Fulton County Probate Court Fees and Filing Rules

One of the more frustrating discoveries families face when starting probate in Georgia is that the cost and process vary significantly from one county to the next. The state statute sets the floor for many fees, but counties layer on surcharges for law libraries, technology funds, and other local programs. Publication costs — which are mandatory and paid directly to the county's official legal organ, not the court — add another variable the base fee schedule does not capture.

Here is a practical breakdown of what families filing probate in Georgia's major counties should expect to pay and how each county handles the process.

Fulton County

Base filing fee: $209.00 for a standard Solemn Form probate petition.

E-filing mandate: Fulton County requires all new estate petitions to be filed electronically through the Odyssey/eFileGA platform. Paper filings for initial petitions are rejected. However, there is a critical exception: the original Last Will and Testament must be physically delivered to the court within 10 days of the electronic filing. Many families are caught off guard by this — the entire filing can be done online, but you still have to appear in person or use a courier to deliver the original will within that window.

Publication: The official legal organ for Fulton County is the South Fulton Neighbor or Northside Neighbor depending on the location of the decedent's address. Publication costs run separately from court fees and are paid directly to the newspaper. The Notice to Debtors and Creditors must run once per week for four consecutive weeks under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41. Budget approximately $100–$200 for publication, though rates change and families should confirm current prices directly with the paper.

Deed recording: Recording a resulting Deed of Assent or other property transfer deed is handled by the Fulton County Superior Court Clerk, which now charges a standardized flat fee of $25.00 per document under HB 288 (O.C.G.A. § 15-6-77).

DeKalb County

Base filing fee: $209.00.

E-filing mandate: DeKalb was the first probate court in Georgia to fully mandate electronic filing, implementing the requirement in 2020/2021. All filings go through the e-filing system, with narrow exceptions: the court requires physical delivery of original wills, oaths, and surety bonds. Like Fulton, the original will must be physically submitted even though the petition is filed electronically.

Publication: The official organ varies by the township area; families should confirm the correct publication with the DeKalb Probate Court clerk before paying for publication.

Cobb County

Base filing fee: $209.00.

E-filing: Cobb County uses GreenFiling or PeachCourt for electronic submissions.

Publication: The mandated legal organ for Cobb County is the Marietta Daily Journal. This is the only newspaper legally authorized to run creditor notices for Cobb County estates — using any other publication, even one with wider circulation, does not satisfy the statutory requirement.

Deed recording: Also $25.00 flat fee under the same statewide HB 288 provision.

Gwinnett County

Base filing fee: In the $200–$215 range, consistent with the statewide general schedule.

Service requirements: Gwinnett strictly enforces specific service fees for parties who have not signed a consent or acknowledgment of service. If you need to serve an heir who has not voluntarily acknowledged the petition, expect additional process service costs that vary by how service is accomplished (sheriff, private process server, or certified mail with acknowledgment).

Publication: The official organ is the Gwinnett Daily Post.

Chatham County (Savannah)

Base filing fee: $205.00 — slightly lower than the major metro counties.

Publication: Chatham County is distinctive in one important respect: unlike Fulton or Cobb, where the petitioning family or their attorney is responsible for arranging and paying for publication separately, the Chatham County Probate Court prepares the publication notices itself and charges an integrated $185.00 fee routed to the Savannah Morning News. This means families filing in Chatham can budget for the full publication cost as a single combined line item paid to the court, rather than tracking it separately.

Understanding the Full Cost of Georgia Probate

The base filing fee is only one component. A realistic cost estimate for a standard probate filing in Georgia should account for:

1. Court filing fee: $205–$215 depending on county and petition type.

2. Publication costs: $100–$250 typically, depending on the county organ's rates. This is paid to the newspaper, not the court.

3. Bond premiums (intestate estates): Under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-50, an administrator appointed for an intestate estate must post a surety bond equal to double the estimated value of the estate's personal property, unless all competent heirs waive the requirement unanimously. Bond premiums vary by the amount bonded and the bonding company but can add hundreds to thousands of dollars to the process.

4. Deed recording fees: $25.00 per document to record a Deed of Assent or other transfer instrument in the Superior Court deed records.

5. Certified death certificate copies: $25.00 for the first copy from the Georgia DPH Vital Records office, $5.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time.

6. Attorney fees (if retained): Attorney fees for probate vary widely. Many Georgia probate attorneys charge a flat fee for straightforward administrations; others bill hourly.

How the 60-Day Publication Deadline Works

Regardless of county, the statutory clock on creditor notice is the same: under O.C.G.A. § 53-7-41, the personal representative must publish the Notice to Debtors and Creditors within exactly 60 days of qualifying with the probate court. Miss that window and the three-month creditor claim period never officially starts running. That means unknown creditors retain the ability to surface months or years later — after estate assets have already been distributed — leaving the executor personally liable.

Getting the publication scheduled early, before the 60-day deadline, is one of the most important administrative tasks in a Georgia probate administration.

When Probate Can Be Avoided Entirely

Not every Georgia estate requires formal probate administration with all its associated costs. Two pathways allow families to avoid the probate system completely under the right circumstances:

The $15,000 banking affidavit: Under O.C.G.A. § 7-1-239, if the decedent died without a will and left less than $15,000 in depository accounts at a specific financial institution, an heir can present an Affidavit of Inheritance directly to the bank. No court filing, no publication fee, no bond. This route is unavailable if there is a will (the will must be probated), and it only works for bank accounts — not real property, vehicles, or other assets.

No Administration Necessary petition: Under O.C.G.A. § 53-6-1 via GPCSF 9, if all heirs agree on the distribution of an intestate estate and there are no outstanding debts, the family can file a petition asking the court to declare that no administration is necessary. The resulting order vests title directly in the heirs without appointing an administrator. The filing fee is lower than a full administration, and there is no bond requirement.

Understanding which route is available — and which one the specific estate actually needs — determines whether a family is paying $25 to transfer a bank account or $2,000 in fees and bond premiums to administer a full estate.

The Georgia Survivor Benefits Navigator walks through each of these pathways with the specific forms, filing instructions, and county-by-county details that make the difference between a straightforward administration and one that drags on for months.

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