Effective 28 Aug 1983

472.280. Records of probate division of circuit court — may be kept by means other than bound volumes — reading equipment, index to be provided. — 1. The court shall keep the following:

(1) An index in which files, pertaining to estates of deceased persons, shall be indexed under the name of the decedent, and those pertaining to guardianships and conservatorships under the name of the ward and protectee; after the name of each file shall be shown the file and register number and the book and page of the register;

(2) A register, arranged in numerical order, in which shall be listed in chronological order under the file and register number and the name of the decedent or ward or protectee, all documents filed or issued and all orders, judgments and decrees made pertaining to the estate, the date thereof, and a reference to the volume and page of any other book in which any record has been made of such order or document;

(3) An abstract of all judgments of other courts filed and of all claims established in the probate division of the circuit court against the estate of each decedent which shall show their amount, date and class, and to whom payable;

(4) A record of wills exhibited to be proven properly indexed, in which shall be recorded such wills, together with the proof thereof and the certificate of probate or rejection thereof;

(5) A record of bonds, in which shall be recorded all bonds filed;

(6) A record of letters, in which shall be entered all letters issued;

(7) A record of inventories, in which shall be recorded all inventories and appraisements;

(8) A record of settlements in which shall be recorded the accounts and settlements of all personal representatives, conservators, and guardians;

(9) A record of probate proceedings, which shall contain all orders, judgments and decrees of the court;

(10) A record of the minutes of the proceedings of the court.

2. All vouchers and receipts in any estate filed in the court may be destroyed on order of the court after they have been on file for a period of five years after final termination of administration proceedings in the estate.

3. Other provisions of law to the contrary notwithstanding, any records required to be kept by the probate division of the circuit court under subsection 1 of this section or by any other law may be kept and maintained by means other than bound volumes of paper pages, including such means as photography, microphotography, photostatic process, electrostatic process, facsimile reproduction, perforated tape, magnetic tape or other electromagnetic means, electronic data processing, machine-readable media, graphic or video display, or any combination thereof. All courts keeping records and information by any of the aforesaid means shall keep and have readily available to the public the necessary machines and equipment to present the records and information in a readily readable form; and, further, the courts shall properly and adequately index such records and information so that the same shall be readily retrievable.

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(L. 1955 p. 385 § 29, A.L. 1969 S.B. 81, A.L. 1978 H.B. 1634, A.L. 1983 S.B. 44 & 45)