What Probate Covers in Greene County
Probate in Greene County is a division of the Circuit Court, not a separate court. The Probate Division page says the division hears wills, deceased estates, refusals, small estates, guardianships, conservatorships, trust filings, and other estate matters. Commissioner Clouse hears these cases.
The Probate Division Clerk's office sits inside the Judicial Courts Facility at 1010 N. Boonville Avenue in Springfield, but in a location separate from the main Circuit Clerk's counter. The probate clerk handles probate filings only and follows the local probate rules of the 31st Judicial Circuit.
The image below shows the Probate Division overview page, which explains where to file, what forms to use, and which staff can help with limited filing questions.
The page also confirms that the probate clerks may give limited assistance with the order of refusal of letters form under RSMo 473.091.
Probate Terms Defined
Probate filings use specific legal terms. The short list below gives the most common ones in plain English. The Probate Division uses these terms on forms, filings, and orders.
- Testator
- The person who made the will. After death the will is filed for probate by the executor.
- Executor or Personal Representative
- The person named in the will, or appointed by the court, to carry out the will and settle the estate.
- Intestate
- Dying without a will. Missouri statutes decide who inherits.
- Refusal of Letters
- A short Missouri probate process under RSMo 473.091 for spouses, minor children, or creditors when the estate is small or limited.
- Small Estate Affidavit
- A streamlined Missouri filing under RSMo 473.097 used when the personal property of the estate is below the statutory cap.
- Guardianship
- Court-appointed authority over the person of a minor or incapacitated adult.
- Conservatorship
- Court-appointed authority over the property or money of a minor or incapacitated adult.
How to Search Greene County Probate Records
Most public probate cases can be found on Missouri Case.net. A name search across the 31st Judicial Circuit returns probate filings as well as civil, domestic, and criminal cases. Older probate records and physical files require a clerk visit or an archives request.
- Open Case.net and pick Litigant Name Search.
- Set the court to 31st Judicial Circuit for Greene County.
- Enter the last name of the decedent or protected person.
- Look for case types starting with PR for probate or related estate codes.
- Open the case to see filings, judges, and docket entries.
- For a certified copy of a will, order through the Probate Clerk using the standard fee schedule.
- For estates closed before 1991, contact the Greene County Archives instead.
Note: Some guardianship and conservatorship matters are sealed or contain confidential medical information that does not appear in public Case.net data.
Greene County Probate Division Contact
The Probate Division has one location in Greene County. Probate filings, will deposits, and certified copy requests start here.
Greene County Probate Division
Commissioner Clouse, Probate Commissioner
Judicial Courts Facility
1010 N. Boonville Avenue
Springfield, MO 65802
Probate Court Phone: 417-868-4027
Hours: Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Probate Court holds wills on deposit, accepts estate filings during business hours, and notes hearings on the Probate Division calendar. The Circuit Clerk's office can also accept some filings if directed there by Probate staff.
Greene County Probate Filing Fees
The Probate Division publishes its own fee list. The table below pulls the items from the Probate Division fee schedule. Publication fees apply to certain refusal and small-estate cases when assets exceed $15,000.
| Probate Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Admit Will Only | $70.50 |
| Refusal of Letters (Spouse, Minor, or Creditor) | $70.50 including 1 certified copy |
| Refusal plus publication if assets over $15,000 | $145.50 total ($75 publication, effective 07/01/2025) |
| Small Estate Affidavit without Will | $70.50 including 1 certified copy |
| Small Estate Affidavit without Will plus publication over $15,000 | $145.50 total |
| Small Estate Affidavit with Will | $105.50 including 1 certified copy |
| Small Estate Affidavit with Will plus publication over $15,000 | $180.50 total |
| Small Estate Affidavit (Safe Deposit Box only / Inventory only) | $70.50 |
| Other certified copies | $0.25/page plus $3 certificate |
| Xerox copies | $0.25/page |
| Registration of Trust Only | No charge |
| Other Trust Filings | $80.50 |
| Determination of Heirship | $315 advance deposit |
| Deceased Estates | $330 advance deposit |
| Minor Dispense with Conservatorship | $70.50 including 1 certified copy |
| Minor Guardianship / Conservatorship | $150 advance deposit; $280 with publication |
| Adult Guardianship / Conservatorship | $760 advance deposit |
Small Estates and Refusal of Letters in Greene County
Missouri has two streamlined options for low-value estates: the Small Estate Affidavit and the Refusal of Letters. The Missouri small-estate affidavit statute sets the property cap and timing for using the affidavit. The refusal of letters statute allows spouses, minor children, or creditors to claim limited assets without opening a full estate.
The image below shows the Missouri small-estate affidavit statute page from the Missouri Revisor of Statutes.
Both options are popular in Greene County for households without much real property. Filers should still check with the Probate Clerk about publication, bond, and creditor notice rules before relying on either form.
Guardianship and Conservatorship in Greene County
Adult and minor guardianship and conservatorship cases come through the Probate Division. The Missouri guardianship and conservatorship petition statute lists what must be in the petition, including the proposed protected person's name, age, address, alleged incapacity, and proposed guardian or conservator.
Guardianship covers personal care decisions and conservatorship covers financial decisions. The Probate Division can appoint both for the same protected person or separate them between two different people. Adult cases include a medical certificate and an in-court hearing.
What Greene County Probate Records Show
A typical Greene County probate file holds the will, any codicils, the application for letters, the order admitting the will, an inventory of estate assets, claims by creditors, annual or final accountings, and the final distribution order. Guardianship files add the medical certificate, the GAL report, and care plans.
- Will and any codicils once admitted to probate.
- Order admitting the will and appointment of the personal representative.
- Inventory and appraisal of estate assets.
- Notice to creditors and any filed claims.
- Annual accountings or interim reports.
- Final distribution order and final settlement.
- Bond information if required.
Files for closed estates include the discharge of the personal representative. The Circuit Clerk forms page links to the standard probate request forms.
The court forms page lists the most-used probate forms by category.
Restricted Greene County Probate Records
Most probate filings are public, but some are not. Adult guardianship petitions can include medical and psychological evaluations that are filed under seal. Minor guardianship and conservatorship matters include juvenile case data that is closed under RSMo 211.321 and other juvenile statutes.
Mental health commitments handled through Probate can also be confidential. Always ask the Probate Clerk before assuming a specific file is open to the public, and review any case-specific protective order before sharing a record.
Historic Greene County Probate Records
Greene County Probate Court records go back to the county's organization in 1833. The Greene County Archives list shows Probate Court records from 1833 to 1990 in the historical archive, including files, wills, and purported wills.
Older estate research starts at the Archives. Researchers can request a search by year and surname, and the Archives staff can advise whether a file moved to permanent storage or is still tracked at the Probate Clerk.