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Lake County Probate Statistics

Use this county view to check filing-fee patterns, e-filing access, and timing signals before you rely on a probate cost estimate or start preparing a petition.

Data quality: Medium

What This County Snapshot Covers

This page is meant to answer the fast operational questions first: what the county charges to open common probate proceedings, whether e-filing is available, how long creditor claims may run, and where to verify the court record.

9

Fee Rows Captured

No

E-Filing Available

4 mo

Creditor Claim Period

Medium

Data Quality

Official Sources to Verify

County Fee Schedule

Check the live filing-fee source before relying on a county average or cached amount.

Case Search

Use the county case-search tool when you need live docket or estate-case status information. Search results may not include every probate record.

South Dakota runs one statewide court records system, so there is no separate Lake County search. UJS says eCourts shows "a summary of information for public cases" by party name or case number to registered users (registration is free), and that open court records can be viewed at public access terminals in every South Dakota courthouse. Whether eCourts returns probate cases was not verified, so covers_this_county_probate is null. PARS, the paid ($20) online search, covers criminal cases and protection orders only; a statewide civil record search (January 2006 on) is by request form. Contact the clerk of courts for a specific estate file.

Open case search

Circuit Court Website

Go straight to the Circuit Court website for clerk notices and local instructions.

Filing Fee Schedule

Petition for Probate$122
Clerk Filing Fee$75
Court Automation Surcharge$40
Law Library Fee$7
Special Administration$72
Termination$72
Guardianship$72
Will Safekeeping Or Filing$2
Small Estate Affidavit Court Fee$0

Filing Options

in person

Filing Deadlines

Creditor Claim Period4 months

Circuit Court Information

Lake County Circuit Court

200 East Center Street, Madison, SD 57042-2941

Phone: 605-256-5644

Hours: 8:00 a.m. to noon & 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday

Circuit Court Website →

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the Lake County probate fees on this page the full cost of the case?
Not necessarily. Filing fees are only one part of probate cost. Publication charges, certified copies, appraisal expenses, attorney fees, and other estate-administration costs may still apply.
What does e-filing status mean for Lake County probate cases?
E-filing status tells you whether the county accepts online filing and, when available in the dataset, whether attorneys are required to use it. "Not verified" means the county dataset does not record filing methods either way. In every case, check the current clerk instructions before filing.
Why might a fee or deadline be missing?
Some counties publish fees in fragmented schedules, update procedures without a clean machine-readable source, or handle certain deadlines in local instructions rather than a simple statewide field. Use the county reference page and Circuit Court website to verify anything missing.

Information current as of September 27, 2026

Settled Estate is not a law firm, and this content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Probate laws and procedures in South Dakota can change. Consult with a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation. Full disclaimer.