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Pleasants County, WV Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Probate authority | Pleasants County Commission, acting through the Pleasants County Clerk's office for routine estate matters (W. Va. Code § 7-1-3) |
| Where to go | Pleasants County Courthouse, 301 Court Lane, St. Marys, WV 26170 |
| Mailing | No separate mailing address is posted for the county clerk's estate work. |
| Estate phone | 304-684-7637. Estates are by appointment only. |
| General clerk line | (304) 684-3542 |
| Fax | Call the clerk's office before sending estate papers by fax. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Cost to open | No single statewide probate filing fee under W. Va. Code § 59-1-10. Pleasants County does not post an estate fee schedule online, so ask for the current total when you schedule. |
| Forms | The Pleasants County Clerk's office does not post additional probate forms online. The statewide appraisement and inventory packet is used after qualification. |
| Paper filing | West Virginia has no e-filing with the county clerk for routine estate papers. File on paper with the Pleasants County Clerk. |
| Record lookup | The county website links a public record index from its Search Public Records page. The index includes estate-related categories such as wills, fiduciary records, settlements and small estate affidavits under W. Va. Code § 44-1A. |
| WVPASS | WVPASS is a circuit court records system, not an estate-file search for county clerk records. |
| Phone or video participation | Ask the Pleasants County Clerk's office when you file. No local rule is posted for hearings before a fiduciary commissioner under W. Va. Code § 44-3 or before the Pleasants County Commission under W. Va. Code § 7-1-3. |
| Website | Pleasants County Clerk |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you schedule an estate appointment in Pleasants County, list the accounts, vehicles, real property, debts and beneficiaries you already know about. The hardest part of many West Virginia estates is not the counter appointment itself, but completing the ET 6.01 appraisement within 90 days of qualification (W. Va. Code § 44-1-14) and the ET 6.02 nonprobate inventory (W. Va. Code § 11-11-7).
Sunset helps families organize estate settlement before the paperwork starts by searching more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and assets. Bring the asset picture to your Pleasants County appointment so the clerk can route the filing and you can avoid repeat trips to St. Marys.
Which court handles jurisdiction
File in Pleasants County when the decedent lived in Pleasants County at death. W. Va. Code § 41-5-4 places the will before the county commission for the county where the person had a mansion house or known place of residence, and W. Va. Code § 44-1-4 places an intestate estate in the same county.
The filing location for Pleasants County is the Pleasants County Clerk's office at the courthouse in St. Marys. No branch probate location is posted for Pleasants County.
Routine estate settlement stays with the county clerk and the Pleasants County Commission under W. Va. Code § 7-1-3. A will contest goes to the Circuit Court of Pleasants County under W. Va. Code § 41-5-11, and an appeal from a final commission order goes to the same circuit court under W. Va. Code § 58-3-1.
The jurisdiction process
- Collect the will, death certificate, asset information, beneficiary information and the forms needed for the route you are using. If you are using the small-estate affidavit, use the affidavit content required by W. Va. Code § 44-1A-2(e).
- Call 304-684-7637 before going to the courthouse. Pleasants County estates are handled by appointment only.
- File the original will, if there is one, and the application materials with the Pleasants County Clerk at 301 Court Lane in St. Marys. The clerk admits the will and acts on appointments for the Pleasants County Commission under W. Va. Code § 41-5-10 and W. Va. Code § 44-1-4.
- Pay the clerk's current charges. West Virginia has no single statewide probate filing fee under W. Va. Code § 59-1-10, and Pleasants County does not post an estate fee schedule online.
- Qualify as personal representative, meaning executor if there is a will or administrator if there is no will. You take the oath and, unless the will or W. Va. Code § 44-1-8 excuses it, give bond.
- Receive the certificate of qualification, the letters document banks and transfer agents usually need before releasing estate assets.
- File the ET 6.01 appraisement within 90 days of qualification under W. Va. Code § 44-1-14, and file the ET 6.02 nonprobate inventory under W. Va. Code § 11-11-7.
- Let the statutory creditor notice and claims period run under W. Va. Code § 44-1-14a. If an objection is filed or the estate is referred, a fiduciary commissioner under W. Va. Code § 44-3 may become involved.
- Ask the Pleasants County Clerk's office whether any required meeting can be handled by phone or video. Most routine estates are handled at the counter, but contested or referred matters may require scheduling before the fiduciary commissioner under W. Va. Code § 44-3 or before the Pleasants County Commission under W. Va. Code § 7-1-3.
- After assets are collected, debts are handled and distributions are ready, close the estate with the appropriate article 2 closing paper, often a waiver of final settlement under W. Va. Code § 44-2-29 or another final settlement filing under W. Va. Code § 44-2.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Pleasants County
West Virginia does not use a statewide numbered court form set for routine probate filings. The appraisement, ET 6.01, is filed under W. Va. Code § 44-1-14, and the nonprobate inventory, ET 6.02, is filed under W. Va. Code § 11-11-7.
The Pleasants County Clerk's office does not post additional probate forms, checklists or brochures on its website. For an estate appointment, call 304-684-7637 and ask what to bring for the specific estate settlement path.
For a small-estate filing under W. Va. Code § 44-1A, the affidavit contents are set by W. Va. Code § 44-1A-2(e). The county's public record index includes a small estate affidavit category under W. Va. Code § 44-1A, but the county clerk's website does not post a downloadable Pleasants County version.
Local nuance
Pleasants County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means |
|---|---|
| Estate appointments | The Pleasants County Clerk's office says estates are by appointment only. Call 304-684-7637 before going to the courthouse in St. Marys. |
| Separate estate phone | The estate number is different from the general clerk line, so use 304-684-7637 for probate questions and scheduling. |
| Article 2 markers | The Pleasants County Clerk's site does not post a fiduciary supervisor under W. Va. Code § 44-3A. The Pleasants County Commission page identifies the commission's power to appoint fiduciary commissioners under W. Va. Code § 44-3 for certain estates, while probate authority remains with the commission under W. Va. Code § 7-1-3. |
| Public record index | The county's Search Public Records page links an index that includes estate-related categories such as estate releases, fiduciary records, settlements, small estate affidavits under W. Va. Code § 44-1A and wills. It is a recorded-document index, not a court docket. |
| Property records page | The county's Search Property Records page is for property and tax records. Use the Search Public Records page for the estate-related recorded-document index. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by checking how the home is titled. If a Pleasants County estate must be opened, call 304-684-7637 first because estate appointments are required, then qualify at the courthouse in St. Marys. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and title issues before the appointment so the surviving spouse can focus the estate settlement plan. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Call 304-684-7637 before planning travel. If the filing is a small-estate affidavit under W. Va. Code § 44-1A, ask what the Pleasants County Clerk wants you to bring and whether the county's public record index already shows a filing. | Sunset helps locate assets and generate a packet so an out-of-state child can avoid repeated trips to St. Marys. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale of probate real property usually requires full administration and a certificate of qualification, the letters document needed by the title company. Schedule qualification by calling 304-684-7637, then file the ET 6.01 appraisement within 90 days under W. Va. Code § 44-1-14 and let creditor notice run under W. Va. Code § 44-1-14a. | Sunset helps collect account information, prepare the estate settlement packet and connect the parent with a local probate attorney if the sale, creditors or heirs create complications. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Pleasants County Clerk's office | The filing office for Pleasants County estates. Estate matters are by appointment only. | 301 Court Lane, St. Marys, WV 26170. Estate line: 304-684-7637. General line: (304) 684-3542. County clerk website |
| Legal Aid West Virginia | Civil legal aid intake for people who qualify. Ask whether your estate-related issue is within the services available. | 866-255-4370. Apply for help |
| West Virginia State Bar Lawyer Referral Service | Public lawyer referral by location and practice area. The State Bar states that the initial consultation is no more than $25 for the first 30 minutes, as published and confirmed August 2026. | Lawyer Referral Service |
| Tuesday Legal Connect | Free West Virginia State Bar telephone hotline for general legal questions on Tuesdays from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. | 1-800-642-3617. Hotline information |
| West Virginia Free Legal Answers | Free online service where an income-eligible West Virginian can post a civil legal question and receive an email answer from a volunteer attorney. | West Virginia Free Legal Answers |
When to hire an attorney
A probate attorney is worth considering when heirs disagree, the will may be challenged under W. Va. Code § 41-5-11, real property must be sold, the estate has creditor issues under W. Va. Code § 44-1-14a or a fiduciary commissioner under W. Va. Code § 44-3 becomes involved. Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney when legal help makes sense.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches for bank, investment, insurance and other accounts so families can understand what belongs in the estate settlement before filing papers.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset picture into an organized probate packet, including the information needed for the Pleasants County appointment and the West Virginia appraisement process.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate involves a home sale, a dispute, creditor issues or a referred fiduciary matter, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted West Virginia probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, prepare for the clerk appointment and move through estate settlement without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate papers in Pleasants County?
File with the Pleasants County Clerk at the Pleasants County Courthouse, 301 Court Lane, St. Marys, WV 26170. If the decedent lived in Pleasants County at death, W. Va. Code § 41-5-4 and W. Va. Code § 44-1-4 point the estate to Pleasants County.
Do I need an appointment for a Pleasants County estate?
Yes. The Pleasants County Clerk's office says estates are by appointment only. Call 304-684-7637 before going to the courthouse.
Can I e-file a Pleasants County probate estate?
No county clerk e-filing is posted for Pleasants County estate papers. West Virginia Judiciary e-filing is for appellate, circuit and family court systems, not routine estate filings with the county clerk, so file on paper with the Pleasants County Clerk.
Can I look up a Pleasants County estate online?
The county's Search Public Records page links a recorded-document index that includes estate-related categories such as wills, fiduciary records, settlements and small estate affidavits under W. Va. Code § 44-1A. It is not a court case docket, and WVPASS is a circuit court records system, not the county clerk's estate file.
Does Pleasants County publish local probate forms?
The Pleasants County Clerk's office does not post additional probate forms online. West Virginia uses the ET 6.01 appraisement under W. Va. Code § 44-1-14 and the ET 6.02 nonprobate inventory under W. Va. Code § 11-11-7, and the small-estate affidavit content is set by W. Va. Code § 44-1A-2(e).
What does it cost to open an estate in Pleasants County?
Pleasants County does not post an estate fee schedule online. West Virginia has no single statewide probate filing fee under W. Va. Code § 59-1-10, so call 304-684-7637 and ask for the current amount when you schedule.
Can I handle the Pleasants County appointment by phone or video?
The county clerk's website does not post a phone or video appearance rule for probate matters. Ask the Pleasants County Clerk's office when you call 304-684-7637, especially if an objection or fiduciary commissioner matter under W. Va. Code § 44-3 is possible.
Can I use a small-estate affidavit if there is real property?
No. Under W. Va. Code § 44-1A-2(a), as amended effective July 9, 2025, the small-estate route is not available if the decedent owned probate real property or an interest in probate real property. The personal-property limit is $50,000 under W. Va. Code § 44-1A-1(b)(4), with the no-real-estate rule effective July 9, 2025.
Do I have to travel to St. Marys?
Do not assume. Because Pleasants County estates are by appointment only, call 304-684-7637 before making travel plans and ask what must be done in person with the county clerk.
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.