Chatham County Probate Court: a family guide

Where the court is, what it charges and how to file there.

This is our family guide to the court. It is not the court's own website. For the court itself, go to the court's own page. Anything the court does not post says “Ask the clerk.”

At a glance

The court at a glance

Address
133 Montgomery Street, Room 509 (Coleman Courthouse), Savannah, GA 31401
Phone
912-652-7264
Hours
8:00 to 5:00 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. 8:45 to 5:00 Thursday.
Walk in or appointment
By appointment
E-file
Ask the clerk
Judge
Thomas C. Bordeaux, Jr.
Newspaper for legal notices
Savannah Morning News

Checked against the court's website on October 17, 2026.

Fees

What it costs to file

Petition to probate a will in solemn form: $205
Petition to probate a will in common form: $205
Petition for letters of administration: $205
No Administration Necessary: $205
Year's support: $205
Certified copy of letters: Ask the clerk

These come from Chatham's fee chart, effective October 1, 2025. They are filing fees only. Publication is paid on its own to the Savannah Morning News: $65 for a creditors' notice, and $125 when heirs or their addresses are not known. Mailing a notice costs $5 a person by first class, $15 certified, or $50 by sheriff. A card adds 5%. The court takes no personal checks.

Checked against the court's website on October 17, 2026.

Step by step

Six steps to start an estate in Chatham County

Have the death certificate and any will in hand. Note each family member's address.
Compare the court's forms with our forms guide.
Sign and verify the papers before you send them, because the court returns any that are not.
Use the drop box or the mail, or book a time on the court's online link to file in person at Room 509.
Include a money order for the fee, because the court takes no personal checks. The chart shows $205 for a petition.
Pay the Savannah Morning News on its own for the notice.

These steps give the general path. They do not say which petition fits your family.

Take the 6-question quiz Which forms do I need?How probate works

Free and low-cost

Local help

The court's page has an online link to book a time for an estate filing or a general question.

Local tips

Good to know in Chatham County

To reach the estates desk by phone, choose Option 4.
You can file by mail or in the drop box if the right fee comes with the papers. Papers with no fee are sent back.
Mailed papers must be signed and verified.
Cards are taken only in person, by appointment.
For year's support, the court sends the notice. You send your check for it to the newspaper.
The court's pages did not mention e-filing.

Where these facts come from4 sources

We read these pages on October 17, 2026. Courts change hours and fees, so call before you go.