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Waupaca County, WI Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Waupaca County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Circuit Court for Waupaca County |
| Filing office | Waupaca County Register in Probate |
| Courthouse address | Waupaca County Courthouse, 811 Harding Street, Waupaca, WI 54981 |
| Mailing | 811 Harding Street, Waupaca, WI 54981 |
| Phone | (715) 258-6429 |
| Fax | (715) 258-6440 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed observed holidays. Appointments are recommended for filings or visits. |
| Current courthouse note | The Register in Probate office is temporarily located in the courthouse basement near the elevators during construction. Walking distance has increased, and a wheelchair and mobility walkers are available near the main entrance. |
| 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 of that value if it is more, payable when the inventory is filed (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)). Beginning November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 changes the minimum to $36 and the threshold to $18,500; the 0.2 percent rate continues. |
| E-filing | Attorneys and high-volume filing agents must e-file under the statewide rule. Self-represented filers may opt in or use paper methods. The separate e-filing fee is $35 per party per case when it applies (Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m), § 801.18(7)). |
| Local forms | No Waupaca County probate packet, cover sheet, or county-specific probate form is published. Use the Wisconsin Court System PR-series probate forms. |
| Case search | Wisconsin Circuit Court Access at https://wcca.wicourts.gov/. A public access terminal is also available in the Waupaca County Probate Office. |
| Remote appearance | No Waupaca County probate-specific remote-appearance practice is published. Ask the Register in Probate before relying on a remote appearance. |
| Website | https://www.waupacacounty-wi.gov/departments/government_departments/register_in_probate/index.php |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before choosing forms, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, titled property, beneficiary designations, and accounts. In Waupaca County, that list affects whether you are preparing an informal administration, a formal administration, or another Wisconsin estate settlement route, and it affects the value used later for the inventory fee.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions, helping families find accounts before they file or before they ask the Waupaca County Register in Probate which paperwork fits their situation.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Waupaca County Courthouse in Waupaca serves probate filings for Waupaca County. The filing office is the Waupaca County Register in Probate, and probate matters are handled within the circuit court system rather than through a stand-alone local court.
Wisconsin places a decedent's estate in the county where a Wisconsin decedent was domiciled at death. If the decedent was not domiciled in Wisconsin, the case may be brought in a Wisconsin county where the decedent's property is located, and the first Wisconsin court to exercise jurisdiction has exclusive jurisdiction (Wis. Stat. § 856.01). Waupaca County is a single-county circuit under Wis. Stat. § 753.06.
The jurisdiction process
- Decide which Wisconsin path fits the estate. Informal administration is handled administratively by the probate registrar under Wis. Stat. ch. 865. Formal administration is a court proceeding. Transfer by affidavit, summary settlement, and summary assignment have separate statewide rules.
- Use the Wisconsin Court System PR-series probate forms. Waupaca County does not publish its own probate packet, cover sheet, or county-specific probate form.
- File with the Waupaca County Register in Probate at the Waupaca County Courthouse, 811 Harding Street, Waupaca, WI 54981. The office recommends appointments for filings or visits and is temporarily located in the courthouse basement near the elevators during construction.
- If the original will is in your possession, file it with the proper court or deliver it to the person named in the will to act as personal representative within the Wisconsin 30-day will rule (Wis. Stat. § 856.05).
- Budget for the statewide statutory estate fee. Through October 31, 2026, the fee is $20 if the 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, payable when the inventory is filed (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)). Beginning November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 changes the minimum to $36 and the threshold to $18,500; the 0.2 percent rate continues.
- Give the notices required for the chosen path. In an ordinary administration, the court or the probate registrar sets the creditor claim deadline by order at a date not less than three nor more than four months from the date of that order, and notice is published as required by Wisconsin law (Wis. Stat. § 859.01, § 859.07).
- If a hearing is scheduled, follow the notice from the court or the Register in Probate. No Waupaca County hearing day or filing-to-hearing window is published for probate matters. If you want to appear remotely, ask the Register in Probate before assuming that a remote appearance is available.
- After appointment, the personal representative receives Domiciliary Letters, form PR-1810, as the authority document for both informal and formal administration. The inventory is due within a reasonable time and no later than six months after appointment unless the court changes the deadline (Wis. Stat. § 858.01).
- Administer the estate, pay or resolve claims in the proper order, distribute property, record any real-estate documents with the Waupaca County Register of Deeds when Wisconsin law requires recording, and close the estate using the forms for the selected track.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Waupaca County
Waupaca County does not publish a local probate packet, local cover sheet, or county-specific probate form. The Register in Probate page points users to the Wisconsin Court System forms index, so Waupaca County filers use the statewide PR-series probate forms.
| Need | Form source | Local note |
|---|---|---|
| Informal administration | Wisconsin Court System probate forms, Category 26 | Start with the statewide informal administration forms, including PR-1801 where that track fits. |
| Formal administration | Wisconsin Court System probate forms, Category 26 | Formal administration uses statewide formal administration forms, including PR-1901 where that track fits. |
| Authority document | PR-1810 | Domiciliary Letters are used for both informal and formal administration. |
| Transfer by affidavit | PR-1831 | Use only if the statewide requirements fit, including the $50,000 gross-value rule under Wis. Stat. § 867.03. |
Local nuance
Waupaca County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for families |
|---|---|
| Temporary courthouse location | The Waupaca County Register in Probate office is temporarily in the courthouse basement near the elevators during construction. Plan extra walking time. The county states that a wheelchair and mobility walkers are available near the main entrance. |
| Appointments recommended | The office recommends appointments for filings or visits. Call (715) 258-6429 before going to the courthouse if timing, mobility, or original documents are concerns. |
| Older estate records | The office maintains estate records from 1860 to the present. Original probate files from 1930 to 1939 are held by the Wisconsin Historical Society, which also holds a microfilm copy of estate records before 1930. |
| On-site public access terminal | A public access terminal for Wisconsin Circuit Court Access is available in the Probate Office. Do not assume that the statewide online case search will show every document you may want to review. |
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| Courthouse construction note | The Waupaca County Register in Probate page states that the office is temporarily located in the courthouse basement near the elevators because of construction, with increased walking distance and mobility aids available near the main entrance. |
| Statewide legal aid intake | Legal Action of Wisconsin is the statewide civil legal aid intake following the January 1, 2026 merger with Wisconsin Judicare. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Waupaca County path | Local filing point | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by checking how title is held and whether a survivorship, summary confirmation, transfer by affidavit, informal administration, or formal administration route is needed under Wisconsin law. | For court filings, contact the Waupaca County Register in Probate. If a real-estate document must be recorded, use the Waupaca County Register of Deeds. | Sunset helps identify accounts, title issues, and missing assets so the spouse can choose the right estate settlement path before filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If the estate fits Wisconsin's transfer by affidavit rule, the $50,000 test is a gross-value test under Wis. Stat. § 867.03. Summary settlement and summary assignment use different Wisconsin tests. | Call the Waupaca County Register in Probate before traveling. The office recommends appointments, and self-represented filers may use paper methods rather than opting into e-filing. | Sunset organizes asset information and can help prepare a probate packet or connect the child with a Wisconsin probate attorney when the path is not simple. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale often requires authority from an administration, a qualifying summary path, or another Wisconsin real-estate probate route before closing. | File probate papers with the Waupaca County Register in Probate. Record required real-estate documents with the Waupaca County Register of Deeds. | Sunset helps locate accounts, organize debts, and coordinate attorney help so the family can move from court authority to sale and final estate settlement. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it provides | Link or phone |
|---|---|---|
| Waupaca County Register in Probate | Local address, phone, fax, hours, appointment note, construction-location note, and local probate records information. | https://www.waupacacounty-wi.gov/departments/government_departments/register_in_probate/index.php, (715) 258-6429 |
| A Personal Representative's Guide to Informal Estate Administration in Wisconsin | Wisconsin Court System self-help guide prepared by the Wisconsin Register in Probate Association, revised November 2025. | https://www.wicourts.gov/services/public/selfhelp/docs/probateguide.pdf |
| Wisconsin Court System self-help law center, probate | Statewide probate self-help page linking the guide, statewide forms, and county probate office directory. | https://www.wicourts.gov/services/public/selfhelp/probate.htm |
| Circuit court probate forms | Statewide PR-series probate forms, Category 26. | https://www.wicourts.gov/forms1/circuit/ccform.jsp?Category=26&SubCat=All |
| Wisconsin Circuit Court Access | Statewide public circuit court case search. | https://wcca.wicourts.gov/ |
| Legal Action of Wisconsin | Statewide free civil legal aid intake for eligible low-income Wisconsin residents. | https://legalaction.org/, (855) 947-2529 |
| Wisconsin State Law Library | Probate research page from the state law library. | http://wilawlibrary.gov/topics/estate/probate.php |
When to hire an attorney
In a Wisconsin court proceeding, a personal representative appears by attorney (Wis. Stat. § 879.15(2)). The Wisconsin Court System's self-help guide, prepared by the Wisconsin Register in Probate Association, states that formal administration requires the assistance of an attorney and that informal administration may be granted without an attorney's assistance. Counsel is especially important if a Waupaca County estate is contested, a hearing is set, real estate must be sold, the family disagrees, creditor or medical-assistance issues exist, or an informal case moves toward a court-supervised issue. Sunset connects families to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families look beyond the obvious bank account so they can understand what the Waupaca County estate includes before choosing forms or contacting the Register in Probate.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized estate settlement packet, using Wisconsin terminology and the Waupaca County filing office details.
Find a local probate attorney. When formal administration, a dispute, a home sale, or a court appearance makes legal help the safer path, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Wisconsin probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, find assets, and get matched with professional help without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file a probate case in Waupaca County?
File with the Waupaca County Register in Probate at the Waupaca County Courthouse, 811 Harding Street, Waupaca, WI 54981. The office is temporarily located in the courthouse basement near the elevators during construction.
What is the phone number for the Waupaca County Register in Probate?
Call the Waupaca County Register in Probate at (715) 258-6429. The office also lists fax number (715) 258-6440.
What are the Waupaca County Register in Probate's hours?
The office lists hours as Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., closed observed holidays. Appointments are recommended for filings or visits.
Does Waupaca County have its own probate forms?
No. Waupaca County does not publish a local probate packet, cover sheet, or county-specific probate form. Use the statewide Wisconsin Court System probate forms in Category 26.
Can I look up a Waupaca County estate case online?
Wisconsin circuit court cases, including probate case types, are searchable through Wisconsin Circuit Court Access at https://wcca.wicourts.gov/. Waupaca County also provides a public access terminal in the Probate Office. Do not assume that every document you may want is viewable through the online search.
What does it cost to open an estate in Waupaca 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 of that value if it is more, payable when the inventory is filed (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)). Beginning November 1, 2026, 2025 Wis. Act 179 changes the minimum to $36 and the threshold to $18,500; the 0.2 percent rate continues. A separate $35 e-filing fee may apply to an e-filed case (Wis. Stat. § 758.19(4m), § 801.18(7)).
Do I need a lawyer for a Waupaca County estate?
Formal administration requires attorney help under the Wisconsin Court System self-help guide. Informal administration may be granted without an attorney's assistance, but a personal representative appears by attorney in a Wisconsin court proceeding (Wis. Stat. § 879.15(2)). Ask a lawyer if the estate is contested, real estate must be sold, a hearing is set, or you are unsure which track fits.
How far back do Waupaca County probate records go?
The Waupaca County Register in Probate states that the office maintains estate records from 1860 to the present. Original probate files from 1930 to 1939 are held by the Wisconsin Historical Society, which also holds a microfilm copy of estate records before 1930.
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.