Probate in Hamilton County, Tennessee
When someone who lived in Hamilton County dies, probate is handled by the county probate court. This page points you to that court and summarizes the Tennessee rules that apply — the small-estate threshold, the key deadlines, and the instruments Tennessee uses. For your own dates and numbers, use the free calculators linked below.
Where to file
Probate is filed in the county where the person who died last lived. If that was Hamilton County, this is the court — local forms, e-filing rules, and scheduling vary by county, so confirm with the county probate court. If they last lived in a different county of the same state, the case belongs in that county’s court instead, and one appointment there covers property across the state. If they last lived in another state, the main case belongs there, and property in Hamilton County generally needs a second, smaller case of its own here (commonly called ancillary probate) — an attorney can confirm which applies.
Hamilton County Chancery Court (Clerk & Master)Does this estate need full probate?
Tennessee lets smaller estates skip full probate using the Small estate affidavit (T.C.A. §30-4-101 et seq.) for estates up to $50,000.
Check your estate Source — T.C.A. §30-4-102/§30-4-103 ($50k probate personalty; no real property)Key probate deadlines in Tennessee
- Lodge the will with the court
- No fixed statutory deadline — varies, confirm with the probate court.
- File the estate inventory
- 60 days after appointment as personal representative
- Creditor-claim period closes
- 4 months after first publication of the notice to creditors (outer bar: 12 months from death)
Good to know in Tennessee
- The court empowers the personal representative with Letters Testamentary / Letters of Administration.
- The estate closes with the Order Closing Estate (after final accounting).
- Tennessee has no state estate or inheritance tax.
Other counties in Tennessee
If the person who died last lived in a different county in Tennessee, start with that county instead — see all Tennessee counties. A few others:
Listed alphabetically, not by distance. A check marks a county with a verified court link.
Talk it through, or find a local pro
Ask the guide a question about probate in Hamilton County, or browse vetted probate attorneys and real-estate advisors who work in Tennessee.
Selling an inherited home? Estimate the tax with the capital-gains calculator. Just getting started? Print the Tennessee after-a-death checklist. Want the background? Read about how probate actually works or the small-estate route.