Bates County Probate Division
Probate in Bates County is a division of the Circuit Court. The local court-record custodian is the Bates County Circuit Clerk at the courthouse, and probate case information that is public may be searched through Missouri Case.net. The Probate Division handles estate administration, wills, letters testamentary or administration, refusals of letters, determinations of heirship, small estate affidavits, and guardianship or conservatorship matters.
Because probate is part of the Circuit Court, the same courthouse and clerk framework used for civil, domestic, and criminal case records also supports estate files. The Circuit Clerk's office is on the 2nd floor at 1 N Delaware St, Butler, MO 64730. The Circuit Court phone is 660-386-7776 option 2, and the Court Information page also lists 660-679-5171.
Bates County Circuit Clerk
1 N Delaware St, 2nd Floor
Butler, MO 64730
660-386-7776 option 2
Probate Division of the Circuit Court
The Bates County Circuit Court page identifies the court and Circuit Clerk office that support probate filings.
That court source confirms that probate record requests should stay with the Circuit Court structure rather than a separate probate office.
Search Bates Probate Records
Start with Missouri Case.net for public probate docket information. Search by decedent, estate name, protected person, party name, or case number, then narrow to Bates County or the 27th Judicial Circuit. Case.net may show the case number, division, case type, filing date, docket entries, hearings, parties, attorneys, and public documents when remote access is allowed.
If the probate file is older, missing from Case.net, restricted, or not available remotely, contact the Bates County Circuit Clerk. For historical probate books, the research directs users to the Missouri Secretary of State County and Municipal Records Database. That database can be searched by county, office type, record type, keyword, city, and year range. Loose wills or probate case files may be in a judicial database rather than a simple county-record book view.
- Search Case.net by estate, decedent, protected person, party name, or known case number.
- Narrow the location to Bates County or the 27th Judicial Circuit.
- Review the public docket for filings, orders, letters, notices, and hearing dates.
- Call the Circuit Clerk for certified probate copies or files not available online.
- Use Missouri historical record databases for older probate books and archival material.
| Search Field | Type | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Case.net litigant or name search | Text/search mode | Search by decedent, protected person, estate party, or interested person. |
| Case number | Text | Best when a notice, letter, or order gives the exact number. |
| County or court | Dropdown | Select Bates County or 27th Judicial Circuit. |
| SOS county records county | Dropdown | Use Bates for historical record searches. |
| SOS record type | Dropdown | Look for Probate Books, Court Books, Marriages, Deed Books, and related categories. |
| Keyword or year range | Text/date | Narrows archival material by name, place, or period. |
The Bates County court information page gives local court contacts and the probate-related fee list used below.
That local court information is useful when Case.net does not provide the copy or filing detail needed for a probate matter.
Bates Probate Filing Fees
The Bates County Circuit Court fee list includes several probate filing fees. An asterisk appears on some fees in the county table, so filers should confirm the final amount with the Circuit Clerk before filing. Copy, certification, publication, service, bond, and other case-specific costs may differ from the base filing fee.
| Probate Filing | Published Fee |
|---|---|
| Letters Testamentary / Administration | $133.50* |
| Admit Will Only | $53.50 |
| Refusal of Letter, Spouse or Creditor | $53.50 |
| Determination of Heirship | $53.50 |
| Small Estate Affidavit | $53.50 |
| Adult Guardian / Conservatorship | $93.50* |
| Minor Guardian / Conservatorship | $78.50* |
Note: Published filing fees are not the same as certified-copy fees, service costs, bond premiums, or publication charges.
Wills, Letters, and Estates
A probate file can include wills, applications for letters, estate inventories, creditor notices, claims, bonds, orders, accountings, distributions, refusals of letters, heirship determinations, annual settlements, and final settlements. Letters testamentary or administration are court-issued authority for a personal representative to act for an estate. A will may be admitted to probate even when full administration is not needed.
Probate begins when an interested person files an application with the Probate Division. Larger estates may need letters testamentary or administration. A spouse or creditor may seek refusal of letters in some cases. The court may determine heirship when heirs or property rights must be established. Routine cases can move quickly, but contested estates, real estate sales, creditor disputes, missing heirs, and unclear wills can take longer.
- Testator
- The person who made a will.
- Executor or personal representative
- The person authorized to administer the estate.
- Intestate
- A person died without a valid will controlling the estate.
- Letters
- Court papers giving authority to act for an estate.
- Heirship
- A court determination of who inherits when rights must be established.
Small Estate Affidavits
Missouri allows a qualifying small estate process under Section 473.097, RSMo. In Bates County, the published filing fee for a small estate affidavit is $53.50. A small estate affidavit is not just a copy request. It is a probate filing used when the estate meets statutory limits and procedural requirements.
The small estate process may avoid full administration in the right case, but the filer still needs enough information to identify the decedent, property, heirs, claims, and legal basis for the request. If a will exists, if real property is involved, if heirs disagree, or if creditor issues are unclear, legal advice may be needed before filing. The Circuit Clerk can provide filing and copy information, but cannot give legal advice.
The Missouri small-estate affidavit statute is the source for the state small-estate process.
The state statute should be read with Bates County filing fees and local Circuit Clerk filing instructions.
Guardianship and Restrictions
Guardianship and conservatorship are probate proceedings for adults or minors who need personal or financial protection. A guardian may be appointed for personal care decisions. A conservator may be appointed for property or financial matters. Bates County publishes separate fees for adult and minor guardian or conservatorship filings.
These records are more restricted than many estate files. Guardianship, medical incapacity evidence, minor information, financial account details, evaluations, and sensitive personal identifiers may be confidential or redacted. A public docket may identify a case without making every filing public. Certified copies of letters, orders, or authority documents should be requested from the Circuit Clerk, with access limits confirmed before relying on online search results.
Access limit: Guardianship and conservatorship files can contain medical, financial, and minor information that is not ordinary public record material.