Back to Mississippi
Prentiss County, MS Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Prentiss County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Prentiss County Chancery Court. Mississippi chancery courts handle matters testamentary and of administration (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159). |
| Probate filings go to | Prentiss County Chancery Clerk, 100 North Main Street, Booneville, MS 38829. The county also lists chancery court at the Prentiss County Government Annex, 200 Bridge Street, Booneville, MS 38829, so call before travelling to confirm the correct filing door. |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 477, Booneville, MS 38829. |
| Phone | 662-728-8151. |
| Fax | 662-728-2007. |
| [email protected], used here as the chancery clerk office contact. | |
| Hours | Call 662-728-8151 before travelling to confirm current counter hours, lunch closures and filing cutoffs. |
| Filing fee | Prentiss County does not list a readable estate total on its county site. Under the text of Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 effective until December 31, 2027, opening an estate includes 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, for a $140.00 statutory floor. Confirm the current county total with the clerk. |
| Attorney required | Yes for a full estate. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires an executor or administrator, as a fiduciary, to retain an attorney unless the fiduciary is licensed to practice law in Mississippi. The $75,000 small estate affidavit, effective since July 1, 2020, is handled outside court under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 and needs no attorney. |
| Local forms | Prentiss County does not list a probate petition packet or local small estate affidavit on the county site. Use the Mississippi chancery clerk cover sheet and attorney-drafted pleadings. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through Mississippi Electronic Courts, MEC. A self-represented party may hold a read-only PAMEC account, but estate cases begin with a paper filing at the chancery clerk counter. MEC and PAMEC information is at courts.ms.gov/mec. |
| Case search | Use MEC and PAMEC through courts.ms.gov/mec. Remote PAMEC access requires a registered account and fees may apply; free viewing is available at the chancery clerk office during regular business hours. The county land-records portal is not the estate case search. |
| Remote appearance | Ask the Prentiss County Chancery Clerk whether the chancellor allows phone or video attendance for a particular setting. Prentiss County is in the 1st Chancery Court District, and chancery court authority comes from Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159. |
| Website | https://www.prentisscounty.org |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before opening a Prentiss County estate settlement, list what the person owned, what was jointly held, what had a beneficiary, what debts are known and whether there is an original will. Mississippi uses different paths for full administration, a small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 and muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35.
Sunset can help organize the estate settlement work before anything is filed in Booneville. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help identify accounts, insurance, retirement assets and other property that may affect the right Mississippi path.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Prentiss County probate filings are made with the Prentiss County Chancery Clerk in Booneville. The filing counter is local even though Prentiss County is part of Mississippi's 1st Chancery Court District, which also includes Alcorn, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, Pontotoc, Tishomingo and Union counties. A chancery court district groups chancellors; it does not send a Prentiss County estate to another county. Chancery court is held in each county (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(1)), and Mississippi chancery courts handle matters testamentary and of administration (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159).
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 land fallback if there was no fixed place of residence (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 the statute's own different fallbacks (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-63).
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, the original will if there is one, asset information, debt information and names and addresses for heirs, devisees and known creditors.
- Choose the Mississippi path before filing. If the entire probate estate is $75,000 or less, excluding liens and encumbrances, and 30 days have passed since death, a successor may use the small estate affidavit by presenting it to the bank, employer or other holder, without opening a case (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322). If there is a will and Mississippi real property, muniment of title may fit when the requirements of Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35 are met. Otherwise, use full administration.
- For full administration, retain an attorney. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires every fiduciary, unless licensed to practice law in Mississippi, 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 pleadings, accounts, inventories and reports must be personally signed and sworn by the fiduciary (UCCR 6.14).
- File on paper with the Prentiss County Chancery Clerk in Booneville, using the chancery clerk cover sheet and the court cost deposit required by UCCR 9.01 and Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9. Bring the original will, because the clerk keeps original wills securely unless a chancellor orders otherwise (UCCR 9.03).
- The chancery court, or the chancery clerk in vacation, meaning between court terms, subject to court approval, admits the will in common form and grants letters testamentary or letters of administration (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 91-7-1, 91-7-63, 9-5-141, 9-5-147). Bond may be required under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-41.
- After letters are granted, the executor or administrator makes reasonably diligent efforts to identify creditors, mails required notices, files the diligent-search affidavit and then publishes the notice to creditors for three consecutive weeks (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-145).
- Creditors probate and register claims with the chancery clerk. Claims not registered within 90 days after first publication are barred under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-151.
- The personal representative gathers assets, pays allowed debts and expenses, handles required tax filings, accounts to the court and seeks a final decree of distribution and discharge through counsel.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Prentiss County
Mississippi provides a statewide chancery clerk cover sheet and the Uniform Chancery Court Rules, but petitions in a full Prentiss County estate are drafted by the attorney required by UCCR 6.02. The county site does not list a Prentiss County probate petition packet or local small estate affidavit.
Call the Prentiss County Chancery Clerk at 662-728-8151 before filing to confirm the current cover sheet, payee, filing address and whether the clerk wants any additional local cover material. The county's listed recording tools and document-format materials relate to land records, not estate pleadings.
Local nuance
Prentiss County-specific considerations
| Local point | What to do |
|---|---|
| Two Booneville addresses appear on county pages | The chancery clerk page lists 100 North Main Street, while the county courts page lists chancery court at the Prentiss County Government Annex, 200 Bridge Street. Use the clerk office contact for filings and call 662-728-8151 to confirm the correct filing door before travelling. |
| Land-records portal is not the case search | The county links an online public records and deed notification system for land records. Estate case lookup should use MEC and PAMEC at courts.ms.gov/mec, with free viewing available at the chancery clerk office during regular business hours. |
| Single Prentiss County filing counter | Prentiss County is not one of Mississippi's counties with two judicial districts. File the county estate in Booneville, even though Prentiss County sits in the 1st Chancery Court District with several other counties. |
Recent updates
| Date | Update |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2026 | North Mississippi Rural Legal Services and Mississippi Center for Legal Services use separate intake numbers. Prentiss County is not assigned on either provider's office county list, so use the service-area lookup at mslegalservices.org and the two numbers, 1-800-898-8731 and 1-800-519-2915. |
| June 30, 2025 | The Mississippi Judiciary announced completion of statewide electronic filing across Mississippi courts. All chancery courts had already been implemented in MEC as of June 19, 2023. MEC and PAMEC information is at courts.ms.gov/mec. |
| April 18, 2024 | The Uniform Chancery Court Rules were revised and amended. UCCR 6.02 remains central for Mississippi estates because a fiduciary must retain an attorney unless licensed to practice law in Mississippi. |
| July 1, 2020 | The small estate affidavit amount became $75,000 under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, and the muniment of title procedure was rewritten under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Prentiss County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by checking how the home was titled and whether it passes outside the estate. If the remaining probate personal property is $75,000 or less, excluding liens and encumbrances, the small estate affidavit may settle those assets after 30 days with the holder, not the court (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322). If a will devises Mississippi real property and all known debts are paid, muniment of title may be considered under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35. | Sunset helps find accounts, identify beneficiary assets and prepare an organized estate settlement summary for the attorney or for the holder receiving a small estate affidavit. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If 30 days have passed and the entire probate estate is $75,000 or less, excluding liens and encumbrances, the child may use the small estate affidavit with the bank or other holder under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322. If letters are needed, a Mississippi attorney is required for the fiduciary under UCCR 6.02, and the filing starts on paper in Booneville. | Sunset helps determine whether there are enough assets or institutions involved to require letters, then helps assemble the estate settlement packet for Prentiss County counsel. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | The small estate affidavit does not transfer the house. If there is a will and the requirements are met, counsel may consider muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35. Without that fit, full administration in the Prentiss County Chancery Court is likely, with an attorney required by UCCR 6.02. The chancellor fixes fiduciary and attorney compensation under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-299, and fees may not be based on the value of real property under UCCR 6.12(B), with chancery court authority under Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159. | Sunset helps locate financial accounts, organize property and debt information and connect the family with a local probate attorney. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps in Prentiss County |
|---|---|
| Prentiss County Chancery Clerk | Call 662-728-8151 for the filing door, current hours, fee total, cover sheet practice and whether the chancellor permits phone or video attendance for a particular setting. The clerk accepts filings but cannot provide legal advice. |
| Prentiss County website | Use https://www.prentisscounty.org for the county's chancery clerk and courts pages, including the Booneville contact information. |
| Mississippi Judiciary chancery court page | Use the Judiciary's chancery court materials for the statewide chancery clerk cover sheet and chancery court structure. Mississippi chancery courts handle probate matters under Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159. |
| Uniform Chancery Court Rules | Use the rules to understand fiduciary filing duties, attorney retention under UCCR 6.02, sworn filings and original-will handling. |
| MEC and PAMEC | Use courts.ms.gov/mec for Mississippi Electronic Courts and Public Access to Mississippi Electronic Courts. Attorneys file through MEC; public users have read-only PAMEC access, and free viewing is available at the clerk office during regular business hours. |
| mslegalservices.org directory | Prentiss County is not assigned on the providers' office county lists. Use the directory-by-service-area lookup at mslegalservices.org/find-legal-help/directory/area. |
| North Mississippi Rural Legal Services | Call 1-800-898-8731, with call center hours Monday through Thursday, 9:30 to 3:30. The organization may not take estate administration matters. |
| Mississippi Center for Legal Services | Call 1-800-519-2915. The organization may not take estate administration matters, but it is one of the two provider contacts to check through mslegalservices.org for Prentiss County. |
When to hire an attorney
In a full Mississippi estate, UCCR 6.02(A) requires every fiduciary, unless licensed to practice law in Mississippi, to retain an attorney for the entire term of the appointment. The chancellor fixes the attorney fee. The counterweight is the $75,000 small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective since July 1, 2020, which is presented to the holder of personal property and needs no court filing and no attorney. Families 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 those organizations may not take estate matters. Sunset connects families with 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, retirement accounts, insurance, investments and other assets that shape the Prentiss County estate settlement plan.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you gather into an organized estate settlement packet your Mississippi attorney can use for the petition, asset list, family information and filing checklist.
Find a local probate attorney. Because UCCR 6.02 requires a fiduciary to retain counsel for a full Mississippi estate, Sunset helps connect families with a vetted probate attorney familiar with Prentiss County and Mississippi chancery practice.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset does not charge families to use its estate settlement tools or to be connected with a probate attorney.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for a Prentiss County resident?
File with the Prentiss County Chancery Clerk in Booneville. Mississippi chancery courts handle matters testamentary and of administration (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159), and venue for a will depends on the testator's fixed place of residence under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-1.
Which Booneville address should I use for the Prentiss County Chancery Clerk?
The clerk office page lists 100 North Main Street, Booneville, MS 38829, with mailing to P.O. Box 477, Booneville, MS 38829. The county courts page also lists chancery court at the Prentiss County Government Annex, 200 Bridge Street. Call 662-728-8151 before travelling to confirm the correct filing door.
What is the Prentiss County probate filing fee?
Prentiss County does not list a readable estate total on the county site. Under the text of Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 effective until December 31, 2027, the statutory floor is $140.00, made up of the $85.00 chancery clerk fee and $10.00, $40.00 and $5.00 statutory assessments. Call the chancery clerk for the current county total.
Can I file a Prentiss County estate electronically?
Attorneys file later documents through MEC, but every estate case begins with a conventional paper filing at the chancery clerk counter. A self-represented party may hold a read-only PAMEC account but does not file electronically unless that person is an attorney admitted for the court. MEC and PAMEC information is at courts.ms.gov/mec.
How do I look up a Prentiss County estate case?
Use MEC and PAMEC through courts.ms.gov/mec. Remote PAMEC access requires registration and fees may apply. Free viewing is available at the Prentiss County Chancery Clerk office during regular business hours. The county's land-records portal is not the estate case system.
Does Prentiss County publish local probate forms?
The county site does not list a Prentiss County probate petition packet or local small estate affidavit. Mississippi uses the chancery clerk cover sheet and attorney-drafted pleadings for full estates. The $75,000 small estate affidavit route is governed by Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322.
Can I attend a Prentiss County chancery hearing by phone or video?
Ask the Prentiss County Chancery Clerk and the attorney handling the case. Remote attendance depends on the chancellor and 1st Chancery Court District practice, with chancery court authority under Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159.
Do I have to travel to Booneville for a small estate?
If the matter fits the $75,000 small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, effective since July 1, 2020, the affidavit is presented to the bank, employer or other holder of personal property after 30 days. That path is outside court. If letters testamentary or letters of administration are needed, the filing is in Booneville and the fiduciary must retain an attorney under UCCR 6.02, with letters granted under Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-141 and subject to court approval under Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-147.
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.