Quick answer: file a Petition for Limited Letters of Administration of a Small Estate with the probate court once personal property is at or under $50,000 and 45 days have passed since death. Check whether an estate qualifies with the Tennessee small estate checker.
Step by step
- Wait 45 days from the date of death. Tennessee's wait is longer than the 30 days common elsewhere.
- Total the personal property. Exclude real estate, jointly-held property, and anything already payable to a named beneficiary.
- Deposit the original will with the clerk, if one exists, even though it won't be formally probated.
- Complete the petition (technically a Petition for Limited Letters of Administration of a Small Estate) and file it with the probate court in the county of the decedent's residence.
- Post bond, or arrange to waive it — sole heirs, or all heirs consenting in writing, can typically skip this requirement.
- Receive limited letters and present them, with the death certificate, to banks, the county clerk (for vehicles), and other asset holders.
What it costs
Filing fees vary by county and by how many documents are attached — typically $100 to $150 — plus any bond premium if bond isn't waived, commonly cited around $125 to $2,500 depending on the estate's value.
A local probate attorney can review your estate — many offer a free consultation.
The process runs through the probate court — often the Chancery Court Clerk and Master — in Shelby, Davidson, Knox, Hamilton, or any of Tennessee's 95 counties, following the same statewide $50,000 threshold.