Wisconsin Probate Records

Portal:United States Probate >Wisconsin

Record Overview

Probate encompasses all matters and proceedings pertaining to the administration of estates, whether there is a will (testate) or not (intestate). Various types of records are created throughout the probate process. These may include, wills, bonds, petitions, accounts, inventories, administrations, orders, decrees, and distributions. These documents are extremely valuable to genealogists and should not be neglected. In many instances, they are the only known source of relevant information such as the decedent’s date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their places of residence. They may also include information about adoption or guardianship of minor children and dependents. Probate records may not give an exact death date, but the death most often occurred within a few months of the date of probate. Wills usually mention the names of heirs and frequently specify how those heirs are related. Names of children are given, as well as married names of daughters.

While probate records are one of the most accurate sources of genealogical evidence, they have limitations.

Jurisdictions

In the territorial era, probate records were kept by probate courts. These files were eventually transferred to the clerk of the circuit court, where current records are also kept. You may obtain probate records by contacting the office of the clerk of circuit court.

 The Family History Library at www.familysearch.org has microfilm copies of probate files and indexes from some Wisconsin counties and is continuing to acquire additional records. For example, Milwaukee County microfilms include probate packets from 1850–1910 (on 1,097 Family History Library films beginning with film 1020046), wills and estates from 1838–1923 with an index (on 107 films beginning with film 1023331), and a general card index for 1838–1915 (on 73 films beginning with film 1292413).