Adair County Probate Court Roles
Kentucky District Court handles probate of wills. Circuit Court hears contested probate matters. In Adair County, probate case records start with the Office of Circuit Court Clerk at the Adair County Judicial Center, 201 Campbellsville St., Suite 101, Columbia, KY 42728, phone 270-384-2626. The local court record path is therefore court based, even though the County Clerk becomes important after probate.
The Adair County Clerk records wills after probate. The official Adair County Clerk wills recording page says a will must be recorded in the County Clerk's office with the order appointing the administrator or executor, and that the clerk retains the original copy permanently.
That county recording step explains why an Adair probate search may involve both the court clerk for the case and the County Clerk for the recorded will.
Adair County Probate Terms
Probate records use short legal terms that affect which form, office, and search route applies. These definitions keep the Adair County probate record path clear.
- Testator
- The person who made a will.
- Executor
- The person named in a will to carry out estate duties after court appointment.
- Administrator
- A person appointed to handle an estate when there is no will or no named executor can serve.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will.
- Guardianship
- A court arrangement for care or decision-making for a minor or protected person.
- Conservatorship
- A court arrangement for managing property or financial affairs for a protected person.
Adair County Probate Process
The Kentucky Court of Justice probate guide describes the core process. The original will should be located first. AOC-805 asks District Court to admit the will to probate and appoint an executor, or to appoint an administrator if there is no will. Unless the will is self-proved, at least one witness must prove it in court. A holographic will requires proof of handwriting by someone familiar with it.
After appointment, the personal representative has follow-up duties. The probate guide says inventory is filed in duplicate using AOC-841 within 60 days after appointment. Final settlement uses AOC-846 and cannot be filed until at least six months after appointment. Informal settlement may use AOC-850 or AOC-851.
- Locate the original will, if one exists.
- File AOC-805 in the proper Adair District Court probate channel through the Circuit Court Clerk.
- Prove the will if it is not self-proved, or request appointment of an administrator if there is no will.
- File the inventory within 60 days after appointment when required.
- Use final or informal settlement forms after the required time and estate work are complete.
Adair County Probate Petition Fields
AOC-805 is the key Kentucky probate petition form identified in the research. It captures estate identity, decedent information, heirs, property values, the proposed representative, and bond or surety details where required. Sensitive fields such as Social Security number should be handled with the form's redaction rules and court instructions.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estate or decedent name | Text | Yes | Caption and estate identity. |
| Case, court, county, division | Text or dropdown | Yes | Use the Adair court handling the probate matter. |
| Probate request type | Checkbox | Yes | Probate will, probate with appointment, or administrator without will. |
| Testate or intestate | Checkbox | Yes | Shows whether the decedent had a will. |
| Date of death | Date | Yes | Required estate fact. |
| Surviving spouse, heirs, next of kin | Table or text | Yes | Names, relation, age, and address. |
| Real estate and personal property value | Currency | Yes or unspecified | Estimated estate values. |
| Proposed executor or administrator | Text | Yes | Name and address of proposed representative. |
| Bond or surety | Text or currency | Conditional | Used when required by the court or estate facts. |
Search Adair County Probate Records
Public probate case information may appear through KYeCourts or CourtNet where the record is public and available to the user. If the online record is unavailable, older, restricted, or incomplete, the practical route is the Adair Circuit Court Clerk. For recorded wills or probate-related recorded instruments, use the Adair County Clerk and the county-record channels.
The Kentucky County Records portal appears in the probate manifest because it is the county-record search portal linked by the Adair Clerk for recorded county instruments.
That portal is useful for county recordings, while the probate case itself remains a court record that starts with the Circuit Court Clerk.
Record split: Use the court clerk for the probate case file and the County Clerk for the recorded will after probate.
Adair County Probate Contacts
The probate contact path has two local offices. The Office of Circuit Court Clerk is the access point for District Court probate case records and contested probate matters that move to Circuit Court. The County Clerk is the access point for recorded wills after probate and county recording fees.
Adair Office of Circuit Court Clerk
201 Campbellsville St., Suite 101
Columbia, KY 42728
270-384-2626
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Adair County Clerk
424 Public Square, Suite 3
Columbia, KY 42728
270-384-2801 or 270-384-4007
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.; 1st and 3rd Saturday, 8 a.m.-11 a.m.
Adair County Probate Fees
Kentucky Supreme Court Administrative Order 2026-15 states that effective July 1, 2026, probate of estate is $50, and guardians, conservators, or curators not related to pending probate are $50 per application. The order also notes that additional technology, facility, or library fees may apply. As of the June 29, 2026 research pass, the pre-July 1 probate fee was not located in official accessible sources.
The official Adair County Clerk fee schedule supplies the recorded-instrument fees that can matter after probate.
Those County Clerk fees are recording fees, not the same thing as the District Court probate filing fee.
| Item | Amount | Record Type |
|---|---|---|
| Probate of estate, effective July 1, 2026 | $50 | District Court filing fee. |
| Guardians, conservators, curators not related to pending probate, effective July 1, 2026 | $50 per application | District Court filing fee category. |
| Will recording | $47 | Adair County Clerk recorded instrument. |
| Renunciation of will | $46 | Adair County Clerk recorded instrument. |
| Disclaimer of will | $46 | Adair County Clerk recorded instrument. |
| Affidavit of descent | $50 | Adair County Clerk recorded instrument. |
| Inheritance tax lien or release | $5 | Adair County Clerk recorded instrument. |
Adair County Probate Record Contents
Probate records can include the petition to probate the will or appoint an administrator, the order admitting the will, certificate of qualification, bond or surety, inventory, appraisement, settlement, informal settlement, creditor or heir information, and court orders. The County Clerk record can include the will recorded after probate with the order appointing the administrator or executor.
| Record Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Decedent name | The person whose estate is being handled. |
| Will status | Whether the estate is testate or intestate. |
| Representative | Executor, administrator, or other appointed fiduciary. |
| Heirs and next of kin | Names, relationships, ages, and addresses captured by petition fields. |
| Inventory | Estate property values filed after appointment. |
| Settlement | Final or informal settlement activity after statutory timing and estate work. |
Restricted Adair County Probate Records
Most ordinary estate filings are public court records unless a law, court order, or redaction rule limits access. Probate can also connect to guardianship, conservatorship, mental-health, minor, or sealed matters. Those records should not be treated like ordinary open estate files. Sensitive identifiers on forms, including Social Security numbers, may be redacted or handled under court rules.
Kentucky open-record law allows inspection of public records by Kentucky residents unless an exception applies, and KRS 61.878 lists exemptions for withholding or redaction. For an Adair probate file that is missing online, older, sealed, or stored offsite, ask the Circuit Court Clerk whether the file is in the clerk's office, the State Records Center, or another authorized record location. State Records Center requests require case or file locator numbers and cannot be searched by name alone.
Note: Contested probate belongs with Circuit Court, while ordinary probate of wills is a District Court probate function.