Clayton 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
Annex Building 3, 121 South McDonough Street, Jonesboro, GA 30236
Phone
770-477-3299
Hours
Monday to Friday, 8:00 to 4:30, except holidays
Walk in or appointment
Walk in
E-file
Yes, through TrueFile
Judge
Atha H. Pryor
Newspaper for legal notices
Clayton 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: $203
Petition to probate a will in common form: $203
Petition for letters of administration: $203
No Administration Necessary: $203
Year's support: $383
Certified copy of letters: $10 for the first page, $1 for each page after

Clayton's fee schedule, revised February 12, 2025, lists $203 for a petition. A temporary letters petition is $188. Year's support is $383 because it includes $180 for publication. No Administration Necessary and year's support add $25 if the estate has land. Publication for an administration is $180. For a will it is $120. The court takes no bills over $50. The other totals leave out publication.

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

Step by step

Six steps to start an estate in Clayton County

Start with the death certificate. Find the will if there is one. List who is in the family and where they live.
Check the court's forms and our forms guide before you write anything.
Choose how to file. You can use TrueFile, mail the papers, or bring them to Annex 3 in Jonesboro. Do not send them by email or fax.
Sign with a pen. The court wants ink signatures, not typed ones.
Pay the $203 fee. The court takes no bills over $50, so plan for a check or smaller bills.
Take the oath. Notices run in the Clayton News.

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

A Probate Pro Bono Clinic runs on set days on the third floor of Annex 3. It is first come, first served, usually 8:15 to noon. A few dates run 12 to 4. The court lists dates through December 16, 2026.

Local tips

Good to know in Clayton County

The court does not take filings by email or fax.
E-file here needs real ink signatures, not typed ones. The original will must reach the court within 10 days.
Year's support and emergency guardianship petitions cannot go through e-file.
The estates phone line has had trouble with incoming calls. Keep trying, or come in.
Search estates free at georgiaprobaterecords.com. Choose Estates, then Clayton County.

Where these facts come from8 sources

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