Biloxi solo practice of Joel L. Blackledge, an attorney and CPA, serving Harrison, Jackson, and Hancock counties. Handles testate and intestate estates from the petition and letters through creditor notice, determination of heirs, and closing, and drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives. Weekend and after-hours appointments are available.
Probate in Jackson County
Probate Court Record
Jackson County Chancery Court
Jackson County · Chancery Court District 16
Phone
Hours
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Files probate
E-filing
Self-represented filing
How to file probate in Jackson County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Jackson County? →Settling an estate in Jackson County →
Probate Firms Serving Jackson County
Gulfport firm across from the downtown courthouse, handling wills and estates on the Gulf Coast since 1950 for clients from Bay St. Louis to Pascagoula. Covers wills, powers of attorney, living wills, probate, will contests, and guardianship hearings for children and incapacitated adults. Spanish translation is available.
Biloxi firm founded in 1987, handling probate in chancery court for families in Biloxi, Gulfport, Pascagoula, and nearby Gulf Coast communities. Represents executors and administrators through filings, creditor claims, and distribution, and handles will contests and guardianships and conservatorships. Its main practice is commercial litigation and creditor representation.
Gulfport boutique practicing only estate planning, probate and elder law across the Gulf Coast, from Bay St. Louis and Picayune to Pascagoula and Lucedale. Handles probate administration, trust and estate disputes, conservatorships, special needs planning and Medicare fair hearings. Founder Patrick Kirby is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law.
Flowood firm with a second office in Biloxi, serving the Jackson metro and the Gulf Coast. Counsels executors and trustees through estate and trust administration and represents beneficiaries and fiduciaries in estate and trust disputes. Pairs estate planning with tax planning, charitable gift planning, and tax audit work for high-net-worth families.
Oxford office, opened in 1995 to serve north Mississippi, of a litigation firm that traces its origins to 1946 and also has offices in Madison and Gulfport. Drafts wills and handles small estates and probate for executors and beneficiaries, from asset inventory and debts through tax filings and final distribution, and defends will contests. Shareholder Lauren E. Ward practices estate planning.
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.
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.
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.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Mississippi: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysMiss. Code §§ 91-7-93, 91-7-95, 91-7-109Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 3 monthsMiss. Code §§ 91-7-145, 91-7-149, 91-7-151, 91-7-165, 91-7-261Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 12 months.
How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Mississippi pays executors reasonable compensationMiss. Code § 91-7-299 (such sum as the court deems proper; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, typically 2.2%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.8%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate.
Do I Need Probate?
In Mississippi, estates valued at $75,000Miss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less skip probate with the Small Estate AffidavitMiss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 30 daysMiss. Code Ann. § 91-7-322Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death.
What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
In Mississippi, creditors have 3 monthsMiss. Code Ann. § 91-7-151 (90 days after first publication); § 91-7-145 (notice to creditors; publish weekly for 3 consecutive weeks)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source from first publication of the creditor notice to present claims; late claims are barred.
Can I Self-File Probate?
Mississippi requires an attorney of record to open formal probate, and informal probate is availableMiss. Code Ann. § 9-5-141 (chancery clerk may, in termtime or vacation, take proof of wills, admit wills to probate in common form, and grant letters testamentary and of administration)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source; a qualifying small estate can still be collected without one.
