City of St. Louis County Circuit Court probate division Guide

Note: Missouri probate court costs are set statewide by RSMo 483.580 and RSMo 488.010 to 488.020 and are collected by the clerk of the Probate Division of the Circuit Court; Missouri charges NO probate tax and NO state estate or inheritance tax. Opening a full decedent’s estate requires a flat base filing-fee deposit for Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration that varies modestly by county because of local surcharges (a representative statewide base is about $155.50 per the 16th Circuit Probate Manual, Section 5, Rev. 7/2021, and about $210.50 testate or $170.50 intestate in the 7th Circuit published schedule). ON TOP of the base, the Probate Division charges a statewide-uniform graduated additional court cost keyed to the total inventory value (personal plus real property) shown in graduated_additional_cost: $0 for estates of $50,000 or less, then $50 for each additional $50,000 bracket, capped at $450 over $450,000 (identical in the 16th and 7th Circuit published schedules; typically collected when the inventory is filed). A small estate affidavit under RSMo 473.097 costs about $55.50 to $65.50, plus about $35 if a will is admitted at the same time, and a publication deposit applies when the estate exceeds $15,000. Personal representative and attorney compensation follow the RSMo 473.153 minimum schedule. Verify the current base filing fee and short-form court costs with the 22nd Judicial Circuit Court - Probate Division (City of St. Louis) before relying on a figure. Effective schedule dated Rev. 7/2021.