Metcalfe County Probate Jurisdiction
Kentucky District Court handles probate of wills. In Metcalfe County, that means routine probate filings begin through the 43rd Judicial District and the Office of Circuit Court Clerk, even though the judge hearing the matter is a District Court judge. The researched Kentucky Court of Justice county page lists Chief Regional District Judge J. Gabriel Pendleton and identifies the Metcalfe County Circuit Court Clerk as Tommy A. Garrett.
Circuit Court enters the picture when a probate matter becomes contested, when real property title is disputed, or when another issue falls within Circuit Court's general jurisdiction. Circuit Court also handles civil matters over $5,000 and title disputes. That division matters because a routine will admission may be a District Court probate matter, while a will contest or title fight may need Circuit Court action.
Recorded wills are a separate County Clerk record category. The Metcalfe County Clerk Records & Deeds page states that scanned wills begin with Will Book 3, May 3, 1946. A recorded will image or index is not always the same as the full probate case file. The court file may include petitions, orders, fiduciary appointment records, inventories, settlements, or hearing entries that are not part of the county clerk's recorded-will book.
Metcalfe County Probate Terms
Probate terms can sound more complex than the records themselves. The definitions below are used in estate and protective case files and help distinguish a will book record from a court estate file. The court or clerk may use more precise terms in a specific case order.
- Testator
- The person who made a will.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to carry out estate duties after appointment by the court.
- Intestate
- A death without a valid will, which means estate distribution follows law and court orders.
- Fiduciary
- A person appointed to act for the estate or protected person, such as an executor or administrator.
- Guardianship
- A court case in which a person is given authority over personal care decisions for a protected person.
- Conservatorship
- A court case in which a person is given authority over money or property for a protected person.
Search Metcalfe County Probate Records
Metcalfe County probate search channels depend on the record. Use the KYeCourts public court records guest login for public case information if the case appears there. Use the Kentucky trial court docket search to check a hearing date by county, division, and date. For official file copies, call or visit the Metcalfe County Circuit Court Clerk.
- Decide whether the target is a court probate file, a hearing date, or a recorded will.
- For a court case, search KYeCourts if available, then contact the Circuit Court Clerk for official copies.
- For a hearing, use the docket search with Metcalfe County and the District or Circuit division, then verify with the clerk.
- For a recorded will, use KLR by subscription or view public records and indices in the County Clerk office for free.
- For older cases, ask the Circuit Court Clerk whether the file is on site, at the State Records Center, at KDLA, or destroyed under retention schedules.
Note: The public docket search is useful for hearing dates, but KCOJ marks docket information as not official and subject to change.
Metcalfe County Probate Search Fields
The probate search fields come from the statewide docket and records-request process described in the research. KYeCourts public case access starts at a guest gate, while the docket search exposes county, division, date, courtroom, and subdivision fields. State Records Center requests need locator information from the clerk and cannot be searched by name or Social Security number.
| Field label | Type | Required | Format notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| County | Dropdown | Yes | Choose Metcalfe for docket search. |
| Division | Dropdown | Yes | Use District for routine probate of wills, or Circuit for contested probate or title matters if docketed there. |
| Date | Date | Yes for docket | Use the hearing date when checking the docket. |
| Courtroom | Dropdown | Optional | Default is ALL in the public docket tool. |
| Subdivision | Dropdown | Optional | Default is ALL in the public docket tool. |
| Case number | Text | Needed for records request | Required for State Records Center requests after the clerk provides locator numbers. |
Metcalfe County Probate Contacts
Use the court contact for probate case files and the County Clerk contact for recorded wills and county clerk recordings. The two offices are close in Edmonton, but they are not the same custodian. Calling the right office first saves a second request.
District Court probate jurisdiction
Clerk: Circuit Court Clerk Tommy A. Garrett
Tom Emberton Metcalfe County Courthouse
201 E. Stockton St., P.O. Box 27
Edmonton, KY 42129
270-432-3663
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Metcalfe County Clerk
Clerk: Shannon Fields
201 North Main Street, P.O. Box 25
Edmonton, KY 42129
270-432-4821
Fax: 270-432-5176
Email: shannon.fields@ky.gov
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m.-12 p.m.
Metcalfe County Probate Fees
The researched local fee table gives County Clerk recording fees for will and probate-related instruments. It did not locate a Metcalfe-specific court probate filing fee, and Kentucky court fee schedules can change. Court filing costs should be confirmed with the Circuit Court Clerk before filing a petition.
| Item | Fee or note |
|---|---|
| Will recording at County Clerk | $47 |
| Renunciation of will | $46 |
| Disclaimer of will | $46 |
| Affidavit of descent | $50 |
| Deed | $50 |
| Non-commercial copy when no statutory schedule controls | $0.50 per copy |
| Court probate filing fee | Confirm current amount with Circuit Court Clerk |
Metcalfe County Recorded Wills
Recorded will searches can use the County Clerk's in-office records or Kentucky Land Records. Metcalfe County Clerk states that KLR is a subscription-based service with index information and image files, and that all public records and indices are available for viewing in the office free of charge. DRMS supports online record access at 270-443-1610.
Kentucky Land Records is the portal linked by the county clerk for recorded-document images and indexes.
KLR is useful for recorded wills, but probate petitions, court orders, and fiduciary appointment records may still require the Circuit Court Clerk.
Metcalfe County Probate Records Show
A probate file may show the petition to open an estate, the will if one was filed, the order admitting the will, the appointment of an executor or administrator, bond, inventory, settlement, creditor notices, and later orders. Guardianship or conservatorship matters can include appointment orders, reports, and accountings. Trust matters may appear when litigated or tied to estate disputes.
Recorded will and probate-related county clerk records have a different scope. The County Clerk's online record categories include wills, deeds, powers of attorney, liens, assignments, releases, mortgages, marriages, and tax liens. A will book entry proves a recorded instrument exists, but it may not show every step in estate administration.
Older Metcalfe County Probate Files
Older probate case files may not be in the front office. KCOJ's record request instructions explain that older Circuit, Family, District, and Business Court records may be stored in the clerk's office, at a record facility, at KDLA, or may have been destroyed according to retention schedules. If a public file is at the State Records Center, the clerk gives the case and file locator numbers needed for the request.
The State Records Center cannot search by name or Social Security number. That makes the Circuit Court Clerk the first practical contact for an old Metcalfe probate file. Ask whether the record is on site, stored, archived, or no longer retained, and ask what locator details are needed before sending a state records request.
Restricted Metcalfe County Probate
Most routine estate records are public, but some probate-related records can be restricted. Guardianship and conservatorship files may contain medical, financial, or protected-person details. Mental health commitment records are confidential and are not ordinary public case records. Juvenile or minor-identifying information may be redacted or withheld.
Metcalfe County Clerk policy also cites Kentucky Open Records Act exemptions under KRS 61.878 for material that may be excluded in whole or in part. Court records follow court rules and clerk procedures, so a public-records request does not override a court seal, a confidentiality law, or a redaction rule.