Find Pulaski County Probate Records

Pulaski County Probate Court

Pulaski County probate is a Pulaski Circuit Court matter under Arkansas Amendment 80. The Pulaski Circuit and County Clerk under Terri Hollingsworth files new probate cases through Central Receiving at 501-340-8412. Existing Pulaski County probate cases go to Court Clerks in room 121 at 501-340-8431. The Clerk's main line is 501-340-8500. Pulaski County probate covers wills, formal probate estates, small estates under $100,000, guardianships, conservatorships, accountings, letters testamentary, letters of administration, claims against estates, and safekeeping deposits of last wills.

The Pulaski Clerk does not give legal advice. Pulaski County residents with legal questions about probate are directed to Arkansas Law Help or a private attorney. The Clerk only files documents, issues letters, certifies copies, and accepts fees. Probate orders themselves come from the Pulaski County circuit judge assigned to the probate division.

What Pulaski County Probate Covers

Pulaski County probate is the legal process of transferring assets after death and managing the affairs of people who cannot manage their own. Each case type has its own filing requirements and Clerk fees.

Testator

A person who has made a valid will.

Executor

The person named in the will to administer the Pulaski County estate.

Administrator

A court-appointed personal representative when there is no will.

Intestate

Dying without a valid will; distribution follows Arkansas law.

Guardianship

Court-ordered authority over a minor or incapacitated adult.

Conservatorship

Court-appointed person who manages another's finances.

Pulaski County Small Estate Affidavit

If a Pulaski County estate value is under $100,000, the personal representative may file an Affidavit for Collection of Small Estate instead of opening full probate. The Pulaski Clerk's small estate filing fee is $25. Certified copies are $5 each. The Clerk links Arkansas Law Help for legal details. Small estate is not a substitute for every Pulaski County estate; assets that exceed the threshold or that include real property may require formal probate. Pulaski County residents should confirm eligibility before filing.

How Pulaski County Probate Works

Pulaski County probate follows the Arkansas probate code with steps that the Clerk and the assigned judge supervise. Timelines vary, so Pulaski County families should plan for a multi-month process.

1. Confirm whether the Pulaski County estate qualifies as a small estate under the $100,000 value threshold.
2. For small estates, prepare the Affidavit for Collection of Small Estate and file with Pulaski County Central Receiving.
3. For formal probate, file the Pulaski County petition or application with Central Receiving and pay the $165 circuit filing fee.
4. Submit the original will if one exists. The Pulaski Clerk also accepts last wills for safekeeping at $5 per will.
5. The Pulaski County judge reviews the appointment of personal representative, administrator, or guardian.
6. The Clerk issues certified letters when ordered, at $5 per certified copy.
7. Publish or serve required notices under Arkansas probate law.
8. Complete inventory, accounting, and claims process. Guardianship accountings carry a $50 fee.
9. The Pulaski County circuit court enters orders for distribution, accounting approval, discharge, or closure.

Pulaski County Probate Fees

The Pulaski Clerk's probate fees are set on the Central fee schedule and the Misc fee schedule. Filing fees fund the case. Certified copy and seal fees fund document retrieval.

Searching Pulaski County Probate Records

Pulaski County probate dockets show up in Search ARCourts where the court has enabled remote access. Pulaski County probate case numbers follow the format 60PR-23-1234. Search by participant name, by decedent or ward, or by case number. Sealed Pulaski County guardianship medical and financial details, and minor records, may not appear in the public portal. Adoption-adjacent matters are confidential under Ark. Code § 9-9-217 even when filed in probate.

Certified Pulaski County probate copies come from the Clerk for $5 per seal. Mail or in-person requests should identify the Pulaski County decedent or ward name, case number when known, approximate filing year, document type, and whether certification is needed.

Pulaski County Probate Contacts

Pulaski County Probate Documents

A Pulaski County probate file holds several document types as the case moves through court. The mix of documents varies by whether the case is a small estate, formal probate, guardianship, or conservatorship.

• Petition - The opening document that asks the Pulaski County court to open probate or appoint a guardian.
• Will - The original signed will, if one exists, filed with the Pulaski County Clerk.
• Affidavit - Sworn statements supporting the petition; required for Pulaski County small estate.
• Letters testamentary or administration - The Pulaski County Clerk issues these letters to confirm authority over the estate.
• Inventory - List of estate assets filed with the Pulaski County court.
• Accounting - Periodic financial reports filed with the Pulaski County court; guardianship accounting fee is $50.
• Claim against estate - Creditor or claimant filings; affidavit of claim costs $5 to file in Pulaski County.
• Order - Pulaski County circuit court orders approving distribution, accounting, discharge, or closure.

Pulaski County Will Safekeeping

A living Pulaski County resident can deposit a last will and testament for safekeeping with the Pulaski Circuit and County Clerk for $5. The deposit is not the same as opening Pulaski County probate. Safekeeping simply gives the Clerk custody of the original will until death. After death, the personal representative or family member retrieves the will from the Pulaski County Clerk to file with the probate petition. The $5 fee is set under the Central fee schedule.

Pulaski County Guardianship and Conservatorship

Pulaski County guardianship and conservatorship cases are filed in circuit court probate division. A guardianship gives a court-appointed person authority over a minor or incapacitated adult. A conservatorship in Arkansas covers the financial side. The Pulaski County Clerk requires a $50 fee for filing or recording each guardianship accounting, account, or settlement. Pulaski County guardianship medical and mental health materials are confidential, even within the Pulaski County court file, because the underlying records are protected by Arkansas privacy law. Pulaski County families should expect a multi-month process for opening, supervising, and closing a guardianship.

Pulaski County Probate and Real Estate Overlap

Many Pulaski County estates include real property. The Pulaski County probate file may show authority to administer or distribute property, but the actual deeds, releases, mortgages, and liens are recorded through the Pulaski Clerk's Real Estate department at 501-340-8433, room 102. The Real Estate department records deeds, mortgages, plats, UCCs, powers of attorney, notary bonds, and foreign judgments. Pulaski County families settling estates with real property typically need both probate work in room 120 and recording work in room 102, with separate fees for each office.

Sample Pulaski County Probate Record Fields

A Pulaski County probate record in Search ARCourts shows the same core fields used in other circuit cases, with probate-specific document types.

Related Pulaski County Searches

Pulaski County probate overlaps with marriage and divorce records for surviving spouse questions, court records for full case files, Clerk of Court for filing procedures, and public records for related county filings.