The oldest law firm in Cleveland, tracing its beginnings to 1952, serving Bolivar County and clients across the Delta and North Mississippi. Handles estate planning and administration and probate, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives. Listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, one of four Cleveland firms to hold that distinction.
Cleveland is in Bolivar County.
Probate in Bolivar County
Probate Court Record
Bolivar County Chancery Court
Bolivar County · Chancery Court District 7
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
How to file probate in Bolivar County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Bolivar County? →Settling an estate in Bolivar County →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Mississippi
Free Mississippi forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Mississippi.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Last Will and Testament
In Mississippi, a will is signed before 2Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyMiss. Code Ann. § 91-5-1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Mississippi allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2Miss. Code Ann. § 41-41-209Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
Financial Power of Attorney
Mississippi requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityMiss. Code §§ 87-3-1, 87-3-3, 87-3-7, 87-3-101, 87-3-103, 87-3-105, 87-3-107, 87-3-109, 87-3-111, 87-3-113Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementMiss. Code §§ 87-3-1, 87-3-3, 87-3-7, 87-3-101, 87-3-103, 87-3-105, 87-3-107, 87-3-109, 87-3-111, 87-3-113Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
Pour-Over Will
In Mississippi, a pour-over will is signed before 2Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
Transfer on Death Deed
In Mississippi, a transfer-on-death deed is signed before a notaryMiss. Code Ann. 91-27-1 to 91-27-37Verified Oct 18, 2026, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathMiss. Code Ann. 91-27-1 to 91-27-37Verified Oct 18, 2026. Mississippi does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Mississippi
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Mississippi: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Mississippi, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 1.6%Modeled estimate under Miss. Code § 91-7-281 (attorney fees allowable; reasonable); see also § 91-7-299: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.5%Modeled estimate under Miss. Code § 91-7-281 (attorney fees allowable; reasonable); see also § 91-7-299: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in Mississippi takes 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 1.6%Modeled estimate under Miss. Code § 91-7-281 (attorney fees allowable; reasonable); see also § 91-7-299: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.5%Modeled estimate under Miss. Code § 91-7-281 (attorney fees allowable; reasonable); see also § 91-7-299: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Mississippi runs $3,680Estimate: 10 hours at $368, Clio's Mississippi Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,520Estimate: 15 hours at $368, Clio's Mississippi Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $849Estimate: 3 hours at $283, Clio's Mississippi Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,698Estimate: 6 hours at $283, Clio's Mississippi Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Mississippi costs an estimated $23,712Miss. Code § 91-7-281 (attorney fees allowable; reasonable); see also § 91-7-299Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 1.6%Modeled estimate under Miss. Code § 91-7-281 (attorney fees allowable; reasonable); see also § 91-7-299: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.5%Modeled estimate under Miss. Code § 91-7-281 (attorney fees allowable; reasonable); see also § 91-7-299: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Mississippi automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceMiss. Code Ann. § 91-29-1 et seq.Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
What Are the Estate Laws in My State?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Mississippi costs an estimated $23,712Miss. Code § 91-7-281 (attorney fees allowable; reasonable); see also § 91-7-299Verified Sep 8, 2026View source and takes 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 1.6%Modeled estimate under Miss. Code § 91-7-281 (attorney fees allowable; reasonable); see also § 91-7-299: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.5%Modeled estimate under Miss. Code § 91-7-281 (attorney fees allowable; reasonable); see also § 91-7-299: the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate. Estates under $75,000Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322Verified Sep 8, 2026View source can use a small-estate procedure instead.
