All filing fees (including service fees) must be paid upon filing the petition with the Probate Court. Pursuant to O.C.G.A. §15-9-60(d), pleadings may be filed with a minimum deposit of $30.00.  Please be advised that, while the deposit will ensure that your pleading is filed, the Court shall not process the pleading until payment of the filing fee is made in full.  The Probate Court will accept cash, money orders, credit cards ($2.00 service fee or 3.5% , whichever is higher, will be assessed on all credit card transactions - $5.00 cap on all Estate filings), or personal checks made payable to "Cobb County Probate Court.”

If you cannot afford the filing fees for your case, you can submit an Affidavit of Indigency (also known as a Poverty Affidavit) to ask the court to let you file your case without paying the filing fees and service fees. Once submitted, one of our judges will review the application to determine eligibility.  Your document will not be considered filed with the Court until your Poverty Affidavit request is granted or you pay the appropriate filing fees.  This form, along with the required Supplement, can be found on the Forms page of our website. 
 

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING PUBLICATION FEES  (Effective January 1, 2024)

In accordance with HB 254, the county's legal organ will be increasing publication fees to the following:

• 1-week publication        $ 30.00
• 2-week publication        $ 90.00
• 4-week publication        $ 120.00

• New Applicant: $78.25
• Renewal: $30.00 (must be less than 90 days prior to the current license’s expiration date or less than 30 days after the license has expired)
• Replacement: $6.00 (lost, stolen, address change or name change)
• Temporary: $1.00

• Marriage license without pre-marital counseling: $56.00
• Marriage license with proof of pre-marital counseling: $16.00
• Certified Copy of Marriage License: $10.00
• Certified Copy of Marriage Application: $10.00
• Marriage Certificate: $10.00

Please note a recording fee in the amount of $2.00/page is required for essentially every document filed in the Probate Court. This fee is in addition to the basic filing fees set forth below:

• Petition for Letters of Administration without powers: $157.00
• Petition for Letters of Administration with powers (includes cost of publication): $277.00
  • Please note a 4-week publication is required for this petition, which is an additional $120.00.  (Note:  Effective January 1, 2024, the  4-week publication increased to $120.00 in accordance with H.B. 254.  
• Petition to Probate Will in Solemn Form: $157.00
• Petition to Probate Will in Solemn Form and for Letters of Administration with Will Annexed: $157.00
• Petition for Year's Support (includes cost of publication): $277.00
  • Please note a 4-week publication is required for this petition, which is an additional $120.00.  Additionally, this Court requires notice on the interested parties be served by certified mail which is $8.50 for each individual or entity entitled to notice of the Petition. (Note:  Effective January 1, 2024, the  4-week publication increased to $120.00 in accordance with H.B. 254.
• Petition for Temporary Letters of Administration: $137.00
• Petition for Discharge of Personal Representative (including publication): $87.00  
  • Please note a 1-week publication is required for this petition, which is an additional $30.00.  (Note:  Effective January 1, 2024, the 1-week publication increased to $30.00 in accordance with H.B. 254)
• Petition to Enter Safe-Deposit Box: $32.00
• Petition for Temporary Letters of Guardianship of the person of Minor: $97.00
• Petition for Letters of Conservatorship of Minor: $97.00
• Petition for the Appointment of a Guardian and/or Conservator of an Adult: $622.00
  • This fee includes the base fee of $172 for the Petition, $200.00 for the Court-appointed attorney, $200.00 for the Court-appointed evaluator, and $50.00 for Sheriff’s service on the proposed Ward.

Please add recording fees in the amount of $2.00 per page for every page of the Petition and the attachments thereto.

• Amendments: $15.00
• Recording: $2.00 per page
• Objection/Caveat:
  • Estates: $57.00
  • Adult Guardianship and/or Conservatorship: $77.00
  • Minor Guardianship and/or Conservatorship: $30.00
• Certified Mail: $8.50 (out of state service)
• Personal Service in Cobb County: $50.00 payable to the Probate Court.
• Personal Service outside of Cobb County within the State of Georgia: $50.00 payable to the Sheriff’s Office of the county wherein the individual entitled to notice resides.
• Certified Copies: $10.00 for the 1st page and $1.00 for each additional page.

*Please note this information is provided for your convenience only and is not an exhaustive list of the filing fees. This information has been provided to help you calculate the necessary filing fees. The Probate Court fees are set by statute. O.C.G.A. § 15-9-60; 15-23-7 (ADR fees), 15-9-60.1 (Children's Trust Fund fees), 15-21A-6 (Indigent Defense fees), and 36-15-9 (Law Library fees), and any other sums required by law to be collected as add-ons or additions to court costs are in addition to the sums below.  See Code Sections 15-9-60(b) and 15-21A-6.

1. The filing fees are exclusive of costs for service of process, fees for publication of citation or notice unless otherwise noted, and any additional sums as may be provided by law.
2. Fees for guardians-ad-litem, court-appointed attorneys, and court-appointed evaluators, when collected by the court, are in addition to the above court costs unless noted herein; otherwise, such fees are payable directly to the person providing the service.
3. Except where specifically provided, recording charges of $2.00 per page are in addition to the other court costs.