County probate case online?
Yes, use Wisconsin Circuit Court Access at https://wcca.wicourts.gov/. Milwaukee County probate case numbers use PR or IN case-type codes. County records created before 1985 are viewed in person in Room 207; records from 1985 to June 1, 2003 may be viewed in person or through WCCA; records after June 1, 2003 are accessed through WCCA. Do not assume document images are available online.
Can an out-of-state person be personal representative in Milwaukee County?
Yes, with Milwaukee County's local conditions. A nonresident may be appointed with bond if a resident agent is appointed to accept service of process. A nonresident nominated by a will to serve without bond may be appointed as co-personal representative without bond if an eligible Wisconsin resident is also appointed and keeps control and possession of Wisconsin assets until final distribution.
How long do I have to close a Milwaukee County estate?
Milwaukee County local rules call for estates to close within 18 months from filing the petition or application unless the court extends the time. If no claims were filed, or no objection to any claim was filed, the estate is not closed until at least 14 days after the creditors' deadline.
Do I have to travel to Milwaukee to settle the estate?
Not for every step. Filings may be mailed or eFiled, and the court publishes Zoom remote-appearance instructions for hearings when remote appearance is allowed. Some tasks can still require a courthouse trip, including viewing pre-1985 probate records in Room 207 or recording real-estate documents with the Milwaukee County Register of Deeds in Room 103.
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.