Murray County, Georgia Court Filing
Fee Lookup

Court filing fees in Murray County, Georgia are collected by the Murray County Probate Court in Chatsworth according to Georgia's statutory fee schedule, plus any local surcharges authorized by county ordinance. With 40,201 residents and ranked a mid-ranked jurisdiction among Georgia's 159 counties, Murray County operates within the Superior Court (civil/family) / Probate Court (estates — separate system) / Magistrate Court (small claims) and follows both the state's base fee requirements and its own local additions.

Murray County is a rural jurisdiction in Georgia where the Murray County Probate Court in Chatsworth handles all case types with a less specialized but accessible approach to court administration. Confirming the current fee schedule with the clerk's office is recommended, as fees can change when new state legislation takes effect or when the county updates its local surcharge schedule.

• Filing fees in Murray County are based on Georgia's statutory schedule, which applies statewide, plus any local surcharges assessed by the county. For reference, the statewide base fees by case type are: probate and estate filings — $65–$200 (Probate Court, varies by county)
• civil complaints and appearances — $195–$225 (Superior Court) / $45–$85 (Magistrate Court)
• family law matters (divorce, custody, support) — $195–$225 (Superior Court — Domestic Relations)
• small claims filings — $45–$85 (Magistrate Court small claims). These figures represent the state-level base
• the total amount due at the Murray County Probate Court in Chatsworth may include additional local charges.

• Murray County falls in the mid-range of Georgia jurisdictions by population, and its local surcharges typically reflect that scale.
• The clerk's office at the Murray County Probate Court in Chatsworth can confirm whether any local assessments apply beyond the state statutory base fee.

• Beyond the initial filing fee, Murray County litigants and estate administrators should budget for recurring court costs throughout the proceeding: fees for filing subsequent motions and responses, charges for certified copies of letters testamentary or court orders (typically $5 to $25 per document in Georgia), jury demand deposits in civil cases, and in probate matters, fees associated with filing the inventory, accountings, and petition for discharge.
• For a complete picture of expected court costs in Murray County, request the full fee schedule from the Murray County Probate Court clerk in Chatsworth before initiating the proceeding.

Georgia has been expanding electronic filing (e-filing) capabilities across its court system. Murray County is a jurisdiction where e-filing adoption may be more limited.

In smaller counties like Murray County, the Murray County Probate Court in Chatsworth may accept or require paper filings for some or all case types, though this is changing as the state's e-filing infrastructure expands. Contact the Murray County Probate Court clerk directly to confirm the current e-filing requirements for your specific case type.

When e-filing is available in Murray County, the system charges a convenience fee per transaction — typically $2 to $8 — in addition to the applicable statutory court fees. This convenience fee is charged by the e-filing service provider rather than the court itself and is generally non-waivable even for litigants who have received a court fee waiver.

Self-represented litigants (pro se filers) are often exempt from mandatory e-filing requirements and may file in paper at the Murray County Probate Court clerk's window in Chatsworth during regular business hours.

For probate and estate matters in Murray County, e-filing availability may differ from civil cases. Some Georgia probate courts have been slower to adopt e-filing given the document-intensive nature of estate proceedings — original wills, certified death certificates, and original deeds often require in-person or mail submission regardless of whether other case types accept electronic filing.

Verify with the Murray County Probate Court in Chatsworth which documents can be e-filed and which require physical originals before planning your filing strategy.

• Murray County residents who cannot afford court filing fees may apply for a fee waiver under O.C.G.A.
• § 9-15-2.
• To apply, file a declaration of financial condition with the Murray County Probate Court clerk's office in Chatsworth at the time of your initial filing.
• The declaration lists all household income sources, monthly expenses, assets, and liabilities.
• A judge or court commissioner reviews the application and issues an order granting or denying the waiver, typically within a few days of submission.

• Eligibility for a fee waiver in Murray County generally requires that household income fall at or below 125% to 200% of the federal poverty level, or that the applicant is receiving qualifying public benefits — commonly Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or public housing assistance.
• The specific income thresholds and qualifying programs are defined in O.C.G.A.
• § 9-15-2 and may have been updated by recent legislation.
• Ask the Murray County Probate Court clerk in Chatsworth for the current income guidelines before completing your declaration.

• A granted fee waiver covers filing fees charged by the Murray County Probate Court — including initial filing fees and subsequent filings in the same case — but does not cover costs owed to third parties.
• In Murray County probate proceedings, a fee waiver does not eliminate the cost of publishing a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation (a statutory requirement in most states), service of process fees paid to process servers or the sheriff's office, or costs for court-ordered appraisals.
• Budget for these additional costs separately even when a fee waiver is in effect.