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Warren County, MS Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Warren County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Warren County Chancery Court. Mississippi chancery courts have jurisdiction over matters testamentary and of administration (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159). |
| Probate filings go to | Warren County Chancery Clerk, 1009 Cherry Street, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39183. |
| Mailing address | Warren County Chancery Clerk, P.O. Box 351, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39183-2539. |
| Phone | (601) 636-4415. Ask for the chancery court desk and say the matter involves an estate. |
| Fax | (601) 630-8185. |
| [email protected]. | |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except legal holidays. No separate filing cutoff is published by the clerk. |
| Website | Warren County Chancery Clerk. |
| Filing fee | Warren County's chancery clerk schedule, revised effective January 1, 2020, lists $158.00 for an estate of deceased and $148.00 for muniment of title only. Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027, accounts for a $140.00 floor: $85.00 for an estate of deceased, plus $10.00, $40.00 and $5.00 in statutory assessments. Confirm the amount before filing. |
| Local forms | Warren County publishes a dated chancery court fee schedule, but no Warren County probate petition packet or small estate affidavit appears on the chancery clerk pages checked. Use the statewide chancery clerk cover sheet and attorney-drafted petition. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through Mississippi Electronic Courts. A self-represented party may have read-only PAMEC access, but estate cases open with a paper filing at the chancery clerk's counter. Start at courts.ms.gov/mec. |
| Case search | Use MEC and PAMEC through courts.ms.gov/mec. Remote access requires a registered PAMEC account and fees may apply. Free viewing of filed civil documents is available at the chancery clerk's office during regular business hours. |
| Remote appearance | Set by the chancellor and 9th Chancery Court District practice. Ask the Warren County Chancery Clerk about the annual term order posted under Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(2) and any hearing instructions. |
| 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, under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 needs no court filing and no attorney. |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before opening an estate settlement in Warren County, make a practical list of the assets, debts, account holders, real property, vehicles, retirement accounts and insurance benefits. Mississippi procedure depends on what exists, whether there is an original will, whether letters testamentary or letters of administration are needed, and whether the estate can use a non-court route.
Sunset's estate settlement platform searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify accounts and assets before the attorney prepares the chancery filing. That information helps avoid opening a full Warren County administration when a small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 or a muniment of title petition under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35 fits the facts.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate for Warren County is filed with the Warren County Chancery Clerk at the Warren County Courthouse, 1009 Cherry Street, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39183. The courthouse serves Vicksburg and the surrounding communities of Warren County.
Mississippi venue rules use the decedent's fixed place of residence for a will, and wills are proved and letters testamentary are granted by the chancery court of that county (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-1). For an intestate estate, letters of administration follow a separate venue ladder that begins with the county where the decedent had a fixed place of residence (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-63). Chancery court is held in every county (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(1)); Warren County's placement in the 9th Chancery Court District affects chancellor assignment, not the Vicksburg filing counter.
The jurisdiction process
- Find the death certificate, the original will if there is one, and a first list of assets and debts. The original will must be delivered physically because original wills are kept by the clerk under UCCR 9.03.
- Choose the route. If at least 30 days have passed and the whole probate estate is $75,000 or less, excluding liens and encumbrances, the small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 is presented to the holder of personal property and is not a Warren County court filing. If the decedent left a will that devises Mississippi real property, all known debts are paid, and the statutory conditions are met, muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35 may avoid a full administration. Otherwise, use full administration in the Warren County Chancery Court.
- For a full estate, retain a Mississippi attorney unless the executor or administrator is licensed to practice law in Mississippi. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires the fiduciary to retain an attorney during the 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 must be personally signed and sworn by the fiduciary (UCCR 6.14).
- File on paper with the Warren County Chancery Clerk at 1009 Cherry Street in Vicksburg, or mail the filing to P.O. Box 351, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39183-2539. Include the chancery clerk cover sheet and the court cost deposit required by UCCR 9.01 and Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9. Warren County's schedule, revised effective January 1, 2020, lists $158.00 for an estate of deceased and $148.00 for muniment of title only, while Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027, accounts for a $140.00 statutory floor.
- The chancery court, or the chancery clerk in vacation subject to court approval, may admit the will to probate in common form and grant letters testamentary or letters of administration (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 91-7-1, 91-7-63, 9-5-141). The clerk's acts are not final until approved by the court (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-147).
- Address any bond ordered in the case. Mississippi law states the oath and bond requirement for an executor (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-41), but the required handling depends on the court's order and the estate documents.
- 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 only then publishes the 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 under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-151.
- Administer the estate, pay allowed debts and taxes, handle any required accounting, distribute property under the will or Mississippi law, and ask the court for a final decree of distribution and discharge.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Warren County
Mississippi uses the statewide chancery clerk cover sheet and the Uniform Chancery Court Rules, but it does not provide a statewide probate form packet for families to complete on their own. In a full Warren County estate, the petition is drafted by the attorney required under UCCR 6.02, and the filing is made with the Warren County Chancery Clerk in Vicksburg.
Warren County publishes a dated chancery court fee schedule, but no Warren County probate petition packet, probate instruction sheet, or small estate affidavit appears on the chancery clerk pages checked for this page. Bring the original will if there is one, ask the clerk which cover sheet is required, and confirm the current filing fee before the attorney files.
Fees
Warren County publishes a local chancery court fee schedule headed "WARREN COUNTY CHANCERY CLERK Revised Effective January 1, 2020." For probate-relevant filings, the schedule lists $158.00 for estate of deceased, $148.00 for muniment of title, $158.00 for heirship, and $158.00 for guardianship or conservatorship, each effective January 1, 2020.
Those county totals sit above the statutory floor. Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027, accounts for $140.00 on an estate filing: $85.00 for estate of deceased, $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. Warren's $158.00 estate total, effective January 1, 2020, is $18.00 above that $140.00 statutory floor, and the county schedule groups the difference inside its county and state assessment line. Confirm the current total with the chancery clerk before filing.
Publication and service costs are separate from the filing fee. Under Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9(4), the clerk may require the actual charges for service of process or newspaper publication at filing if the filing party asks the clerk to pay them.
Local nuance
Warren County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Warren County filing |
|---|---|
| Vicksburg filing counter | Warren County is a single-courthouse county. File Warren County estate papers with the Warren County Chancery Clerk at 1009 Cherry Street in Vicksburg. |
| Mailing address | Use P.O. Box 351, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39183-2539 for mail to the chancery clerk. The mailing address is distinct from the street address. |
| Chancery court desk | The office separates chancery court work from land records work. When calling (601) 636-4415, say the question involves an estate filing. |
| Published fee schedule | The county's schedule, revised effective January 1, 2020, lists $158.00 for an estate and $148.00 for muniment of title only. Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027, accounts for a $140.00 statutory floor, so confirm the current amount before filing. |
| Fax and email | The chancery clerk publishes fax (601) 630-8185 and email [email protected] for the office. |
Recent updates
| Date | Change |
|---|---|
| January 1, 2020 | Warren County's chancery court fee schedule was revised effective January 1, 2020. It lists $158.00 for an estate of deceased and $148.00 for muniment of title only, while Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027, accounts for a $140.00 statutory floor. |
| July 1, 2020 | The small estate affidavit amount became $75,000, excluding liens and encumbrances, and muniment of title was rewritten effective July 1, 2020 (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 91-7-322, 91-5-35). |
| June 19, 2023 | All Mississippi chancery courts, including Warren County's, were implemented in MEC. The statewide trial court rollout finished June 30, 2025. Start at courts.ms.gov/mec. |
| April 18, 2024 | The Uniform Chancery Court Rules were revised and amended, including rules that affect fiduciary filings and attorney involvement. |
| January 1, 2026 | Mississippi's two legal aid providers began using separate intake hotlines. Warren County's mapped provider is Mississippi Center for Legal Services, 1-800-519-2915, with information available through mslegalservices.org. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Warren County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start with the deed and account titles. If the home passes outside the estate and the remaining probate personal property is $75,000 or less, effective July 1, 2020, the small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 may settle the personal property without a court 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 filed in Vicksburg; Warren County's schedule lists $148.00 for muniment of title only, effective January 1, 2020, subject to confirmation with the clerk and Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9. | Sunset helps identify accounts, classify what passes outside probate, and prepare the information a Mississippi attorney needs for estate settlement. |
| 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, the affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 is presented to the bank or employer, no trip to Vicksburg needed. If letters are needed, the child must retain a Mississippi attorney (UCCR 6.02) and the petition is filed at the Warren County Chancery Clerk's counter, $158.00 per the county's own schedule. | Sunset organizes asset information, helps avoid unnecessary travel when the affidavit route fits, and connects the family with a vetted Mississippi probate attorney when letters are needed. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | The § 91-7-322 affidavit cannot reach the house. Muniment of title or full administration is filed with the Warren County Chancery Clerk; counsel is required; the chancellor fixes compensation with no basis on real property value (§ 91-7-299, UCCR 6.12(B)). | Sunset helps build the estate settlement inventory, find financial accounts, generate attorney-ready probate details, and match the family with local counsel. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps in Warren County |
|---|---|
| Warren County Chancery Clerk | Filing logistics, fee confirmation, cover sheet instructions and access to filed civil documents during regular office hours. The clerk is at 1009 Cherry Street, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39183, phone (601) 636-4415, fax (601) 630-8185. |
| Mississippi Judiciary chancery court page | Lists Mississippi's chancery court structure and links the statewide chancery clerk cover sheet. Use courts.ms.gov/trialcourts/chancerycourt/chancerycourt.php. |
| Uniform Chancery Court Rules | Rules for fiduciary matters, including the requirement that a fiduciary retain an attorney under UCCR 6.02 and the clerk's duty to keep original wills safely under UCCR 9.03. |
| MEC and PAMEC | Public access and attorney filing for Mississippi courts. Remote PAMEC access uses a registered account, and free viewing of filed civil documents is available at the chancery clerk's office during regular business hours. Start at courts.ms.gov/mec. |
| mslegalservices.org | Statewide public legal information site maintained by Mississippi's two legal aid providers, with a directory searchable by service area. |
| Mississippi Center for Legal Services, Vicksburg office | Mapped provider for Warren County. Intake hotline: 1-800-519-2915. It is income-restricted and may not take an estate administration matter, but families who cannot afford counsel should check eligibility. |
When to hire an attorney
In a Warren County full estate, this is a rule, not just a best practice. 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 the appointment, and the chancellor approves attorney compensation. The counterweight is important: the $75,000 small estate affidavit, effective July 1, 2020, under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 is not a court filing and needs no attorney. If cost is the barrier, start with Mississippi Center for Legal Services at 1-800-519-2915 and mslegalservices.org, understanding that legal aid may not take an estate matter. Sunset connects families with a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help identify bank, investment, retirement and insurance relationships. That asset map helps the family and the attorney decide whether Warren County estate settlement needs full administration, muniment of title, or a small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns family details, asset information and known debts into an organized estate settlement packet for the Mississippi attorney who prepares the Warren County chancery filing. The attorney can use that information to draft the petition, attach the will exhibit when required, and prepare the fiduciary's sworn materials.
Find a local probate attorney. Mississippi requires a fiduciary to retain an attorney for a full estate under UCCR 6.02. Sunset connects families with vetted local probate counsel who understand Warren County Chancery Court filing logistics and Mississippi estate procedure.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the estate, discover assets and understand next steps without paying Sunset. If attorney help is needed, Sunset helps make that handoff clearer and faster.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Warren County, Mississippi?
File with the Warren County Chancery Clerk at 1009 Cherry Street, Vicksburg, Mississippi 39183. Mississippi chancery courts handle matters testamentary and of administration (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159). For a will, venue starts with the county where the decedent had a fixed place of residence (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-1). For an intestate estate, the venue ladder is in Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-63.
Does Warren County use a courthouse in another county?
No. Warren County is in Mississippi's 9th Chancery Court District with Humphreys, Issaquena, Sharkey, Sunflower and Washington counties, but that grouping assigns chancellors. Warren County estate filings stay at the Warren County Chancery Clerk's office in Vicksburg. Chancery court is held in every county under Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(1).
Can I file a Warren County estate electronically?
The estate opens with a paper filing at the chancery clerk's counter. Attorneys file later documents through MEC, and a self-represented party may have read-only PAMEC access. Start at courts.ms.gov/mec.
How much is the Warren County probate filing fee?
Warren County's schedule, revised effective January 1, 2020, lists $158.00 for an estate of deceased and $148.00 for muniment of title only. Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9, text effective until December 31, 2027, accounts for a $140.00 statutory floor made up of $85.00, $10.00, $40.00 and $5.00 components. Confirm the current amount with the chancery clerk before filing.
Does Warren County have its own probate forms?
Warren County publishes a chancery court fee schedule, but no Warren County probate petition packet or small estate affidavit appears on the chancery clerk pages used for this page. Mississippi uses a statewide chancery clerk cover sheet, and the full estate petition is drafted by the attorney required under UCCR 6.02.
Do I need an attorney for probate in Warren County?
For a full estate, yes unless the executor or administrator is a Mississippi-licensed lawyer. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires a fiduciary to retain an attorney for the entire appointment. The $75,000 small estate affidavit, effective July 1, 2020, under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 is different: it is presented to the holder of personal property and needs no court filing and no attorney.
Can I look up a Warren County estate case online?
Use MEC and PAMEC through courts.ms.gov/mec. Remote access requires a registered PAMEC account and fees may apply. Free viewing of filed civil documents is available at the Warren County Chancery Clerk's office during regular business hours.
Can I attend a Warren County probate hearing by phone or video?
Ask the Warren County Chancery Clerk before assuming. Remote participation is set by the chancellor and 9th Chancery Court District practice. The district's annual term order is posted under Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(2), and the clerk can tell you how the setting is being handled for your case.
What happens after letters testamentary or letters of administration are granted?
The executor or administrator administers the estate under court supervision. Mississippi allows the chancery clerk to grant letters in common form or in vacation, but those acts are subject to court approval and are not final until approved by the court (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 9-5-141, 9-5-147). The fiduciary must mail notice to known creditors, file the diligent-search affidavit, publish notice to creditors for three consecutive weeks under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-145, and creditors have 90 days after first publication to probate and register claims or they are barred under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-151.
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.