A Small Estate
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 473.097 — distribution on affidavit after thirty days, when the estate is forty thousand dollars or less
In Missouri, the people entitled to an estate take it without waiting for letters when every condition the section sets is met.
- The whole estate, less liens, debts and encumbrances, is worth no more than forty thousand dollars.
- Thirty days have passed since the death, and no application for letters is pending or has been granted.
- A bond in at least the value of the personal property is filed, unless the court finds it unnecessary.
- The fee and any publication cost of the notice to creditors are paid.
The affidavit lists the property and its value, who holds it, and who will receive it. Filing a copy with the recorder of deeds where real property sits establishes the right to it.
Sources for this section (1)
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 473.097 — Small estates, refusal of letters
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Missouri attorney.