When someone dies and a person is put in charge of handling their estate, the court clerk must publish a public notice in a newspaper once a week for four weeks. That notice tells anyone who is owed money by the deceased person to come forward and file a claim with the court, or they lose their chance forever. The clerk also mails a copy of that notice to family members and people named in the will. Proof that the notice was published and mailed must be filed with the court within ten days of finishing the publication.
473.033. Notice of — duty of — — form. — The clerk, as soon as or of are issued, shall cause to be published in some newspaper a notice of the appointment of the , in which shall be included a notice to of the to file t in the court or be forever . The notice shall be published once a week for four weeks. The clerk shall send a copy of the notice by ordinary mail to each heir and whose name and address are shown on the for letters or other records of the court, but any heir or devisee may notice to such person by a in writing. The personal representative may, but is not required to, send a copy of the notice by ordinary mail or to any of the decedent whose has not been paid, allowed or disallowed as provided in section 473.403. of notice under this section and of mailing of notice shall be filed not later than ten days after completion of the publication. The notice shall be in substantially the following form:
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Source & history notes
(L. 1955 p. 385 § 37, A.L. 1969 S.B. 86, A.L. 1978 H.B. 1634, A.L. 1980 S.B. 637, A.L. 1983 H.B. 369, A.L. 1989 H.B. 145, A.L. 1993 S.B. 88, A.L. 1996 S.B. 494) Effective 5-23-96 (1962) Weekly newspaper did not forfeit right theretofore vested in it to publish legal notices by suspending publication the last week in December of one year for vacation purposes and where it resumed continuous weekly publications after the procedure was questioned. State ex rel. Henderson v. Proctor (Mo.), 361 S.W.2d 802. (1985) Held, due process does not require any more than publication notice to a creditor that a decedent's estate is being administered and the notice provisions of sections 473.360 and 473.033, RSMo, are constitutional. Estate of Busch v. Ferrell-Duncan Clinic (Mo. banc) 700 S.W.2d 87.
Related Missouri laws
Request for special notice of hearings
RSMo 473.030
Successor need not publish notice, when
RSMo 473.037
Notice where there are no known heirs
RSMo 473.040
Court or clerk to grant letters
RSMo 473.023
Will of decedent, where delivered
RSMo 473.043
If no application filed, others may request administration or probate
RSMo 473.020
Legal information, not legal advice. Always confirm with the official source at revisor.mo.gov.