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Hinds County, MS Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Hinds County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Hinds County Chancery Court. Mississippi chancery courts handle matters testamentary and of administration (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159). |
| Probate filings go to | Hinds County Chancery Clerk, Court Department, 601-968-6540 for Jackson, or Raymond office, 601-857-8055. Call before filing because Hinds County has two judicial districts. |
| First Judicial District, Jackson | Hinds County Chancery Court Building, 316 South President Street, Jackson, MS 39201. |
| First Judicial District mailing | Hinds County Chancery Clerk's Office, P.O. Box 686, Jackson, MS 39205-0686. |
| Second Judicial District, Raymond | Hinds County Chancery Clerk's Second Judicial District office in the Main Street annex building in Raymond, mapped by the county to 127 West Main Street, Raymond, MS 39154. |
| Second Judicial District mailing | Hinds County Chancery Clerk's Office, P.O. Box 88, Raymond, MS 39154. |
| Fax | Jackson chancery clerk office: 601-973-5535. Raymond: 601-857-4953. |
| Hours | 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays. No local filing cutoff is published, so ask before making a same-day trip. |
| Filing fee | Hinds County publishes no chancery estate filing total. Under Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 text effective until December 31, 2027, the statutory floor is an $85.00 clerk fee for a civil case that includes an estate of a deceased person, plus $10.00, $40.00 and $5.00 statutory assessments, for $140.00. Hinds County says sheriff service, certified mail and newspaper publication are added when needed, so ask the chancery clerk for the current deposit. |
| Local forms | Hinds County publishes a Procedural Checklist for Administration of Estate for the attorney to initial and file. Mississippi also uses the statewide Chancery Clerk Cover Sheet linked from the Judiciary's chancery courts page. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through MEC after the case is opened. A self-represented party may have read-only PAMEC access but may not file electronically. Every estate starts with a paper filing at the chancery clerk's counter. Start at https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php. |
| Case search | Hinds County publishes no local chancery estate case search. Use MEC and PAMEC through https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php, or view filed documents free at the chancery clerk's office during business hours. |
| Remote appearance | Ask the chancery clerk or court administrator before planning around phone or video attendance. Hinds County chancery settings are handled by the court administrator, and local practice is controlled by the chancellor (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159). |
| Attorney required | Yes for a full estate. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires an executor or administrator who is not licensed to practice law in Mississippi to retain an attorney. The $75,000 small estate affidavit, effective July 1, 2020, under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 is presented to the holder of personal property and needs no court filing and no attorney. |
| Website | https://www.hindscountyms.com/elected-offices/chancery-clerk |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Hinds County, list the assets, debts, beneficiary designations and how each asset is titled. The route depends on that list: a $75,000 personal-property probate estate, effective July 1, 2020, excluding liens and encumbrances, may use the small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 after 30 days, while a larger estate settlement is a chancery court filing in Jackson or Raymond with an attorney under UCCR 6.02. Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 institutions.
Also decide whether the house, bank account or retirement account actually belongs in the estate. In Hinds County, the difference between a beneficiary account and a court asset can be the difference between a bank-counter affidavit and an estate settlement that needs a petition, creditor notice, a closing request and a Hinds County court setting.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate for Hinds County is filed with the Hinds County Chancery Clerk at a Hinds County courthouse. The county has two judicial districts, with chancery clerk counters in Jackson for the First Judicial District and Raymond for the Second Judicial District, and chancery court is held in both (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159; Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(1)). The county does not publish a boundary for estate filings, so call the chancery clerk to ask which office should take the case.
A will is proved and letters testamentary are granted by the chancery court of the county where the testator had a fixed place of residence (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-1). Letters of administration use a different venue ladder that starts with the county of the intestate person's fixed place of residence, then land, then place of death (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-63). Hinds County sits alone in Mississippi's 5th Chancery Court District, which is how its chancellors are assigned; the case is still filed at this county's own courthouse.
Hinds County communities named by the county include Bolton, Byram, Clinton, Edwards, Jackson, Learned, Raymond, Terry and Utica.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, the original will if there is one, and a list of what the decedent owned and owed.
- Choose the route before filing. If the whole probate estate is $75,000 or less in personal property, effective July 1, 2020, excluding liens and encumbrances, and 30 days have passed since death, the small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 is presented to the bank, employer or other holder. It is not filed with the Hinds County Chancery Clerk and needs no attorney. If the decedent left a will devising Mississippi real property, all known debts are paid and the remaining probate estate fits the Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 figure, ask the attorney about muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35. Otherwise use full administration.
- Retain a Mississippi attorney. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires every fiduciary who is not licensed to practice law in Mississippi to retain an attorney for the entire appointment.
- The attorney prepares the petition to probate the will and request letters testamentary, or the petition for letters of administration. A petition to probate a will has a copy of the will attached as an exhibit (UCCR 6.15), and fiduciary pleadings are personally signed and sworn by the fiduciary (UCCR 6.14).
- Call the Hinds County Chancery Clerk before filing to ask whether the Jackson or Raymond counter should take the case. The Hinds County caption includes the judicial district, and Hinds County has two judicial districts.
- File on paper at the chancery clerk's counter in Jackson or Raymond with the Chancery Clerk Cover Sheet and the court cost deposit. Every Mississippi estate is opened by conventional paper filing even though attorneys then file through MEC at https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php. The original will stays with the clerk (UCCR 9.03).
- Pay the deposit at filing. Hinds County publishes no estate total, but under Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 text effective until December 31, 2027, the statutory floor is an $85.00 clerk fee, plus $10.00, $40.00 and $5.00 statutory assessments, for $140.00. Hinds County says sheriff service, certified mail and newspaper publication are additional when needed.
- The chancery court, or the chancery clerk in vacation, meaning between terms of court, may admit the will in common form and grant letters testamentary or letters of administration (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-1; Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-63; Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-141). Nothing the clerk does is final until the court approves it (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-147).
- Take and file the oath, and file bond if required (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-41).
- Identify creditors with reasonable diligence, mail notice to identified creditors, and file the affidavit of identification and notification of known creditors. Only then publish the notice to creditors for three consecutive weeks and file proof of publication (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-145).
- Creditors probate and register claims with the clerk. A claim not registered within 90 days after the first publication is barred (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-151).
- For an intestate Hinds County estate, expect a heirship step after a petition and Rule 81 process on known and unknown heirs, unless process is waived, because Hinds County's estate checklist includes that step.
- File the inventory, accounts and appraisement of personal property unless excused, pay allowed claims and keep evidence of payment.
- Close with the petition to approve or waive final accounting, distribute assets and discharge the fiduciary. Hinds County's estate checklist calls for Rule 81 process on interested parties for the closing petition unless they joined or waived, and the attorney initials and files the checklist with the clerk.
Executor duties
| Local duty | What it means in Hinds County |
|---|---|
| Use the county's estate checklist | Hinds County publishes a Procedural Checklist for Administration of Estate. The attorney initials the listed steps and files the checklist with the chancery clerk. |
| Track MEC document numbers | The checklist leaves a MEC document-number blank beside major filings, including the petition, order, oath, bond, letters, creditor affidavit, publication proof, inventory and closing petition. Keep those numbers with the estate file. MEC information starts at https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php. |
| Deliver the original will to the clerk | For a testate Hinds County estate, the checklist calls for the original Last Will and Testament to be delivered to the clerk and filed in MEC. The original remains in the clerk's custody (UCCR 9.03). |
| File the creditor affidavit before publication | The Hinds County checklist puts the affidavit identifying and notifying known creditors before the notice to creditors, matching Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-145. |
| Plan for heirship in an intestate estate | The checklist calls for heirship to be determined after a petition and Rule 81 process on known and unknown heirs, unless process is waived. |
| Plan for process at closing | The checklist calls for Rule 81 process on all interested parties for the closing petition unless a party joined in the petition or signed a waiver after the petition was filed. |
| Disclose requested fees and expenses | The checklist calls for all requested attorney fees and expenses to be disclosed to interested parties with no objection raised. The chancellor fixes compensation and attorney fees (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159; Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-299), and fees may not be based on the value of real property (UCCR 6.12(B)). |
| Use the court administrator for settings | Hinds County local rules put chancery settings through the court administrator. Anything requiring testimony or lasting more than ten minutes is set through that office. |
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Hinds County
Hinds County publishes a probate-specific local document: the Procedural Checklist for Administration of Estate. It is captioned for the Chancery Court of Hinds County, Mississippi, includes a blank for the judicial district and cause number, and says the attorney initials each item and files the document with the clerk. It is not a substitute for the petition, and it is not a family fill-in packet.
| Form or document | How to use it |
|---|---|
| Procedural Checklist for Administration of Estate | The attorney uses it to track the petition, order, oath, bond, letters, creditor affidavit, publication proof, original will, heirship step, inventory, claims, closing petition and fee disclosure in a Hinds County estate. |
| Local Court Rules of the Fifth Chancery District | These local rules describe how Hinds County cases are numbered, assigned and set. Confirm current setting practice with the chancery clerk or court administrator because the rules document is not dated. |
| Statewide Chancery Clerk Cover Sheet | The Mississippi Judiciary links this cover sheet from its chancery courts page. Confirm with the Hinds County Chancery Clerk that the current cover sheet is included with a new estate filing. |
Mississippi publishes no statewide probate form packet. The petition is drafted by the attorney required by UCCR 6.02. Hinds County's GAP Act forms are guardianship and conservatorship forms, not decedent estate forms, and Hinds County publishes no local small estate affidavit form under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322.
Fees
Hinds County does not publish a chancery estate filing total. The fee link on the chancery clerk page is a land-records recording fee sheet, not the cost of opening an estate. Ask the Hinds County Chancery Clerk for the current deposit before filing in Jackson or Raymond.
| Charge | What is known for Hinds County |
|---|---|
| Opening deposit | Hinds County gives no estate total. Under Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 text effective until December 31, 2027, the statutory floor is an $85.00 clerk fee for a civil case including an estate of a deceased person, plus $10.00, $40.00 and $5.00 statutory assessments, for $140.00. County totals can be higher, so confirm the Hinds amount with the clerk. |
| Service, certified mail and publication | Hinds County says sheriff service is collected and sent to the sheriff, and certified mail or publication charges are over and above the filing charges. Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9(4), text effective until December 31, 2027, lets the clerk demand actual service and publication costs at filing when the filing party wants the clerk to pay them. |
| Copies and certifications | Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 text effective until December 31, 2027, sets copies at $0.50 per page when made by the clerk or employee, $0.25 per page if made by another person, and certification at $1.00 per complete document. The recording fee sheet linked by the Hinds County Chancery Clerk prints the same copy and certification figures. |
| Land-records recording after the estate | If a decree or deed must be recorded in the land records, that is a separate recording charge. The recording sheet linked by the Hinds County Chancery Clerk names Hinds as an archive-fee county and prices a deed, deed of trust or other document at $26.00 for the first five pages, effective June 29, 2020, and $1.00 for each additional page, under Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9. |
Timeline
- When the estate is filed, the Hinds County Chancery Clerk gives it a sequential number, and that number assigns it to one of the four divisions of the Hinds County Chancery Court in rotation (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159).
- All Hinds County chancery cases are set by the court administrator rather than by the clerk. Anything requiring testimony or lasting more than ten minutes is set on one of the court administrator lines, 601-968-6521 or 601-714-6309.
- Short matters that do not require a trial are heard in chambers on a division's weekly ex parte morning, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., by appointment. Because the case division is assigned after filing, confirm the current division schedule before planning around a particular morning.
- Trials begin at 9:00 a.m. unless the setting or the chancellor says otherwise (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159).
- Judgments and orders should be presented in person to the chancellor unless prior arrangements have been made, and pleadings, judgments and orders must show the name and Mississippi State Bar number of the attorney actually presenting them.
- Hinds County local rules exclude probate matters from the twelve-month stale-case dismissal rule for ordinary civil actions. That is a docket-management point, not permission to ignore fiduciary duties under UCCR 6.02 or estate deadlines.
Local nuance
Hinds County-specific considerations
| Local point | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Two judicial districts | Hinds County has a First Judicial District counter in Jackson and a Second Judicial District counter in Raymond. Chancery court is held in both (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159; Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(1)). Venue is the county under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-1 and Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-63, and no Hinds boundary for estate filings is published, so call the clerk before filing. |
| The 5th Chancery Court District is Hinds County alone | Hinds County is the only county in Mississippi's 5th Chancery Court District. Under Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(1), a single-county chancery court district holds court on the same dates state agencies and political subdivisions are open for business, excluding legal holidays. |
| Case assignment by number | The chancery clerk numbers a probate matter when it is filed, and the number assigns the case to one of four divisions in rotation. A family cannot choose the division before filing. |
| Hinds County estate checklist | The county publishes a Procedural Checklist for Administration of Estate that the attorney initials and files with the clerk. It is a practical local map of the full-estate path. |
| Fee link is for land records | The fee link on the Hinds County Chancery Clerk page opens a recording fee sheet for deeds and other land records. It is not the estate filing total. Ask the chancery clerk for the current court deposit under Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9. |
| No local chancery case search | Hinds County's online searches cover land records and other court files, not chancery estate files. Use MEC and PAMEC at https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php, or view filed documents free at the chancery clerk's office during business hours. |
Recent updates
| Update | Date | What it means in Hinds County |
|---|---|---|
| MEC completed statewide, and all chancery courts have been on MEC since June 19, 2023. | June 19, 2023 for chancery courts, June 30, 2025 for statewide completion | Hinds County chancery matters run in MEC, but an estate is still opened with a paper filing at the chancery clerk's counter. Use https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php. |
| The small estate affidavit figure became $75,000, excluding liens and encumbrances, under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, and muniment of title was rewritten under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35. | July 1, 2020 | A Hinds County family with only qualifying personal property can use the affidavit without a court filing or attorney, and a will devising real property may point to muniment of title if the statutory requirements are met. |
| The Uniform Chancery Court Rules were revised and amended, including the fiduciary attorney requirement in UCCR 6.02. | April 18, 2024 | A Hinds County executor or administrator in a full estate must retain a Mississippi attorney unless licensed to practice law in Mississippi. |
| Mississippi's two civil legal aid providers took separate intake hotline numbers. | January 1, 2026 | Hinds County is served by the Mississippi Center for Legal Services Jackson office. Intake is 1-800-519-2915, and the public directory is at mslegalservices.org. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start with the deed. If the home passes by survivorship and the remaining probate estate is $75,000 or less in personal property, effective July 1, 2020, excluding liens and encumbrances, the small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 may settle the rest without a Hinds County filing. If a will devises the house and all known debts are paid, ask about muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35. If letters are needed, retain counsel under UCCR 6.02 and file in Jackson or Raymond. | Sunset helps identify accounts, title details and debts so the attorney can see whether the estate settlement can stay out of court or needs a Hinds County filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | If 30 days have passed and the whole probate estate is $75,000 or less in personal property, effective July 1, 2020, excluding liens and encumbrances, the Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 affidavit goes to the bank or employer rather than the Hinds County Chancery Clerk. If letters are needed, a Mississippi attorney is required under UCCR 6.02, and any hearing setting goes through the court administrator. | Sunset organizes the asset list, generates the packet for attorney review and helps the child connect with a Mississippi probate attorney without requiring guesswork about the Jackson or Raymond counter. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | The Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 affidavit does not transfer the house. If there is a will and the debts are paid, muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35 may be available. Otherwise this is a full administration in the Hinds County Chancery Court, with counsel under UCCR 6.02, a possible heirship step, creditor notice and a closing petition. The chancellor fixes fiduciary compensation and attorney fees (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159; Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-299), and fees may not be based on real property value (UCCR 6.12(B)). | Sunset helps collect the property, debt and family information that the attorney needs to decide between muniment of title and full administration, then supports the estate settlement through the closing packet. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Hinds County Chancery Clerk, court department | Takes chancery court filings, holds original wills and estate files, and can answer filing-mechanics questions. Staff cannot give legal advice or prepare a petition. | Jackson: 316 South President Street, Jackson, MS 39201, 601-968-6540, fax 601-973-5535. Raymond: Main Street annex building in Raymond, mapped to 127 West Main Street, 601-857-8055, fax 601-857-4953. Website: https://www.hindscountyms.com/elected-offices/chancery-clerk |
| Hinds County chancery court administrator | Sets Hinds County chancery cases. Matters requiring testimony or more than ten minutes go through this office. | 601-968-6521 or 601-714-6309, fax 601-973-5587. |
| Hinds County Procedural Checklist for Administration of Estate | Shows the steps a full Hinds County estate must cover, from the petition through the closing request. The attorney initials and files it. | https://www.hindscountyms.com/sites/default/files/attorney_estate_checklist.pdf |
| Hinds County chancery court local rules | Explain numbering, rotation among the four divisions, settings, ex parte mornings and local docket practice. Confirm current practice before relying on a date or setting rule. | https://www.hindscountyms.com/sites/default/files/localrules-1.pdf |
| MEC and PAMEC | Attorneys file through MEC. Read-only PAMEC remote access requires registration and fees, and filed documents can be viewed free at the chancery clerk's office during regular business hours. | https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php. MEC helpdesk: 601-576-4650 or [email protected]. |
| Mississippi Judiciary chancery courts page | Lists the twenty chancery court districts, shows Hinds County as the whole of the 5th Chancery Court District, and links the statewide Chancery Clerk Cover Sheet. | https://courts.ms.gov/trialcourts/chancerycourt/chancerycourt.php |
| Uniform Chancery Court Rules | Rules for Mississippi fiduciary matters, including UCCR 6.02, UCCR 6.14, UCCR 6.15 and UCCR 9.03. | https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/uniform_chancery_rules.pdf |
| Mississippi Center for Legal Services, Jackson office | The civil legal aid provider for Hinds County. Use it to check eligibility and ask what help is available. Estate administration is not listed among its published matter types, so do not assume representation for a probate. | Intake hotline 1-800-519-2915. Jackson office: 414 South State Street, The Dixie Building, Third Floor, Jackson, MS 39205. Phone 601-948-6752, toll free 1-800-498-1804, fax 601-948-6757. Directory: mslegalservices.org. |
| mslegalservices.org | Public legal information site maintained by Mississippi's civil legal aid providers, with a directory searchable by service area. | https://www.mslegalservices.org/find-legal-help/directory/area |
| Mississippi Bar lawyer directory | A way to look for a Mississippi attorney, which UCCR 6.02 requires for a full Hinds County estate. | https://www.msbar.org/for-the-public/pro-bono-resources/ |
When to hire an attorney
In a Hinds County full estate, retaining counsel is a rule, not a preference. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02(A) requires every fiduciary, unless licensed to practice law in Mississippi, to retain an attorney for representation, advice and assistance during the entire appointment, and UCCR 6.02(B) has the chancellor approve the fee (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159). The counterweight is the $75,000 small estate affidavit, effective July 1, 2020, under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322: because it creates no fiduciary appointment and is not filed with any court, it needs no attorney. A Hinds County family that cannot afford counsel should check eligibility with Mississippi Center for Legal Services through mslegalservices.org or 1-800-519-2915, understanding that estate administration may not be a matter it accepts. Sunset connects you to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 institutions to help identify accounts, insurance, debts and property before the Hinds County estate settlement path is chosen.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset organizes the information into a packet the attorney can use with the Hinds County Chancery Clerk, the local estate checklist and the Uniform Chancery Court Rules.
Find a local probate attorney. Mississippi requires an executor or administrator to retain counsel under UCCR 6.02, so Sunset helps connect families with a vetted attorney who handles Hinds County matters in Jackson and Raymond.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset helps families move from asset discovery to attorney-ready estate settlement without charging families for the support.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Hinds County, Mississippi?
File with the Hinds County Chancery Clerk at a Hinds County courthouse. The First Judicial District office is at the Hinds County Chancery Court Building, 316 South President Street, Jackson, MS 39201, with the court department at 601-968-6540. The Second Judicial District office is in the Main Street annex building in Raymond, mapped by the county to 127 West Main Street, Raymond, MS 39154, with phone 601-857-8055. Hinds County has two judicial districts, and chancery court is held in both (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159; Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(1)). Venue is county-based under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-1 and Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-63, so call the clerk to ask which counter should take the case.
Why does Hinds County have two courthouses for probate?
Hinds County is one of the Mississippi counties with two judicial districts. The First Judicial District sits in Jackson and the Second Judicial District sits in Raymond, and Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(1) requires chancery court to be held within each judicial district of a county that has two. The case caption includes a blank for the judicial district, so ask the chancery clerk before filing.
Do I need a lawyer to probate an estate in Hinds County?
For a full estate, yes. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02(A) requires every fiduciary who is not licensed to practice law in Mississippi to retain an attorney for the entire appointment, and the chancellor approves the fee (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159). Hinds County's own estate checklist is signed by the attorney for the estate. The small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective July 1, 2020, can be used for a $75,000 personal-property probate estate after 30 days and is not filed with any court.
What does it cost to open an estate in Hinds County?
Hinds County does not publish a chancery estate filing total. Ask the chancery clerk for the current amount before filing. Under Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 text effective until December 31, 2027, the statutory floor is an $85.00 clerk fee for a civil case that includes an estate of a deceased person, plus $10.00, $40.00 and $5.00 statutory assessments, for $140.00. Hinds County says sheriff service, certified mail and newspaper publication are added when needed, and the deposit is paid when the petition is filed (UCCR 9.01).
Can I e-file a Hinds County probate case?
Attorneys file through Mississippi Electronic Courts, MEC, after the case is opened. A self-represented party may have read-only PAMEC access but may not file electronically. Every estate starts with a paper filing at the chancery clerk's counter, so the petition and original will go to Jackson or Raymond even when the later file runs through MEC. Start at https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php; the MEC helpdesk is 601-576-4650.
Does Hinds County have its own probate forms?
The petition is drafted by the attorney required by UCCR 6.02, and Mississippi publishes no statewide probate form packet. Hinds County publishes a Procedural Checklist for Administration of Estate, which the attorney initials and files, and it also publishes local chancery court rules (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159). The county's GAP Act forms are guardianship and conservatorship forms, not decedent estate forms. Hinds County publishes no local small estate affidavit form under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322.
How do I look up a Hinds County chancery estate case?
Hinds County does not publish a local chancery estate case search. Use MEC and PAMEC at https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php. Remote viewing requires a registered account and fees apply, while documents filed in the system can be viewed free at the chancery clerk's office during regular business hours.
How does a Hinds County estate get in front of a chancellor?
The chancery clerk gives the estate a sequential number when it is filed, and that number assigns the case to one of the four divisions in rotation. Hinds County sets chancery cases through the court administrator, not the clerk. Matters requiring testimony or lasting more than ten minutes are set through 601-968-6521 or 601-714-6309, and short matters are heard in chambers on a division's weekly ex parte morning by appointment. Confirm current practice before planning around a date (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159).
Can I attend a Hinds County probate hearing by phone or video?
Ask the chancery clerk or court administrator before planning around phone or video attendance. The answer is set by the chancellor and local practice (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159). Hinds County publishes remote hearing material for another court, but not for chancery estate matters, and the chancery local rules say orders should be presented in person unless prior arrangements have been made.
Do I have to travel to Jackson to settle a Hinds County estate?
Not always. If the estate qualifies for the $75,000 small estate affidavit, effective July 1, 2020, under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, there is no court filing because the affidavit is presented to the holder of the personal property. If letters are needed, a Mississippi attorney must be retained under UCCR 6.02 and the opening petition goes over the counter on paper, but you should ask the attorney, clerk or court administrator what personal attendance is required.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.