Washington County Probate Records
Probate in Washington County is handled by the Probate Division of the Circuit Court, with records maintained through the Circuit Clerk. The Circuit Clerk page lists probate matters among court proceedings maintained electronically. The Associate Circuit Judge page states that the Associate Circuit Court Judge handles probate along with misdemeanors, traffic, small claims, preliminary felony hearings, and other limited matters.
Probate records include estate files, wills admitted to probate, small-estate affidavits, letters testamentary, letters of administration, guardianships, conservatorships, inventories, accountings, creditor claims, orders, final settlements, and Public Administrator filings. Some material may be public at the docket level while detailed reports, medical information, financial-account data, minor information, or protected-person records remain restricted.
Washington County Probate Terms
Probate records use terms that are easy to confuse. These definitions help separate estate administration from protective proceedings. The exact status of a case comes from Case.net, clerk records, and court orders, not from the label alone.
- Testator
- A person who made a will.
- Executor
- The person named to carry out the will, often called a personal representative after appointment.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will, so estate distribution follows Missouri law.
- Guardianship
- A court case about personal care and decision-making for a minor or incapacitated adult.
- Conservatorship
- A court case about managing money or property for a minor or incapacitated adult.
- Small estate
- A simplified estate procedure when Missouri law permits affidavit handling.
Search Washington County Probate Records
The primary online search route is Missouri Case.net. Search by decedent name, party name, attorney, or case number when known. If the public online record does not show the document needed, contact the Circuit Clerk. Older files, certified copies, courthouse-terminal documents, or restricted materials may require direct clerk handling.
- Search Case.net by decedent name, party name, or case number.
- Narrow to Washington County, the 24th Judicial Circuit, and probate case type if those filters are available.
- Review the case header, estate name, personal representative, attorney, docket events, filings, orders, claims, and hearing dates.
- Contact the Circuit Clerk for older files, non-digitized files, certified copies, or documents not visible remotely.
- For land-record consequences after probate, contact the Recorder of Deeds and use iRecord if account access is available.
Note: A public docket can confirm a probate case exists without exposing every estate document online.
Washington County Probate Contacts
Washington County does not have a separate probate court page in the research file. Probate runs through the Circuit Court structure and the Circuit Clerk. The Public Administrator is also important when no qualified family member or executor is available to manage an estate.
Probate Division of the Circuit Court
104 North Missouri Street
Potosi, MO 63664
573-438-4171
Records route through the Circuit Clerk.
Washington County Courthouse
102 North Missouri Street
Potosi, MO 63664
573-438-6111
Main courthouse contact point.
Public Administrator
Judy Gillam
573-438-8222
Fax 573-438-0297
jgillam@washcomo.us
The Washington County Public Administrator page explains estate work when no qualified family member or executor is available.
That office can become part of a probate file when the court appoints public administration for an estate or protected-person matter.
Washington County Probate Fees
A Missouri courts-hosted small-estate packet gives sample amounts, but current Washington County probate filing fees were not confirmed on a local fee schedule. Treat those packet amounts as a statewide sample, not a promise of current local cost. Confirm all probate filing and certified-copy fees with the Circuit Clerk before filing or ordering copies.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Small estate affidavit packet sample filing fee | $70.50 in the hosted sample packet; confirm locally. |
| Probating will sample amount | $35.00 in the hosted sample packet; confirm locally. |
| Current Washington County probate filing fee | Not located in captured official county sources; confirm with Circuit Clerk. |
| Certified probate copy | Fee not located in captured official county sources; confirm with Circuit Clerk. |
The Missouri small-estate affidavit statute is the legal source for the small-estate procedure.
Use the statute for eligibility and filing context, then confirm local filing fees and forms with the Washington County Circuit Clerk.
Washington County Probate Contents
Probate case files can be dense because they track both legal authority and property administration. Estate cases may include a petition or application, will, affidavit, letters, bond, inventory, creditor notices, claims, receipts, accountings, orders, hearing notices, final settlement, and discharge. Guardianship and conservatorship cases may include petitions, evaluations, appointment orders, annual reports, restricted medical facts, and protected financial details.
| Record Item | What It Can Show |
|---|---|
| Estate file | The full court file for estate administration. |
| Will admitted to probate | The written will accepted by the court. |
| Letters testamentary or administration | Authority for a personal representative to act. |
| Inventory | Estate property reported to the court, subject to access limits. |
| Creditor claim | A debt claim filed against an estate. |
| Accounting | Money and property activity during administration. |
| Final settlement | How the estate was closed or distributed. |
| Public Administrator filing | Activity by the Public Administrator when appointed. |
Small Estates and Land Records
RSMo 473.097 provides for filing copies of affidavits or certificates in the probate division and, where real property is involved, in the recorder of deeds of each county where real property is situated. That means a Washington County probate matter can lead to both a court probate filing and a recorder filing if land is involved.
The Recorder of Deeds and the iRecord portal may be relevant after probate affects land title. The Recorder is separate from the Circuit Clerk. Probate court authority and estate case records come through the court, while recorded land instruments and related searches come through the Recorder.
Restricted Washington County Probate
Probate files are not open in full merely because the case type is public. Confidential medical, psychological, financial-account, minor, and protected-person information may be restricted. Guardianship and conservatorship cases can involve sensitive reports and evaluations. A public case header may show the case exists while the document needed is visible only to parties, attorneys, the court, or approved users.
Bankruptcy is separate from county probate, but it can affect estate debts or assets in some situations. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri is a federal court source, not the Washington County Probate Division.
Use federal bankruptcy sources only when a probate-related question involves federal bankruptcy filings or debtor proceedings.