Probate work in Davidson County moves through a two-part system. Part I of the Probate Court handles intake matters such as opening estates, qualifying personal representatives, and admitting wills to probate. Part II hears contested matters, including will contests, fiduciary disputes, and conservatorship trials. Families dealing with a death in Tennessee may encounter formal administration under Title 30, the small estate affidavit procedure for estates of fifty thousand dollars or less under TCA 30-4-101, or ancillary probate when the decedent owned real property outside the state. Surviving spouses also have access to Year’s Support and statutory elective share rights.
The three firms below focus a substantial part of their work on probate administration and probate litigation in Nashville. Each operates inside Davidson County and appears regularly in the Seventh Circuit Probate Division. The list is presented in no particular order.
Quick Comparison #
| Firm | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Tune, Entrekin & White, P.C. | Founded 1978, 14-attorney practice with dedicated wills, trusts, and estates group, regular appearances in the Davidson County Probate Court. | Executor, trustee, conservator, and guardian representation, court filings and hearings in Davidson County Probate Court, estate and fiduciary tax return preparation, conservatorship and guardianship petitions under TCA 34-1, probate litigation including will contests, beneficiary, accounting, and fiduciary disputes. |
| The Nevin Law Firm | Founded 1972, AV Preeminent peer rating from Martindale-Hubbell, founder service as Probate Court Committee Chair for the Nashville Bar Association. | Contested estates and large probate matters, will contests, disputed claims against estates, fiduciary breach actions, accounting disputes, guardianship and conservatorship including emergency proceedings, formal estate administration, trust administration, powers of attorney, ancillary probate. |
| The Higgins Firm PLLC | Estate group inside a broader civil litigation practice, trial lawyers with National Top 100 Trial Lawyers and Million Dollar Advocates Forum listings. | Will and trust validity challenges including testator competency, undue influence, and contested amendments, trust dispute work across revocable and irrevocable structures, personal representative representation across small estate affidavits under TCA 30-4-101 through full Title 30 administration, conservatorship and guardian-of-minor appointments. |
1. Tune, Entrekin & White, P.C. #
Founded in 1978, Tune, Entrekin & White, P.C. carries one of the longer continuous probate practices in downtown Nashville. The firm grew out of the work of John C. Tune, Ervin M. Entrekin, and Thomas V. White, three figures active in the Nashville Bar Association during the late twentieth century. Today the practice fields fourteen attorneys handling matters across construction, tax, real estate, and wills, trusts, and estates.
Probate Practice Areas #
The wills, trusts, and estates group represents executors, trustees, conservators, and guardians through the full settlement process. That work includes court filings and hearings in the Davidson County Probate Court, compliance with state and federal procedural requirements, and preparation of estate and fiduciary tax returns. The group also handles conservatorship and guardianship petitions under TCA 34-1 when an adult becomes incapacitated or a minor inherits assets that require court oversight.
Probate Litigation Bench #
The office maintains a dedicated probate litigation bench. Reported areas of work include will contests, beneficiary litigation, accounting disputes, and fiduciary lawsuits. Attorneys identified with the probate practice include Hugh W. Entrekin, Lesa H. Skoney, Emily A. Guthrie, and John W. Nelley Jr. (Of Counsel).
Downtown Office and Contact #
The practice relocated to Capitol View at 500 11th Avenue North, Suite 600, Nashville, TN 37203. Phone is (615) 244-2770.
2. The Nevin Law Firm #
The Nevin Law Firm has served Middle Tennessee since 1972. Founder Ronald Nevin has chaired the Probate Court Committee of the Nashville Bar Association, a service role that places the practice close to procedural developments in the Seventh Circuit Probate Division. The group is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.
Concentration in Contested Estates #
The office concentrates on contested estates and large probate matters rather than routine estate planning intake. Reported areas of focus include will contests, disputed claims against estates, fiduciary breach actions, and accounting disputes between heirs and personal representatives. The firm also represents petitioners and respondents in guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, including emergency conservatorships brought to address suspected elder financial abuse.
Administration and Trust Work #
Beyond litigation, the group handles formal estate administration, trust administration, and powers of attorney. Files often involve negotiation with creditors, settlement of claims filed during the four-month creditor period, and ancillary probate where the decedent held property in another state.
Deaderick Street Office and Contact #
The practice is located at 315 Deaderick Street, Suite 1550, Nashville, TN 37238. Phone is (615) 244-7708.
3. The Higgins Firm PLLC #
The Higgins Firm PLLC operates a dedicated estate group inside a broader Nashville civil litigation practice. The probate division pairs estate counsel with trial lawyers who appear on the National Top 100 Trial Lawyers list and the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, an arrangement designed for matters that may move from administration to courtroom dispute.
Will Contest and Trust Dispute Work #
The estate group handles will and trust validity challenges in Tennessee, including questions of testator competency, undue influence, and the timing of contested amendments. The practice notes the statutory time limits placed on will contests after a will is admitted to probate, and several matters are accepted on a contingency basis. Trust dispute work extends to revocable and irrevocable structures used in Middle Tennessee estate planning.
Administration Across Estate Sizes #
The team represents personal representatives across a range of estate sizes, from small estate affidavits under TCA 30-4-101 through full Title 30 administration. Practice areas also include conservatorship petitions and the appointment of guardians for minor heirs receiving estate distributions. Counties of regular practice extend beyond Davidson to surrounding Middle Tennessee jurisdictions.
South Nashville Office and Contact #
The office is at 525 4th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37210. Phone is (615) 353-0930.
https://www.higginsestategroup.com/
Selection Methodology #
The three firms above were selected from the broader Nashville probate field using these filters: minimum tenure on Nashville-area work, verifiable Tennessee bar admission and state license on file, brand-name anchor with verifiable address visible on the firm’s own website, and a published practice scope that maps to client need without overreach. Out-of-state firms without a Tennessee bar member of record, mass-marketing intake mills, and offices without a verifiable street address were excluded. No firm sponsored placement; all selection sources are publicly verifiable.
Notes on Choosing a Probate Attorney in Nashville #
Probate matters in Davidson County are filed and heard in the Seventh Circuit, Probate Division. Intake filings, including petitions to open an estate, applications to admit a will to probate, and small estate affidavits, are processed in Part I. Contested matters, will contests, accounting objections, and contested conservatorships, are set in Part II. Out-of-state property requires ancillary administration, which is typically opened in the Tennessee county where the real property is located rather than the decedent’s domicile county.
Tennessee Public Chapter 297, effective April 28, 2023, enacted the Small Estate Probate Act and set the small-estate threshold at fifty thousand dollars under TCA Title 30, Chapter 4. Surviving spouses retain the right to claim Year’s Support and an elective share under separate statutory provisions. Conservatorship proceedings under TCA 34-1 require an independent medical examiner and a guardian ad litem in most contested matters. Any one of these procedural details can shift the right venue and the right strategy, which is one reason that experience inside the Davidson County Probate Court is one of the more useful screening points when comparing firms.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Q: How does the firm communicate case status between major events?
A: Ask for the firm’s communication standard: how often the client receives a status update absent major activity, whether updates come by email or phone, and how documents flow to the client (portal, mail, encrypted email). A documented communication standard prevents client confusion during long quiet periods in litigation.
Q: What happens if the matter requires an attorney outside the firm’s practice area?
A: Ask the firm’s policy on referral to outside counsel for specialized issues that arise (tax, immigration, bankruptcy, appellate). Confirm whether referral fees are disclosed and whether the original firm continues as lead counsel or steps aside, so the client understands the structure and cost.
Q: Are any of the three firms paid placements?
A: No. The three profiles above are editorial selections drawn from publicly verifiable sources. No firm sponsored placement.
Q: How are settlement decisions and litigation strategy decisions made?
A: Under the Tennessee Rules of Professional Conduct, the client makes the decision on settlement and on certain major case-strategy questions, while the lawyer guides tactics within the engagement. Confirm in writing that the firm will present every settlement offer, document client decisions, and seek written authorization for major strategic moves.
Editorial Note #
This guide was published on 2026-05-11 and reflects research current as of that date. Verify licenses, phone numbers, and current business status before engaging any firm.