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Yalobusha County, MS Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Yalobusha County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Yalobusha County Chancery Court. Mississippi chancery courts handle matters testamentary and of administration (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159). |
| Probate filings go to | Yalobusha County Chancery Clerk. Yalobusha County has two judicial districts, so call the clerk before filing to confirm whether the Coffeeville or Water Valley office should receive the papers. |
| First Judicial District location | 14400 Main Street, Coffeeville, MS 38922. Mailing: P.O. Box 260, Coffeeville, MS 38922. Phone: 662-675-2716. Fax: 662-675-8004. |
| Second Judicial District location | 201 Blackmur Drive, Water Valley, MS 38965. Mailing: P.O. Box 664, Water Valley, MS 38965. Phone: 662-473-2091. Fax: 662-473-3622. |
| [email protected]. | |
| Hours | Public counter hours, lunch closures and filing cutoffs are not listed on the county site. Call the office you plan to use before going. |
| Filing fee | No Yalobusha-specific fee table is published. Under the text effective until December 31, 2027, Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 sets the chancery clerk's estate opening charge at $85.00, plus $10.00, $40.00 and $5.00 in statutory assessments, a $140.00 floor. County totals can be higher, so confirm the current amount with the chancery clerk. |
| Attorney required | Yes for a full estate. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires an executor or administrator, unless licensed to practice law in Mississippi, to retain an attorney for the full appointment. The $75,000, effective July 1, 2020, small estate affidavit route under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 does not involve opening a court estate. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through Mississippi Electronic Courts. A self-represented party may have read-only PAMEC access but may not file electronically. Every estate case starts with a paper filing at the chancery clerk's counter. See courts.ms.gov/mec. |
| Case search | MEC and PAMEC are the access points. Remote PAMEC access requires registration, and free electronic viewing is available at the chancery clerk's office during regular business hours. See courts.ms.gov/mec. |
| Local forms | No Yalobusha-specific estate forms are listed on the county forms page. Use the statewide Chancery Clerk Cover Sheet and attorney-prepared pleadings. |
| Remote appearance | Ask the Yalobusha County Chancery Clerk and the assigned chancellor's office. Remote attendance depends on the chancellor and district practice, and the annual term order is posted in the chancery clerk's office under Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(2). |
| Website | https://www.yalobushaonline.org/chancery-clerk |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before anyone files in Yalobusha County, identify the assets, debts, account holders, titled property and whether an original will exists. That early inventory determines whether estate settlement can use the small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35, or a full chancery court administration.
Sunset's asset discovery can search more than 2,300 institutions for accounts and benefits that families often miss. Having that information before the attorney prepares the petition helps the Yalobusha County filing start in the right office and on the right path.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Probate for Yalobusha County is filed with the Yalobusha County Chancery Clerk in the Yalobusha County Chancery Court. Mississippi chancery courts have jurisdiction over matters testamentary and of administration (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159), and chancery court is held in each county and in each judicial district of a county with two judicial districts (Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(1)).
Yalobusha County sits in Mississippi's 3rd Chancery Court District, which also includes DeSoto, Grenada, Montgomery, Panola and Tate Counties. That district assigns chancellors, but the estate is filed in Yalobusha County, not across county lines.
For a will, venue is the chancery court of the county where the testator had a fixed place of residence, with a land-based rule if there was no fixed place of residence (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-1). For an intestate estate, the venue ladder is different and starts with the county where the intestate had a fixed place of residence, then land, then the county where death occurred (Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-63). Because Yalobusha County has two judicial districts and no source here sets a probate boundary between Coffeeville and Water Valley, call the chancery clerk to confirm which office should receive the filing.
The jurisdiction process
- Gather the death certificate, the original will if there is one, asset information, debts, account statements, land records and contact information for heirs or devisees.
- Choose the route. If the entire probate estate is $75,000, effective July 1, 2020, or less excluding liens and encumbrances, and 30 days have passed, the small estate affidavit may be presented to the holder of personal property under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322. If there is a will that devises Mississippi real property, all known debts are paid and the non-real, non-exempt probate estate fits the Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 sum, the attorney may consider muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35. Otherwise, use a full administration.
- For a full estate, retain an attorney. Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02 requires every fiduciary, unless licensed to practice law in Mississippi, to retain an attorney during the full term of 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 pleadings, accounts, inventories and reports filed by a fiduciary must be personally signed and sworn by the fiduciary (UCCR 6.14).
- File on paper with the Yalobusha County Chancery Clerk, using the Coffeeville or Water Valley office after calling to confirm the proper office. Include the Chancery Clerk Cover Sheet and the court cost deposit. Under the text effective until December 31, 2027, Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 sets the statutory floor at $140.00 from $85.00, $10.00, $40.00 and $5.00 components, and UCCR 9.01 allows the clerk to require the cost deposit at filing.
- Deliver the original will to the clerk. UCCR 9.03 requires the clerk to keep original wills safely in the clerk's office unless the chancellor orders otherwise.
- The chancery court, or the chancery clerk in vacation, meaning between court terms, may take proof of the will, admit a will in common form and grant letters testamentary or letters of administration, subject to court approval (Miss. Code Ann. §§ 91-7-1, 91-7-63, 9-5-141, 9-5-147).
- Post bond if the court or clerk requires it under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-41.
- After letters are granted, the executor or administrator makes reasonably diligent efforts to identify creditors, mails notice, 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 under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-151.
- The personal representative gathers assets, pays allowed debts and taxes, handles any required accounting, and asks the chancery court for the final decree of distribution and discharge.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Yalobusha County
The Mississippi Judiciary provides a statewide Chancery Clerk Cover Sheet and the Uniform Chancery Court Rules set content requirements, but a Mississippi estate petition is ordinarily drafted by the attorney required under UCCR 6.02.
Yalobusha County's forms page does not list a local probate packet, local small estate affidavit or local estate instruction sheet. The listed county forms are not estate forms, so families should use the statewide cover sheet, attorney-prepared pleadings and clerk instructions for the Coffeeville or Water Valley office.
Local nuance
Yalobusha County-specific considerations
Yalobusha County has two judicial districts and two chancery filing locations. The First Judicial District office is in Coffeeville at 14400 Main Street, with mail to P.O. Box 260, Coffeeville, MS 38922, phone 662-675-2716 and fax 662-675-8004. The Second Judicial District office is in Water Valley at 201 Blackmur Drive, with mail to P.O. Box 664, Water Valley, MS 38965, phone 662-473-2091 and fax 662-473-3622.
No Mississippi statute found for this page makes one of those judicial districts the probate venue unit. Do not choose an office from geography alone. Call the Yalobusha County Chancery Clerk before filing to confirm which office should receive the petition, original will and payment.
The county publishes an office email, [email protected], but does not list counter hours, lunch closures, filing cutoffs, room numbers or a Yalobusha-specific estate fee table. Call ahead before traveling to Coffeeville or Water Valley.
Recent updates
| Update | What changed |
|---|---|
| MEC statewide completion | Mississippi Electronic Courts reached all circuit and county courts on June 30, 2025, and all chancery courts had been implemented as of June 19, 2023. Attorneys use MEC, and public case access uses PAMEC through courts.ms.gov/mec. |
| Small estate and muniment law | The small estate affidavit amount became $75,000, effective July 1, 2020, under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, and the muniment of title procedure was revised in Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35. |
| Chancery rules | The Uniform Chancery Court Rules were revised and amended effective April 18, 2024, including the estate fiduciary framework and the attorney requirement in UCCR 6.02. |
| Legal aid intake | North Mississippi Rural Legal Services and Mississippi Center for Legal Services moved to separate intake hotlines on January 1, 2026. For Yalobusha County, contact North Mississippi Rural Legal Services at 1-800-898-8731 and use the directory at mslegalservices.org. The Mississippi Center for Legal Services hotline is 1-800-519-2915. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Yalobusha County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by confirming how the home is titled. If the home passes outside the estate and the remaining probate personal property fits the $75,000, effective July 1, 2020, small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, the spouse may avoid opening a full court estate. If a will devises the home and all known debts are paid, ask the attorney about muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35, where the house itself is not counted against the cross-referenced amount. | Sunset helps find accounts, organize title and debt information, and prepare a clear estate settlement summary for the attorney or for the holder of personal property. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | If 30 days have passed and the entire probate estate is $75,000, effective July 1, 2020, or less excluding liens and encumbrances, the child may use the small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 by presenting it to the bank, employer or other holder. If letters are needed, the child must retain a Mississippi attorney under UCCR 6.02 and should call the clerk about Coffeeville, Water Valley and any remote attendance request. | Sunset can locate accounts, help sort which assets need letters, and connect the child with a Mississippi probate attorney if a court estate is needed. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | The small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322 does not transfer the house. If there is a will and debts are paid, the attorney may evaluate muniment of title under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-35. Without that fit, a full Yalobusha County administration is usually needed, and UCCR 6.02 requires the fiduciary to retain an attorney. The chancellor fixes fiduciary and attorney compensation under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-299, and UCCR 6.12(B) says fees are not based on the value of real property. | Sunset gathers the asset picture, helps generate the probate packet, and connects the parent with a vetted Mississippi attorney for the sale-related estate settlement. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Yalobusha County Chancery Clerk | Confirms whether to use Coffeeville or Water Valley, current hours, payment method, cover sheet practice and filing logistics. The clerk cannot provide legal advice. | https://www.yalobushaonline.org/chancery-clerk. Coffeeville: 662-675-2716. Water Valley: 662-473-2091. Email: [email protected]. |
| Mississippi Judiciary Chancery Court page | Provides statewide chancery court information and the Chancery Clerk Cover Sheet link for filings in chancery court, which handles estate matters under Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159. | https://courts.ms.gov/trialcourts/chancerycourt/chancerycourt.php |
| Uniform Chancery Court Rules | Explains fiduciary duties, attorney retention under UCCR 6.02, sworn pleadings, accounts and original-will handling. | https://courts.ms.gov/research/rules/msrulesofcourt/uniform_chancery_rules.pdf |
| MEC and PAMEC | Attorneys use MEC for electronic filing after the paper opening. Public users may use PAMEC for read-only remote access, and free viewing is available at the clerk's office during regular business hours. | https://courts.ms.gov/mec |
| North Mississippi Rural Legal Services | Yalobusha County is served by the Oxford office. Eligibility is limited, and estate administration may not be accepted, but families who cannot afford counsel should check eligibility. | 1-800-898-8731. Call center hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:30 to 3:30. Directory: mslegalservices.org. |
| NMRLS Heirs' Property Program | May be relevant when inherited land has unclear title or multiple family owners. It is not a promise of probate representation. | https://nmrls.com/heirs-property-program/ |
| mslegalservices.org | Provides public legal information, online legal forms and a directory by service area for legal aid resources. | https://www.mslegalservices.org/find-legal-help/directory/area |
When to hire an attorney
In a Mississippi full estate, this is a rule, not just a suggestion: Uniform Chancery Court Rule 6.02(A) requires every fiduciary, unless licensed to practice law in Mississippi, to retain an attorney or law firm for the full term of the appointment, and the chancellor fixes fees under the chancery court's authority (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159). The counterweight is the $75,000, effective July 1, 2020, small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, which is presented to the holder of personal property and does not create a court fiduciary. If cost is the barrier, start with North Mississippi Rural Legal Services at 1-800-898-8731 and mslegalservices.org to check eligibility, while understanding that legal aid may not take estate administration matters. Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 institutions to help identify bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance, retirement assets and other property that can change the estate settlement path in Yalobusha County.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the family information, asset list and key dates into an organized packet that a Mississippi attorney can use to prepare the chancery court petition, cover sheet and supporting documents.
Find a local probate attorney. Because UCCR 6.02 requires a Mississippi fiduciary to retain counsel for a full estate, Sunset helps connect families with a vetted attorney who can file in the Yalobusha County Chancery Court.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset is paid by partners, not by grieving families, so you can use the estate settlement tools, asset discovery and attorney connection without an upfront platform fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Yalobusha County?
File with the Yalobusha County Chancery Clerk in the Yalobusha County Chancery Court. Mississippi chancery courts handle matters testamentary and of administration (Miss. Const. art. 6, § 159). Because Yalobusha County has two judicial districts, call the clerk to confirm whether to use Coffeeville or Water Valley before filing.
What are the Yalobusha County chancery clerk addresses?
The First Judicial District office is at 14400 Main Street, Coffeeville, MS 38922, with mail to P.O. Box 260, Coffeeville, MS 38922, phone 662-675-2716 and fax 662-675-8004. The Second Judicial District office is at 201 Blackmur Drive, Water Valley, MS 38965, with mail to P.O. Box 664, Water Valley, MS 38965, phone 662-473-2091 and fax 662-473-3622.
Can I e-file an estate case in Yalobusha County?
Attorneys file through MEC after the case is opened, but every estate case begins with a paper filing at the chancery clerk's counter. A self-represented party may have read-only PAMEC access but may not file electronically. See courts.ms.gov/mec.
Can I use a small estate affidavit in Yalobusha County?
If 30 days have passed and the entire probate estate is $75,000, effective July 1, 2020, or less excluding liens and encumbrances, a successor may present the small estate affidavit to the holder of personal property under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322. It is not a real-property transfer tool.
Does Yalobusha County publish its own probate forms?
The county forms page does not list a local estate packet, local small estate affidavit or local instruction sheet. Use the statewide Chancery Clerk Cover Sheet and attorney-prepared pleadings for a full estate.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Yalobusha County?
No Yalobusha-specific estate fee table is published. Under the text effective until December 31, 2027, Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9 sets a $140.00 statutory floor, made up of $85.00 plus $10.00, $40.00 and $5.00 in statutory assessments. Confirm the current total and payment method with the chancery clerk.
Do I need to travel to Yalobusha County?
For the $75,000, effective July 1, 2020, small estate affidavit under Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322, the affidavit is presented to the property holder, not used to open a court estate. For a full estate, your Mississippi attorney can guide filing logistics, and you should ask the chancery clerk and assigned chancellor about any remote attendance request. The annual term order is posted in the chancery clerk's office under Miss. Code Ann. § 9-5-3(2).
How do creditors make claims in a Yalobusha County estate?
After letters are granted, the executor or administrator 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). Claims must be probated and registered with the clerk within 90 days after the first publication 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.