A Short Form Release from Administration may be filed if the decedent’s assets are one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or less.

A paid funeral bill must be submitted by the Applicant and if the funeral was not pre-paid, the person paying the funeral must consent to the distribution proposed in the Application. A Short Form Release cannot be used to transfer real estate or a titled vehicle.

Items necessary to file a Short Form Release

  • Certified copy of the decedent’s Death Certificate (the Deputy Clerk will make a copy and return the certified copy to you);
  • Copy of Driver’s License or Government issued picture ID;
  • Paid funeral bill which indicates who paid for the funeral expenses with a consent from the payor, if not prepaid;
  • If the decedent has a Will, you may file the original will “For Record Only” for an additional charge of five dollars ($5.00) or Probate the Will for an additional charge of twenty dollars ($20.00);
  • Copies of documentation establishing the value of all assets for which the short form release is requested;
  • Complete a Medicaid Recovery Acknowledgment form;
  • The base court cost deposit is thirty-five dollars ($35.00); and
  • Complete the Probate Forms listed on this page.

Frequently Asked Questions

If there is a situation in which an estate otherwise qualifies for a full Relief from Administration and

  1. the assets to be relieved do not include titled vehicles or real estate;
  2. the decedent’s probate assets to be relieved have an established value as of the date of death of not more than $1,000;
  3. consents to the proposed distribution are filed from all of the persons who would inherit the estate (beneficiaries under the will, or next of kin if there is no will);
  4. the funeral bill has been paid and the Applicant is the person who paid it, the payor has consented, or it was prepaid; and
  5. creditors will not be prejudiced.

then the abbreviated Short Form Release from Administration procedure may be followed.

This procedure is not available if the funeral bill is unpaid, the estate is insolvent, if the value of the asset cannot be established, or if the estate beneficiaries or funeral payor are unwilling to consent.


 

Short Form Release Forms