Kansas Probate Court Finder
For detailed information about the probate court procedures in your county, including relevant forms, fees, and contact information, please enter your ZIP code or select your county. This will direct you to a page providing tailored information about the probate court in your area.
Kansas Probate Courts
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Johnson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Olathe) FIPS: 20091 - pop.609,863 -
Sedgwick County Probate Court
County Seat: (Wichita) FIPS: 20173 - pop.523,824 -
Shawnee County Probate Court
County Seat: (Topeka) FIPS: 20177 - pop.178,909 -
Wyandotte County Probate Court
County Seat: (Kansas City) FIPS: 20209 - pop.169,245 -
Douglas County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lawrence) FIPS: 20045 - pop.118,785 -
Leavenworth County Probate Court
County Seat: (Leavenworth) FIPS: 20103 - pop.81,881 -
Riley County Probate Court
County Seat: (Manhattan) FIPS: 20161 - pop.71,959 -
Butler County Probate Court
County Seat: (El Dorado) FIPS: 20015 - pop.67,380 -
Reno County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hutchinson) FIPS: 20155 - pop.61,898 -
Saline County Probate Court
County Seat: (Salina) FIPS: 20169 - pop.54,303 -
Crawford County Probate Court
County Seat: (Girard) FIPS: 20037 - pop.38,972 -
Finney County Probate Court
County Seat: (Garden City) FIPS: 20055 - pop.38,470 -
Geary County Probate Court
County Seat: (Junction City) FIPS: 20061 - pop.36,739 -
Cowley County Probate Court
County Seat: (Winfield) FIPS: 20035 - pop.34,549 -
Ford County Probate Court
County Seat: (Dodge City) FIPS: 20057 - pop.34,287 -
Miami County Probate Court
County Seat: (Paola) FIPS: 20121 - pop.34,191 -
Harvey County Probate Court
County Seat: (Newton) FIPS: 20079 - pop.34,024 -
Lyon County Probate Court
County Seat: (Emporia) FIPS: 20111 - pop.32,179 -
Montgomery County Probate Court
County Seat: (Independence) FIPS: 20125 - pop.31,486 -
McPherson County Probate Court
County Seat: (McPherson) FIPS: 20113 - pop.30,223 -
Ellis County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hays) FIPS: 20051 - pop.28,934 -
Franklin County Probate Court
County Seat: (Ottawa) FIPS: 20059 - pop.25,996 -
Barton County Probate Court
County Seat: (Great Bend) FIPS: 20009 - pop.25,493 -
Pottawatomie County Probate Court
County Seat: (Westmoreland) FIPS: 20149 - pop.25,348 -
Sumner County Probate Court
County Seat: (Wellington) FIPS: 20191 - pop.22,382 -
Seward County Probate Court
County Seat: (Liberal) FIPS: 20175 - pop.21,964 -
Labette County Probate Court
County Seat: (Oswego) FIPS: 20099 - pop.20,184 -
Cherokee County Probate Court
County Seat: (Columbus) FIPS: 20021 - pop.19,362 -
Dickinson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Abilene) FIPS: 20041 - pop.18,402 -
Jefferson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Oskaloosa) FIPS: 20087 - pop.18,368 -
Atchison County Probate Court
County Seat: (Atchison) FIPS: 20005 - pop.16,348 -
Neosho County Probate Court
County Seat: (Erie) FIPS: 20133 - pop.15,904 -
Osage County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lyndon) FIPS: 20139 - pop.15,766 -
Bourbon County Probate Court
County Seat: (Fort Scott) FIPS: 20011 - pop.14,360 -
Jackson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Holton) FIPS: 20085 - pop.13,232 -
Allen County Probate Court
County Seat: (Iola) FIPS: 20001 - pop.12,526 -
Marion County Probate Court
County Seat: (Marion) FIPS: 20115 - pop.11,823 -
Nemaha County Probate Court
County Seat: (Seneca) FIPS: 20131 - pop.10,273 -
Marshall County Probate Court
County Seat: (Marysville) FIPS: 20117 - pop.10,038 -
Linn County Probate Court
County Seat: (Mound City) FIPS: 20107 - pop.9,591 -
Brown County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hiawatha) FIPS: 20013 - pop.9,508 -
Rice County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lyons) FIPS: 20159 - pop.9,427 -
Pratt County Probate Court
County Seat: (Pratt) FIPS: 20151 - pop.9,157 -
Cloud County Probate Court
County Seat: (Concordia) FIPS: 20029 - pop.9,032 -
Wilson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Fredonia) FIPS: 20205 - pop.8,624 -
Coffey County Probate Court
County Seat: (Burlington) FIPS: 20031 - pop.8,360 -
Clay County Probate Court
County Seat: (Clay Center) FIPS: 20027 - pop.8,117 -
Thomas County Probate Court
County Seat: (Colby) FIPS: 20193 - pop.7,930 -
Anderson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Garnett) FIPS: 20003 - pop.7,836 -
Doniphan County Probate Court
County Seat: (Troy) FIPS: 20043 - pop.7,510 -
Kingman County Probate Court
County Seat: (Kingman) FIPS: 20095 - pop.7,470 -
Grant County Probate Court
County Seat: (Ulysses) FIPS: 20067 - pop.7,352 -
Wabaunsee County Probate Court
County Seat: (Alma) FIPS: 20197 - pop.6,877 -
Russell County Probate Court
County Seat: (Russell) FIPS: 20167 - pop.6,691 -
Ellsworth County Probate Court
County Seat: (Ellsworth) FIPS: 20053 - pop.6,376 -
Pawnee County Probate Court
County Seat: (Larned) FIPS: 20145 - pop.6,253 -
Greenwood County Probate Court
County Seat: (Eureka) FIPS: 20073 - pop.6,016 -
Sherman County Probate Court
County Seat: (Goodland) FIPS: 20181 - pop.5,927 -
Mitchell County Probate Court
County Seat: (Beloit) FIPS: 20123 - pop.5,796 -
Ottawa County Probate Court
County Seat: (Minneapolis) FIPS: 20143 - pop.5,735 -
Gray County Probate Court
County Seat: (Cimarron) FIPS: 20069 - pop.5,653 -
Washington County Probate Court
County Seat: (Washington) FIPS: 20201 - pop.5,530 -
Harper County Probate Court
County Seat: (Anthony) FIPS: 20077 - pop.5,485 -
Norton County Probate Court
County Seat: (Norton) FIPS: 20137 - pop.5,459 -
Morris County Probate Court
County Seat: (Council Grove) FIPS: 20127 - pop.5,386 -
Stevens County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hugoton) FIPS: 20189 - pop.5,250 -
Scott County Probate Court
County Seat: (Scott City) FIPS: 20171 - pop.5,151 -
Phillips County Probate Court
County Seat: (Phillipsburg) FIPS: 20147 - pop.4,981 -
Rooks County Probate Court
County Seat: (Stockton) FIPS: 20163 - pop.4,919 -
Republic County Probate Court
County Seat: (Belleville) FIPS: 20157 - pop.4,674 -
Barber County Probate Court
County Seat: (Medicine Lodge) FIPS: 20007 - pop.4,228 -
Stafford County Probate Court
County Seat: (Saint John) FIPS: 20185 - pop.4,072 -
Meade County Probate Court
County Seat: (Meade) FIPS: 20119 - pop.4,055 -
Kearny County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lakin) FIPS: 20093 - pop.3,983 -
Haskell County Probate Court
County Seat: (Sublette) FIPS: 20081 - pop.3,780 -
Smith County Probate Court
County Seat: (Smith Center) FIPS: 20183 - pop.3,570 -
Osborne County Probate Court
County Seat: (Osborne) FIPS: 20141 - pop.3,500 -
Chautauqua County Probate Court
County Seat: (Sedan) FIPS: 20019 - pop.3,379 -
Woodson County Probate Court
County Seat: (Yates Center) FIPS: 20207 - pop.3,115 -
Rush County Probate Court
County Seat: (La Crosse) FIPS: 20165 - pop.2,956 -
Lincoln County Probate Court
County Seat: (Lincoln) FIPS: 20105 - pop.2,939 -
Jewell County Probate Court
County Seat: (Mankato) FIPS: 20089 - pop.2,932 -
Edwards County Probate Court
County Seat: (Kinsley) FIPS: 20047 - pop.2,907 -
Trego County Probate Court
County Seat: (WaKeeney) FIPS: 20195 - pop.2,808 -
Decatur County Probate Court
County Seat: (Oberlin) FIPS: 20039 - pop.2,764 -
Logan County Probate Court
County Seat: (Oakley) FIPS: 20109 - pop.2,762 -
Gove County Probate Court
County Seat: (Gove) FIPS: 20063 - pop.2,718 -
Morton County Probate Court
County Seat: (Elkhart) FIPS: 20129 - pop.2,701 -
Ness County Probate Court
County Seat: (Ness City) FIPS: 20135 - pop.2,687 -
Cheyenne County Probate Court
County Seat: (Saint Francis) FIPS: 20023 - pop.2,616 -
Chase County Probate Court
County Seat: (Cottonwood Falls) FIPS: 20017 - pop.2,572 -
Rawlins County Probate Court
County Seat: (Atwood) FIPS: 20153 - pop.2,561 -
Hamilton County Probate Court
County Seat: (Syracuse) FIPS: 20075 - pop.2,518 -
Elk County Probate Court
County Seat: (Howard) FIPS: 20049 - pop.2,483 -
Kiowa County Probate Court
County Seat: (Greensburg) FIPS: 20097 - pop.2,460 -
Sheridan County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hoxie) FIPS: 20179 - pop.2,447 -
Graham County Probate Court
County Seat: (Hill City) FIPS: 20065 - pop.2,415 -
Wichita County Probate Court
County Seat: (Leoti) FIPS: 20203 - pop.2,152 -
Stanton County Probate Court
County Seat: (Johnson City) FIPS: 20187 - pop.2,084 -
Clark County Probate Court
County Seat: (Ashland) FIPS: 20025 - pop.1,991 -
Hodgeman County Probate Court
County Seat: (Jetmore) FIPS: 20083 - pop.1,723 -
Comanche County Probate Court
County Seat: (Coldwater) FIPS: 20033 - pop.1,689 -
Lane County Probate Court
County Seat: (Dighton) FIPS: 20101 - pop.1,574 -
Wallace County Probate Court
County Seat: (Sharon Springs) FIPS: 20199 - pop.1,512 -
Greeley County Probate Court
County Seat: (Tribune) FIPS: 20071 - pop.1,284
How Kansas Probate Courts Work
What Is Probate?
Probate refers to the legal process through which a deceased person's will is validated by a court. This process ensures that the deceased's assets are distributed according to their wishes as stated in the will, after any debts and taxes are paid.
What Are Probate Courts?
Probate courts, which are specialized judicial bodies, oversee these proceedings.
They also handle matters related to:
- estate administration,
- guardianships, and conservatorships
- when a will is not present
- or in cases of dispute.
It's important to note that the specific procedures and requirements of probate courts can vary significantly from one county to another across the United States. This variation is due to differences in state laws and local court rules. As a result, engaging with a probate court in one jurisdiction might be quite different from doing so in another.
Also, every state has simplified procedures for dealing with small estates... and most estates end up being "small," and most estates do not require the full probate process, especially if the deceased person owned property in one or more of the ways described below.
Types of Property That Does NOT Pass Through Probate Court
Many types of property are designed to bypass the probate process, allowing for a more streamlined transfer of assets upon someone's death. These include:
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Jointly Owned Property: Assets owned in joint tenancy with the right of survivorship or as tenants by the entirety automatically pass to the surviving owner without the need for probate. This is common with real estate, bank accounts, and vehicles owned jointly by two or more individuals.
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Payable-on-Death (POD) and Transfer-on-Death (TOD) Accounts: Financial accounts and securities that are designated as payable-on-death (POD) or transfer-on-death (TOD) can be transferred directly to the named beneficiary upon the account holder's death. This designation allows these assets to skip probate.
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Retirement Accounts and Life Insurance Policies: Funds from retirement accounts, such as IRAs and 401(k)s, and the proceeds from life insurance policies, when a beneficiary is named outside of the will, do not go through probate. These assets go directly to the beneficiaries named in the policies or account documents.
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Living Trusts: Property held in a living trust is another major category that avoids probate. The trust owns the assets, and upon the death of the individual who created the trust (the grantor), the property is transferred according to the terms of the trust, without the need for probate intervention.
These mechanisms are designed to simplify the transfer of assets, reduce the time and cost associated with probate, and ensure privacy since probate is a public process. Understanding which assets fall into these categories can be crucial for estate planning and ensuring a smooth transition of assets to beneficiaries.