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Lee County, MS Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Lee County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Lee County Chancery Court. Probate in Mississippi belongs in chancery court, not circuit court, because matters testamentary and of administration are within chancery jurisdiction (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159). |
| Probate filings go to | Lee County Chancery Clerk, Lee County Justice Center, 200 West Jefferson Street, Tupelo, MS 38804. Call 662-432-2100 and say the call is about an estate. |
| Chancery court district | Mississippi's First Chancery Court District, with Alcorn, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tishomingo and Union counties. The district assigns chancellors, but a Lee County case is filed in Tupelo. |
| Mailing address | Lee County Chancery Clerk, P.O. Box 7127, Tupelo, MS 38802. |
| Phone | 662-432-2100. |
| Fax | 662-680-6091. The number is published for the office, but a petition should not be faxed unless the clerk specifically instructs otherwise. |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. Call 662-432-2100 before travelling if a deadline is close. |
| Filing fee | Under the text of Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 effective until December 31, 2027, opening an estate of deceased carries an $85.00 chancery clerk fee, plus $10.00 to the Comprehensive Electronic Court Systems Fund, $40.00 to the Judicial System Operation Fund and $5.00 to the Civil Legal Assistance Fund, a $140.00 statutory floor. County totals may be higher, so confirm the current Lee County amount with the chancery clerk before writing the check. |
| Attorney required | Yes for a full estate. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires a fiduciary, unless licensed to practice law in Mississippi, to retain an attorney for the entire appointment. The $75,000 small estate affidavit, effective July 1, 2020, is a separate route under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 that needs no court filing and no attorney. |
| Local forms | Lee County does not publish a local estate packet. The Mississippi Judiciary links a chancery clerk cover sheet, and the First Chancery Court District publishes order forms an attorney may use to set or reset a hearing. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through Mississippi Electronic Courts at courts.ms.gov/mec. A self-represented party may have read-only public access, but the estate starts with a paper filing at the Lee County Chancery Clerk's counter. |
| Case search | Use Mississippi Electronic Courts and PAMEC at courts.ms.gov/mec for court access. Filed civil documents may be viewed without charge at the chancery clerk's office during business hours, with copy charges if copies are needed. Lee County's online chancery records portal is for land records, not estate cases. |
| Remote appearance | Ask the Lee County Chancery Clerk or the attorney handling the estate. The First Chancery Court District posts its calendar and dockets, but the chancellor and district practice control hearing arrangements. |
| Website | https://leecountyms.com/chancery-clerk/ |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before choosing a Lee County estate settlement path, list the accounts, debts, heirs, beneficiaries and how each account or parcel is titled. The Lee County Chancery Clerk receives the filing in Tupelo and keeps the record, but the petition must arrive complete and the clerk cannot provide legal advice.
Sunset can help organize the estate settlement work before the filing is made. Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 institutions, helping families find accounts and property that affect whether a court filing, a muniment of title petition or the Mississippi small estate affidavit is the right path.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Lee County probate is filed with the Lee County Chancery Clerk at the Lee County Justice Center, 200 West Jefferson Street, Tupelo, MS 38804. The courthouse serves Tupelo and communities including Saltillo, Verona, Shannon, Guntown, Plantersville and Sherman.
For a will, Mississippi venue is the chancery court of the county where the testator had a fixed place of residence, with the statute's own land fallback (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-1). For an intestate estate, letters of administration are granted by the chancery court of the county where the intestate had a fixed place of residence, with a different set of statutory fallbacks (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-63). Chancery court is held in every county (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(1)).
Lee County sits in Mississippi's First Chancery Court District, along with Alcorn, Itawamba, Monroe, Pontotoc, Prentiss, Tishomingo and Union counties. That district structure is how chancellors are assigned; it does not move a Lee County filing out of Tupelo.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, the original will if there is one, account information, debts, real property information and the names and addresses of heirs and beneficiaries.
- Choose the route. If the entire probate estate is $75,000 or less, excluding liens and encumbrances, and 30 days have passed, the small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 is presented to the bank, employer or other holder and is not filed with the court. If there is a will devising Mississippi real property and all known debts are paid, muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35 may fit. Otherwise, use full administration in chancery court.
- For a full estate, retain a Mississippi attorney unless the fiduciary is personally licensed to practice law in Mississippi. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires the fiduciary to retain an attorney for the entire appointment.
- The attorney prepares the petition. A petition to probate a will must attach a copy of the will as an exhibit (UCCR 6.15), and fiduciary filings must be personally signed and sworn (UCCR 6.14).
- File the petition on paper with the Lee County Chancery Clerk at the Lee County Justice Center, 200 West Jefferson Street, Tupelo, MS 38804, or use the mailing address the clerk provides if the attorney and clerk confirm mail filing. Ask which cover form the clerk wants. The court cost deposit is due with the petition under UCCR 9.01 and Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9.
- Use the clerk's payment instructions. Checks are payable to the Lee County Chancery Clerk, and the office accepts cash, checks, money orders and credit or debit cards with a 2.9 percent charge added.
- Leave the original will with the clerk. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 9.03 requires the clerk to keep original wills safely in the clerk's office vault.
- The chancery court, or the chancery clerk in vacation, meaning between court terms, subject to court approval, may admit a 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). The clerk's act is not final until approved by the court (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-147).
- If a hearing is needed, the case is assigned at random to one of the First Chancery Court District's four chancellors when it is filed. The attorney obtains a setting through the district's order process and checks the district calendar.
- After letters are granted, the executor or administrator makes reasonably diligent efforts to identify creditors, mails notice to known creditors, files the diligent-search affidavit and then publishes notice to creditors for three consecutive weeks (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-145).
- Creditors probate and register claims with the clerk. Claims not registered within 90 days after the first publication are barred (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-151).
- The fiduciary administers the estate, deals with debts, taxes, property and any required accountings, then seeks the chancery court's final decree of distribution and discharge.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Lee County
Mississippi provides chancery procedure through the Uniform Chancery Court Rules and a chancery clerk cover sheet, but the petition for a Lee County estate is drafted by the attorney required under UCCR 6.02. Lee County does not publish a local estate packet or a local small estate affidavit form.
The First Chancery Court District publishes order forms used to set or reset a hearing. Those are court-side setting forms for lawyers and the court, not a do-it-yourself estate packet. The district also links the Mississippi court materials a lawyer will use when preparing a filing.
For a will, the petition must attach a copy of the will as an exhibit (UCCR 6.15). Fiduciary pleadings, accounts, inventories and reports must be personally signed and sworn (UCCR 6.14). Before travelling to Tupelo, ask the Lee County Chancery Clerk which cover form and payment format should accompany the filing.
Fees
Lee County does not provide a local chancery estate price table in the materials used for families, so the safest fee planning step is to call the Lee County Chancery Clerk at 662-432-2100 before writing the check. Under the text of Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 effective until December 31, 2027, the statutory floor for opening an estate of deceased is $85.00 for the chancery clerk, plus $10.00, $40.00 and $5.00 in statutory assessments, for a $140.00 floor. The county's actual total may be higher.
| Local cost item | Lee County rule |
|---|---|
| Copies made by the public | $0.25 per page under the text of Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 effective until December 31, 2027. |
| Copies made by clerk staff | $0.50 per page under the text of Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 effective until December 31, 2027. |
| Certified copy | $1.00 to certify a complete document under the text of Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 effective until December 31, 2027. |
| Payment methods | The clerk accepts cash, checks, money orders and credit or debit cards for court cost. A 2.9 percent charge is added to card payments. |
| Payee | Checks are made payable to the Lee County Chancery Clerk. |
| Publication and service charges | Publication of notice to creditors is a newspaper cost, not the court's own price. If the filer wants the clerk to pay service or publication costs, the clerk may demand the actual charges at filing under Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9(4), in the text effective until December 31, 2027. |
The clerk's separate recording schedule is for land records. Do not add land-recording charges to an estate filing unless the clerk or attorney says a particular probate document also must be recorded.
Timeline
- When the estate petition is filed, a Lee County chancery matter is assigned at random to one of the First Chancery Court District's four chancellors under UCCR 1.06(A).
- The attorney obtains a hearing setting when one is needed. The district publishes blank order forms for setting a matter and for continuing or resetting a matter.
- The district asks that signed orders of setting, and requests to take a case off the docket, be emailed in PDF to [email protected]. That address is for settings and docket removals, not for filing a petition.
- The First Chancery Court District calendar shows which chancellor is sitting in Lee County on particular days and links hearing dockets for dates that have one. The calendar rotates, so do not assume a fixed Lee County hearing day.
- Other scheduling questions go through the attorney and the office of the chancellor assigned to the case. Ask before making travel plans, especially if you hope to avoid travelling to Tupelo.
Local nuance
Lee County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Lee County estate |
|---|---|
| Use the Lee County Justice Center | Estate filings go to 200 West Jefferson Street in Tupelo, not to the county administration address that appears in the county website footer. |
| The district has its own court website | The First Chancery Court District site at 1stchanceryms.com is linked by the Lee County Chancery Clerk and publishes the district calendar, day dockets and hearing-setting forms. |
| No fixed Lee County hearing day | The district calendar rotates among counties and chancellors. Check the calendar and follow the assigned chancellor's setting process. |
| Settings are handled by order | The district publishes an email address for orders of setting and requests to remove matters from the docket. It is not a place to file the estate petition. |
| Random chancellor assignment | In this multi-chancellor district, civil cases are assigned randomly at filing under UCCR 1.06(A). |
| One office handles court records and land records | The Lee County Chancery Clerk keeps chancery court records and land records, so tell the office your question is about an estate when you call 662-432-2100. |
| The online chancery records portal is for land | Lee County Chancery Records Online is a land-records index. Use courts.ms.gov/mec, the district dockets or the clerk's counter for estate case information. |
| Passport hours are different | The clerk posts a shorter passport window, but that is not a chancery filing cutoff. The office hours for the clerk are Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. |
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| June 19, 2023 | Every Mississippi chancery court, including Lee County Chancery Court, was on Mississippi Electronic Courts. Access information is at courts.ms.gov/mec. |
| June 30, 2025 | The statewide Mississippi trial court electronic filing and case management rollout was completed. Attorneys file through MEC, while estate cases still begin with a paper filing at the chancery clerk's counter. |
| July 1, 2020 | The small estate affidavit amount became $75,000 under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, and muniment of title was revised under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35. |
| April 18, 2024 | The Uniform Chancery Court Rules were revised and amended, including rules that govern fiduciary filings and the attorney requirement. |
| January 1, 2026 | Mississippi's two legal aid providers use separate intake numbers: North Mississippi Rural Legal Services at 1-800-898-8731 and Mississippi Center for Legal Services at 1-800-519-2915. Use mslegalservices.org to check service area. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Lee County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start with the deed. If survivorship keeps the home outside the estate and the remaining probate property is personal property within the $75,000 amount effective July 1, 2020 under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, the affidavit may settle the rest without a Tupelo filing. If a will devises the home and all known debts are paid, muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35 may be the court path. | Sunset helps identify accounts, debts and title issues so the spouse and attorney can see whether the house, accounts or both need a chancery filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If 30 days have passed and the whole probate estate is $75,000 or less, excluding liens and encumbrances, under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, the affidavit is handed to the bank, employer or other holder and is not filed in Tupelo. If letters are needed, a Mississippi attorney is required under UCCR 6.02 and the petition is filed on paper with the Lee County Chancery Clerk. | Sunset organizes institutions, statements and family information before the attorney prepares the petition or before the family uses the affidavit route. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | The affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 cannot transfer the house. If there is a will and all known debts are paid, muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35 may fit; otherwise the parent should expect full administration in Lee County Chancery Court. The chancellor fixes fiduciary compensation and attorney fees under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-299, and fees may not be based on the value of real property under UCCR 6.12(B). | Sunset helps collect title, account and creditor information and connects the family with a vetted Mississippi probate attorney for the required filing. |
Self-help resources
Lee County does not have a probate self-help center for estate filings. Use these resources for filing logistics, court scheduling, public access and eligibility screening, and rely on an attorney for legal advice in a full estate.
| Resource | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Lee County Chancery Clerk | Lee County Justice Center, 200 West Jefferson Street, Tupelo, MS 38804. Mail to P.O. Box 7127, Tupelo, MS 38802. Phone 662-432-2100. Fax 662-680-6091. The office receives estate filings, keeps chancery court records and can answer filing logistics, but cannot provide legal advice. |
| First Chancery Court District of Mississippi | 1stchanceryms.com publishes the district calendar, day dockets, setting forms and the court administrator's contact number, 662-432-2130. |
| Mississippi Judiciary chancery court page | courts.ms.gov/trialcourts/chancerycourt/chancerycourt.php lists the twenty chancery court districts and links the chancery clerk cover sheet. |
| Uniform Chancery Court Rules | These rules govern fiduciary matters, including the attorney requirement in UCCR 6.02, the signed and sworn filing rule in UCCR 6.14, the will exhibit rule in UCCR 6.15 and the original-will custody rule in UCCR 9.03. |
| Mississippi Electronic Courts and PAMEC | Use courts.ms.gov/mec for MEC and PAMEC information. Attorneys file through MEC. Public users may register for read-only access, and filed civil documents may be viewed at the clerk's office during business hours. MEC helpdesk: [email protected] or 601-576-4650. |
| mslegalservices.org | The public legal-information site maintained by Mississippi's two legal aid providers includes a directory by service area at www.mslegalservices.org/find-legal-help/directory/area. |
| North Mississippi Rural Legal Services | Intake hotline 1-800-898-8731. Call center hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:30 to 3:30. Lee County is not named on an office page, so use mslegalservices.org to check service area. It is a place to check eligibility, not a guarantee of estate representation. |
| Mississippi Center for Legal Services | Intake hotline 1-800-519-2915. Lee County is not named on an office page, so a Lee County family should use mslegalservices.org or try both hotlines rather than assume which provider covers Tupelo. |
When to hire an attorney
In Mississippi, this is a rule, not just a recommendation: Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02(A) requires every fiduciary, unless licensed to practice law in Mississippi, to retain an attorney for the entire term of appointment, and the chancellor fixes the attorney's compensation. The counterweight is the $75,000 small estate affidavit, effective July 1, 2020, under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322: it is not a court filing, creates no fiduciary appointment and needs no attorney. A Lee County family that cannot afford counsel should check eligibility through mslegalservices.org, North Mississippi Rural Legal Services at 1-800-898-8731 and Mississippi Center for Legal Services at 1-800-519-2915, while understanding that estate administration may not be a service they accept. Sunset connects the family to a vetted local probate attorney, which in Mississippi is the step the rules require for a full estate.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help identify bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance, retirement assets and other property that affect the estate settlement plan.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps organize the family, asset and debt information the Mississippi attorney needs to prepare the Lee County chancery filing and related estate settlement documents.
Find a local probate attorney. Because UCCR 6.02 requires a fiduciary to retain counsel for a full Mississippi estate, Sunset can connect families with a vetted attorney who understands Lee County Chancery Court practice.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to get organized, understand the Lee County filing path and move from confusion to a concrete next step without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Lee County?
File a Lee County estate with the Lee County Chancery Clerk at the Lee County Justice Center, 200 West Jefferson Street, Tupelo, MS 38804. Probate belongs in chancery court in Mississippi (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159).
Do I file with the chancery clerk or the circuit clerk in Tupelo?
Use the chancery clerk. Mississippi circuit courts do not hear probate; a will is proved and letters are granted in the chancery court. The Lee County Chancery Clerk's phone is 662-432-2100.
What does it cost to open an estate in Lee County?
Under the text of Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 effective until December 31, 2027, the statutory floor is $85.00 for the chancery clerk, plus $10.00, $40.00 and $5.00 in statutory assessments, for a $140.00 floor. Lee County's current total may be higher, so call 662-432-2100 before writing the check.
When is the Lee County Chancery Clerk's office open?
The office is open Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. If you are travelling to Tupelo near a deadline, call 662-432-2100 before you go.
Do I need a lawyer to settle an estate in Lee County?
For a full estate, yes unless the fiduciary is licensed to practice law in Mississippi. UCCR 6.02 requires the fiduciary to retain an attorney. The $75,000 small estate affidavit, effective July 1, 2020, under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 is different because it is presented to the property holder and is not filed with the court.
Can I file Lee County estate paperwork online?
No for opening the estate. Attorneys use Mississippi Electronic Courts at courts.ms.gov/mec after registration, but an estate begins with a paper filing at the chancery clerk's counter. A self-represented party may have read-only public access through PAMEC, not electronic filing access.
How do I look up a Lee County estate case?
Use the Mississippi Electronic Courts hub at courts.ms.gov/mec and its PAMEC public access component for remote access, or view filed civil documents at the Lee County Chancery Clerk's office during business hours. The Lee County Chancery Records Online portal is for land records, not estate case lookup.
Does Lee County have its own probate forms?
Lee County does not publish a local estate packet. The Mississippi Judiciary links a chancery clerk cover sheet, and the First Chancery Court District publishes order forms for setting or resetting hearings. The estate petition is prepared by the attorney required under UCCR 6.02.
How does a Lee County chancery hearing get set?
The case is assigned at random to one of the First Chancery Court District's four chancellors under UCCR 1.06(A). When a hearing is needed, the attorney obtains a setting, the district uses orders of setting, and the district calendar shows which chancellor is sitting in Lee County on particular dates.
Will I have to travel to Tupelo?
Not for the small estate affidavit route under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, because that affidavit is presented to the bank, employer or other holder rather than filed with the court. For a chancery filing, ask the Lee County Chancery Clerk and your attorney about signatures, paper filing and any hearing arrangements before making travel plans.
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.