Search Memphis TN Probate Court Cases, Documents, Estates & Filing Fees
Use official Shelby County Probate Court resources to search case information, find docket numbers, view probate documents, request copies, open estates, file claims, check 2026 court costs, use e-filing, and avoid confusing Probate Court with Circuit or Chancery Court.
If you searched for probate court memphis tn, choose the task closest to what you need. Shelby County separates case information, document viewing, forms, e-filing, claims, and fee guidance, so using the correct official route saves time.
🔎 Search probate case information by name or case number
Use this for: finding a probate docket number, checking older or newer case information, and confirming the correct case before requesting documents.
Best official path: use Shelby County’s separate case-information links for cases before October 2013 and cases from October 2013 to present.
Before moving forward: write down the exact docket number because document search requires it.
Memphis TN Probate Court Quick Facts Before You Search
The official local court for Memphis probate matters is the Shelby County Probate Court. The Probate Court Clerk’s Office is located at 140 Adams Avenue, Room 124, Memphis, TN 38103. The office lists business hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Shelby County Probate Court handles wills and estates, conservatorships, guardianships, judicial hospitalizations under mental-health law, birth-certificate corrections, name changes, and related probate matters. The county provides separate tools for case information, document viewing, forms, e-filing, claims, and court costs. That means a strong probate guide should show the user which system to use first, not simply throw one generic link at them.
What This Memphis TN Probate Court Guide Covers
Official Memphis TN Probate Court Path for Shelby County Cases
For probate matters in Memphis, the correct local path is Shelby County Probate Court. This is a real stand-alone probate court, not just a generic county records office. Its official site lists court responsibilities that include wills and estates, guardianships, conservatorships, birth-certificate corrections, name changes, and judicial hospitalizations.
This matters because Memphis has multiple courthouse offices at 140 Adams Avenue. Probate Court is in Room 124, while Circuit Court and Chancery Court have different rooms, clerks, phone numbers, and case types. Using the wrong office wastes time and may send users into the wrong search portal.
Case Search First
Find the correct probate docket number through Shelby County case-information tools before trying to view documents.
Name or case searchDocuments Second
After you have the docket number, use the Probate Court document system to search and review filed documents.
Docket number requiredCore rules before you search or file
- Use Shelby County Probate Court for wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, name changes, and related probate matters.
- Do not confuse Probate Court with Circuit Court or Chancery Court just because they share the same Adams Avenue courthouse address.
- For document viewing, first find the docket number using the correct case-information search period.
- For newer matters, use the October 2013 to present case-information system; for older matters, use the before October 2013 search system.
- Use exact docket-number formatting when searching documents; Shelby County provides specific examples for leading zeroes.
- Call the Probate Clerk at 901-222-3750 when the search path is unclear.
How to Search Memphis TN Probate Court Cases by Name or Case Number
Shelby County separates probate case information by filing period. The official Probate Court page links one search for cases before October 2013 and another for cases October 2013 to present. This is a major detail that generic articles miss. If you use only one portal, you may wrongly assume a case does not exist.
Identify the filing period if possible
If you know whether the probate matter was filed before or after October 2013, start with the matching official search system. If you do not know, you may need to try both.
Search by the strongest detail available
Use the docket number when possible. If you do not have it, search by decedent name, estate name, case name, or other party details using the official case-information tools.
Write down the exact docket number
This is the key step. Shelby County document lookup requires the docket number before you can search documents.
Check case information carefully
Compare names, case type, filing date, and status before assuming you found the right estate, guardianship, conservatorship, or claim matter.
Move to document search only after confirmation
Once the docket is confirmed, use the Probate Court document system or clerk copy process to get the actual records you need.
How to View Shelby County Probate Court Documents After Finding the Docket Number
Shelby County provides a separate View Documents system for Probate Court files. The official instructions state that you need a docket number to view documents. If you do not already have one, first search the case-information system by name. After you obtain the docket number, enter it in the document-search system using the required eight-character format with leading zeroes when needed.
If the docket is A-1111, the official example says to enter A0001111.
If the docket is PR-1111, the official example says to enter PR001111.
If the docket is PR-11111, the official example says to enter PR011111.
If the document search still fails, the official instructions say to call 222-3750 for assistance.
What Memphis Probate Records and Court Documents May Help You Confirm
A case summary can confirm that a matter exists, but the filed documents are what usually matter for estate work, bank access, claims, fiduciary authority, guardianship, conservatorship, or legal proof. Probate users often need more than a name match.
Use for: petitions, admitted wills, orders, estate administration, and closing documents.
Use for: proving authority of an executor, administrator, guardian, or conservator.
Use for: creditor claims filed against an open estate and claim-related disputes.
Use for: fiduciary reporting, estate management, annual accounting, and final settlement review.
Probate a Will, Open an Estate or Request Letters in Memphis TN
The 2026 Shelby County Probate Court fee schedule lists Petition to Probate Will, Petition for Letter of Administration, Small Estate Petition with Will, Small Estate Petition without Will, Petition to Probate for Muniment of Title only, and Petition for Conservatorship or Guardianship at $341.50 each.
For users, that means you should first identify the exact action you need. “I need probate” is too vague. You may actually need to probate a will, open an intestate estate, request letters of administration, use a small-estate path, file a guardianship petition, or simply obtain certified copies from an existing file.
Use when a will must be admitted and authority is needed to administer the estate.
Use when a personal representative must be appointed for an estate without the needed will-based authority.
Listed as a separate petition type in the 2026 fee schedule. Verify whether it fits your facts before filing.
Use when the case concerns protected-person authority rather than ordinary estate administration.
Small Estate Petitions, Estate Claims and Deadlines in Shelby County Probate Court
Shelby County’s official small-estate materials say that the total value of personal property owned by the deceased at death must be $50,000 or less, and that personal property does not include real estate such as a house or land. The court also provides official small-estate forms and procedures for 2026.
Claims against estates have a separate process. The official filing-a-claim page states that an estate must be open before a claim can be filed, claims must be notarized, filed in triplicate, and include a copy of the bill. The same page states that claims must generally be filed within 4 months after publication for individuals dying on or after January 1, 1998, and lists the claim-filing fee as $11.00.
$50,000 or less in personal property, with real estate excluded from that personal-property total.
Official forms include small-estate procedures, petition, fillable petition, consent form, additional pages, and order of distribution forms.
An estate must already be open, and the claim must be notarized, filed in triplicate, and supported by a bill copy.
For many modern estates, the claim window is tied to publication date, so late action can matter.
Shelby County Probate Forms, 2026 Court Costs and E-Filing Help
The official Shelby County Probate Forms page includes accounting forms, estate oaths, claim forms, inventory forms, guardianship and conservatorship forms, notices, small-estate forms, and general information for administrators, executors, conservators, and guardians.
The official Probate Court page also links to e-filing, and the e-filing site notes that Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 46A affects service for Shelby County Circuit, Chancery, and Probate Court. Because e-filing availability can depend on user type and case context, verify the current process before assuming a filing can be completed online.
2026 listed fee: $341.50.
2026 listed fee: $341.50.
2026 listed fee: $5.00 plus $0.50 per page.
2026 listed fee: $5.50 each after the first letter included in the filing fee.
2026 listed fee: $75.00.
2026 listed fee: $100.00.
📄 Probate forms
Use Shelby County’s official forms for estates, accounting, claims, guardianship, conservatorship, and small estates.
Open Probate Forms💳 2026 court costs
Review the current Shelby County Probate Court filing-fee schedule before paying or filing.
Open 2026 Fee Sheet💻 E-filing portal
Use the official Shelby County e-filing site when your filing path allows it.
Open E-FilingMemphis Probate Search vs Case Information, View Documents, Circuit Court and Chancery Court
The main user confusion in Memphis is not “Where is the court?” It is “Which official portal do I need right now?” Shelby County uses different tools for different tasks, and the courthouse also houses other courts with their own clerks and case systems.
Use for: finding probate case data and docket numbers.
OFFICIAL LINK: Current Case SearchUse for: searching probate cases before October 2013.
OFFICIAL LINK: Older Case SearchUse for: opening filed documents once you already have the docket number.
OFFICIAL LINK: View DocumentsDo not mix: Probate Court Room 124, Circuit Court Room 324, and Chancery Court Room 308 are different offices.
OFFICIAL LINK: Shelby Courts OverviewFree Memphis Probate Case Search vs Paid Court Copies and Filing Fees
Basic case-information searching may be available online without a filing fee, but actual copies, certified documents, petitions, service, claims, and accountings can cost money. This distinction matters because a free search result is not the same as a legally usable certified record.
Search case information, identify the docket number, and review official instructions.
Certified copies, petitions, letters, claims, accountings, service, and certain requests involve court costs.
The Probate Court page lists printed black-and-white copies at $0.50 per page.
A paid third-party record page is not the official Shelby County Probate Court record.
Why a Memphis TN Probate Case or Document May Not Appear Online
No result does not automatically mean there is no probate case. In Shelby County, the issue may be the filing period, the portal used, the spelling, the case type, or the lack of a properly formatted docket number.
Common search mistakes
- Wrong portal: using the current case search for an older case, or the older search for a newer case.
- No docket number: trying to view documents before first finding the case docket.
- Formatting error: entering the docket number without the required leading zeroes.
- Name mismatch: searching by a nickname, incomplete name, or alternate spelling.
- Wrong court: searching Circuit or Chancery when the matter belongs in Probate Court.
- Restricted or unavailable file: some documents may need clerk assistance or may not be available online.
Official Memphis TN Probate Court Links, Contacts and Help Pages
Use these official resources first. They are stronger than copied phone directories, old blog posts, and private background-check pages.
🏛️ Probate Court home
Main Shelby County Probate Court page with responsibilities, office contact, copy orders, and key links.
Open Probate Court🔎 Cases Oct 2013–present
Current case-information system for newer Shelby County Probate Court matters.
Open Current Case Search🗃️ Cases before Oct 2013
Older probate case-information system for pre-October 2013 files.
Open Older Case Search📂 View documents
Document-retrieval system used after you have the correct docket number.
Open View Documents📄 Probate forms
Official Shelby County Probate Court forms for estates, claims, oaths, inventories, and small estates.
Open Probate Forms💳 2026 court costs
Current Probate Court filing-fee schedule effective January 1, 2026.
Open 2026 Fee SheetShelby County Probate Court Clerk contact details
Shelby County Probate Court Clerk’s Office
140 Adams Avenue, Room 124
Memphis, TN 38103
Phone: 901-222-3750
Fax: 901-222-3756
Monday through Friday
8:00 am – 4:30 pm
Ask: “Do I need case information, document viewing, certified copies, a probate form, e-filing, or a clerk copy order?”
Shelby County Probate Court Memphis TN Map, Address and Visit Tips
The official Probate Court office is located at 140 Adams Avenue, Room 124, Memphis, TN 38103. Because other county court offices are also located at 140 Adams Avenue, confirm that you are going to Room 124 for Probate Court Clerk business.
Shelby County Probate Court Clerk’s Office
Address: 140 Adams Avenue, Room 124, Memphis, TN 38103
Memphis TN Probate Court FAQs
Where is probate court in Memphis TN?
The official Shelby County Probate Court Clerk’s Office is at 140 Adams Avenue, Room 124, Memphis, TN 38103.
What is the correct phone number for Memphis Probate Court?
The current official Probate Court Clerk office phone number is 901-222-3750.
How do I search Memphis TN probate cases?
Use Shelby County’s official probate case-information tools. One link is for cases before October 2013 and another is for cases from October 2013 to present. If needed, search by name first to find the docket number.
How do I view probate documents in Shelby County?
First find the probate docket number using the case-information search. Then use the official View Documents system and enter the docket number using Shelby County’s required format with leading zeroes where needed.
What does Shelby County Probate Court handle?
The official court page lists wills and estates, conservatorships, guardianships, birth-certificate corrections, judicial hospitalizations under mental-health law, and name changes.
How much does it cost to probate a will in Shelby County in 2026?
The official 2026 fee schedule lists a Petition to Probate Will at $341.50.
How much is a certified copy in Shelby County Probate Court?
The 2026 fee schedule lists a certified copy of any document or pleading at $5.00 plus $0.50 per page.
What qualifies as a small estate in Shelby County?
Official Shelby County small-estate materials state that the total value of personal property owned by the deceased at death must be $50,000 or less, and personal property does not include real estate.
Can I file a claim against an estate in Memphis probate court?
Yes, but the estate must already be open. The official page says the claim must be notarized, filed in triplicate, include a copy of the bill, and the posted claim-filing fee is $11.00.
Can I e-file in Shelby County Probate Court?
Shelby County provides an official e-filing portal and notes that Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 46A affects service for Shelby County Circuit, Chancery, and Probate Court. Verify whether your specific filing is accepted before relying on e-filing.
Best Way to Use Memphis TN Probate Court Records and Official Resources
The best Memphis probate workflow is not complicated once you use the right order: first identify whether the case is older or newer, then use the correct official case-information search, write down the docket number, move to the View Documents system, and contact the Probate Court Clerk if you need copies, certification, forms, or filing help.
Do not rely on an old phone number, a generic county contact, or a private record site when official Shelby County tools are available. For probate court memphis tn searches, the strongest user experience is the one that gets people to the right official portal at the right step.
Important Notice: This article is an independent informational guide and is not Shelby County Probate Court, the Probate Court Clerk’s Office, Shelby County Government, a law firm, or a government agency. Probate laws, filing fees, copy costs, forms, e-filing rules, claim deadlines, court hours, and online search systems can change. Always verify urgent or official matters directly with Shelby County Probate Court, the Probate Court Clerk, or a qualified Tennessee attorney before acting.