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Rusk County, WI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Rusk County information |
|---|---|
| Court | The Circuit Court for Rusk County. Estate filings go through the Rusk County Register in Probate. |
| Courthouse address | Rusk County Courthouse, 311 Miner Avenue E, Suite L350, Ladysmith, WI 54848 |
| Mailing address | Use the courthouse address unless the Rusk County Register in Probate gives different mailing instructions for the filing. |
| Phone | (715) 532-2150 |
| Fax | (715) 532-2110 |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday |
| Estate fee | Through October 31, 2026, $20 if the property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent above that amount, paid when the inventory is filed (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2, § 814.66(1)(a)3). Starting November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 changes the minimum to $36 at $18,500 or less; the 0.2 percent rate does not change. |
| E-filing fee | $35 per party per case when a case is e-filed (Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m), § 801.18(7)). |
| Local forms | No Rusk County-specific probate forms are published by the county probate office. Use the statewide Wisconsin PR forms. |
| E-filing status | Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use Wisconsin e-filing. Self-represented filers may opt in, but may also file and receive paper documents by traditional methods (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(a), (b), (c)). |
| Case search | Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, WCCA, at https://wcca.wicourts.gov/ |
| Remote appearance | Follow the hearing notice and ask the Rusk County Register in Probate for appearance instructions if a hearing is scheduled. |
| Website | https://ruskcounty.org/probate |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing in Rusk County, identify the accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts, beneficiary designations and jointly held property. Wisconsin's estate fee is based on property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, and it is paid later with the inventory, so the first estate settlement task is knowing what actually belongs in the probate estate.
Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families find accounts and assets before they choose a filing path. That asset picture helps you decide what to bring to the Rusk County Register in Probate and what may pass outside the court file.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Circuit Court for Rusk County serves estates filed in Rusk County, with the Register in Probate at the courthouse in Ladysmith. The county seat and courthouse community is Ladysmith; the county also includes the villages of Bruce, Conrath, Glen Flora, Hawkins, Ingram, Sheldon, Tony and Weyerhaeuser, plus 24 towns.
Wisconsin jurisdiction for administration of a decedent's estate is in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death if the decedent was domiciled in Wisconsin. If the decedent had no Wisconsin domicile, jurisdiction is in any 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
- Identify the assets and the filing path. Start by listing probate property, nonprobate transfers, debts, liens and likely creditors. Informal administration, formal administration, summary settlement, summary assignment and transfer by affidavit are statewide Wisconsin paths, but the Rusk County filing counter is the Register in Probate in Suite L350.
- File the will promptly if there is one. The Rusk County probate office states that wills must be filed with the office within 30 days of the decedent's death. Wisconsin law also requires a person with custody of a will, or a person named to act as personal representative who knows of the death, to file the will within 30 days after the required knowledge exists (Wis. Stat. § 856.05(1)).
- Prepare the statewide PR forms. Use the Wisconsin Circuit Court probate forms, Category 26. Common starting forms include PR-1801 for informal administration and PR-1901 for formal administration. PR-1810 is Domiciliary Letters for both informal and formal administration.
- File with the Rusk County Register in Probate. Bring or send the filing to the Rusk County Courthouse, 311 Miner Avenue E, Suite L350, Ladysmith, WI 54848, following any instructions the office gives for originals and copies. Call (715) 532-2150 before mailing an original will or time-sensitive document.
- Account for e-filing and paper filing. Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use Wisconsin e-filing. A self-represented filer may choose to use e-filing but may also file, serve and receive paper documents by traditional methods (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(a), (b), (c)). A case that is e-filed carries a $35 per party per case e-filing fee (Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m), § 801.18(7)).
- Track the estate fee at the inventory stage. Through October 31, 2026, the statewide estate fee is $20 if the property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent above that amount (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2). The fee is paid when the inventory or other document setting value is filed (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)3). Starting November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 changes the minimum to $36 at $18,500 or less; the 0.2 percent rate does not change.
- Handle notice and the creditor deadline. The court, 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 order (Wis. Stat. § 859.01). Notice of that deadline is published as required by Wisconsin law (Wis. Stat. § 859.07(1), § 879.05(4)).
- Follow any hearing and appearance instructions. Formal administration and some other filings may require a hearing. Use the hearing notice for the date, time and appearance method, and ask the Rusk County Register in Probate for instructions if anything is unclear.
- Administer, inventory and close the estate. After Domiciliary Letters are issued, the personal representative gathers assets, files the inventory, handles claims and taxes, distributes property and closes the estate through the correct statewide form sequence. In an informal administration, PR-1816 is the Personal Representative's Statement to Close Estate.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Rusk County
Rusk County does not publish county-specific probate forms. Use the statewide Wisconsin Circuit Court PR-series probate forms, Category 26, and call the Rusk County Register in Probate at (715) 532-2150 if you are unsure which forms match your filing.
| 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 ($50,000 and Under), tied to Wis. Stat. § 867.03 |
| PR-1901 | Petition for Formal Administration |
Local nuance
Rusk County-specific considerations
| Local point | What to do |
|---|---|
| Separate probate phone line | Call the Rusk County Register in Probate at (715) 532-2150 for estate filings. The Clerk of Circuit Court's main number is a different courthouse line. |
| Same courthouse suite | The Register in Probate and Clerk of Circuit Court information both point readers to Suite L350 at the Rusk County Courthouse, 311 Miner Avenue E, Ladysmith. |
| Office assistance | The county probate office describes its role as handling informal proceedings and assisting with document preparation while avoiding legal advice. |
| Will deadline repeated locally | The county probate office states that wills must be filed with the office within 30 days of the decedent's death, matching the Wisconsin will-filing duty in Wis. Stat. § 856.05(1). |
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. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Rusk County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start with the Rusk County Register in Probate at the courthouse in Ladysmith, Suite L350, and identify whether the home is probate property, survivorship marital property or otherwise outside the estate file. | Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions, helps identify what belongs in the estate settlement, and assembles the probate packet for the Ladysmith counter. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Call (715) 532-2150 before sending an original will or first filing. A self-represented filer may use paper filing rather than opting into Wisconsin e-filing (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(b), (c)). | Sunset helps find accounts from wherever you live, organizes the asset list, prepares the packet and connects you with a Wisconsin probate attorney if the matter becomes contested or hearing-driven. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale often points toward a formal administration or attorney involvement. The court system's self-help guide says formal administration requires the assistance of an attorney, and the original will must be filed within 30 days when the statutory duty applies (Wis. Stat. § 856.05(1)). | 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 |
|---|---|
| Rusk County Register in Probate | Local probate office contact page with address, phone, fax, hours, office duties and the will-filing deadline. |
| Rusk County Clerk of Circuit Court | Separate courthouse office information and online payment link for fine and cost payments. |
| A Personal Representative's Guide to Informal Estate Administration in Wisconsin | The court system's 89-page self-help guide prepared by the Wisconsin Register in Probate Association. |
| Wisconsin Court System self-help law center, probate | State probate self-help page with links to statewide probate resources. |
| Circuit court probate forms | Statewide PR-series probate forms for Wisconsin circuit courts. |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, WCCA | Statewide public case search for Wisconsin circuit court cases, including probate case types. |
| Legal Action of Wisconsin | Free civil legal aid for eligible Wisconsin residents, with statewide intake at (855) 947-2529. |
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, and probate registrar staff have a statutory duty to advise, within their competence, on preparing informal-administration documents (Wis. Stat. § 865.01, § 865.065(2)). 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 and summary settlement does not require an attorney's assistance; summary settlement and summary assignment also carry express rights to appear in person (Wis. Stat. § 867.01(5), § 867.02(5)). When counsel makes sense, Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions so families can see accounts, balances and likely probate property before filing in Rusk County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset and family information into an organized estate settlement packet using Wisconsin's statewide PR-series forms and the Rusk County filing office details.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate needs formal administration, a court hearing, a home sale or help with a dispute, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Wisconsin probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, discover assets and prepare for the next step without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file to probate a will in Rusk County?
File with the Rusk County Register in Probate at the Rusk County Courthouse, 311 Miner Avenue E, Suite L350, Ladysmith, WI 54848. Call the probate office at (715) 532-2150 before sending an original will or a first filing by mail.
When is the Rusk County Register in Probate open?
The office posts hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Call (715) 532-2150 before a time-sensitive trip to the courthouse.
Can I mail a probate filing to Rusk County, or do I have to e-file?
Attorneys and high-volume filing agents use Wisconsin e-filing. Self-represented filers may opt in to e-filing, but may also file, serve and receive paper documents by traditional methods (Wis. Stat. § 801.18(3)(a), (b), (c)). Call the Rusk County Register in Probate before mailing an original will.
What does it cost to open an estate in Rusk County?
The estate fee is statewide. Through October 31, 2026, it is $20 if the property subject to administration, less encumbrances, liens or charges, is $10,000 or less, and 0.2 percent above that amount, paid when the inventory is filed (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2, § 814.66(1)(a)3). Starting November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 changes the minimum to $36 at $18,500 or less; the 0.2 percent rate does not change. If a case is e-filed, the separate e-filing fee is $35 per party per case (Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m), § 801.18(7)).
Does Rusk County have its own probate forms?
No Rusk County-specific probate forms are published by the county probate office. Use the statewide Wisconsin Circuit Court PR-series probate forms, Category 26.
Can I look up a Rusk County estate case online?
Yes. Wisconsin circuit court cases, including probate case types, can be searched through Wisconsin Circuit Court Access, WCCA, at https://wcca.wicourts.gov/. Use WCCA for case lookup, not as a substitute for the court file or instructions from the Register in Probate.
Do I need a lawyer for a Rusk County estate?
It depends on the path and whether the matter is in court. A personal representative appears by attorney in a Wisconsin court proceeding (Wis. Stat. § 879.15(2)). 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 and summary settlement does not require an attorney's assistance.
How soon does a will have to be filed after someone dies in Rusk County?
The Rusk County probate office states that wills must be filed with the office within 30 days of the decedent's death. Wisconsin law also sets a 30-day will-filing duty for a person with custody of a will, or a person named to act as personal representative, once the required knowledge exists (Wis. Stat. § 856.05(1)).
Who should I call if I am unsure whether to use the Clerk of Circuit Court number or the probate number?
For estate filings, call the Rusk County Register in Probate at (715) 532-2150. The Clerk of Circuit Court's main office is separate and uses a different main phone line.
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.