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.
Estate Planning for Harrison County, Mississippi Property Owners
For most Harrison County homeowners, the house is what drags an estate into probate. A transfer-on-death deed or a living trust keeps it out—here is how to set up either one and record it locally.
For a Harrison County property owner, the biggest probate risk is the home itself. Real estate is what forces most families into the Chancery Court. The two tools that keep a Harrison County home out of probate are a transfer-on-death deed recorded with the Chancery Clerk, and a revocable living trust that holds title to the property.
Without a recorded beneficiary designation or a trust, Harrison County property passes through the Chancery Court — even simple Mississippi probates run 6+ months and start with $163 in filing fees. Mississippi also lets owners name a transfer-on-death beneficiary on vehicle titles, which keeps cars out of the same process.
Record a Transfer-on-Death Deed in Harrison County
A transfer-on-death deed names a beneficiary who receives Harrison County property automatically at the owner's death, without probate. It is recorded with the Chancery Clerk during the owner's lifetime and can be revoked at any time.
Before recording, a Mississippi transfer-on-death deed is signed with notary acknowledgmentMiss. Code Ann. 91-27-1 to 91-27-37Verified Oct 18, 2026. The deed takes effect only if it is recorded before the owner's deathMiss. Code Ann. 91-27-1 to 91-27-37Verified Oct 18, 2026.
Where to Record Property Documents
Deeds and other real property documents for Harrison County are recorded with the Chancery Clerk at 1801 23rd Avenue, Gulfport, MS 39501. Phone: 1-228-865-4036. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Drawer CC, Gulfport, MS 39502.
The Chancery Clerk charges $25 for the first 5 pages plus $1 for each page beyond 5. Recording a 2-page transfer-on-death deed in Harrison County comes to $26, which is $25 in recording fees plus the $1 Archive Fee. No transfer tax applies to a transfer-on-death deed.
Recording Office Record
Chancery Clerk
Harrison County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
1801 23rd Avenue, Gulfport, MS 39501
Website
P.O. Drawer CC
Gulfport, MS 39502
Fax
1-228-214-1513
Recording fees
| Base fee (first 5 pages) | $25 |
| Each page beyond 5 | $1 |
| Miss. Code Ann. 25-60-5 Archive FeeApplies to a TOD deed | $1 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | No transfer tax applies to TOD deeds |
Miss. Code Ann. 25-7-9(1)(b); 25-60-5
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Harrison 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.
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.
Ocean Springs firm serving Biloxi, Ocean Springs and the Gulf Coast since 1908. Represents executors and beneficiaries in estate administration and probate, handles will contests and breach-of-trustee-duty claims, and advises on trust administration, guardianships and conservatorships. Planning work covers wills, special needs trusts, business succession and asset protection.
Gulfport firm on 24th Avenue serving Harrison County and southern Mississippi since 1999. Handles probate and estate administration from petition through inventory and distribution, successor-trustee administration of living trusts, guardianships and special needs trusts. Founder Teal Salloum practiced on Wall Street before returning home, and the firm also does estate tax planning.
Gulfport firm with offices on Highway 49 and Pass Road, serving the Mississippi Gulf Coast since 1996. Handles probate administration, probate litigation and estate disputes, and drafts wills, trusts, advance health care directives, powers of attorney and family limited partnerships. Its attorneys also act as title agents, useful for estates that hold Gulf Coast real estate.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Legal Sources
(2)·
- Miss. Code Ann. 91-27-1 to 91-27-37
- Miss. Code Ann. 25-7-9(1)(b); 25-60-5
Data sourced from Mississippi statutes and official state code. How we research.
Forms for Planning Your Estate in Mississippi
Free forms for planning your estate in Mississippi: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Mississippi.
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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.
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Codicil to a Will
In Mississippi, a codicil is signed before 2Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, like a will; the statute on the witnesses' affidavit names the will aloneMiss. Code Ann. §§ 91-7-7, 91-7-9Verified Oct 25, 2026View source.
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Free
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.
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Free
HIPAA Release
In Mississippi, a HIPAA release is the federal authorization alone: the state adds no category rule, and the document carries the elements federal law requires, among them an expiration date or an expiration event that relates to the individual45 CFR 164.508(c)(1)(v)Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
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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.
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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.
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Vehicle Transfer on Death
Mississippi allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleMiss. Code Ann. 63-21-261 (Title 63, Ch. 21, Art. 4, 63-21-251 to 63-21-261)Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the Mississippi Department of Revenue (applications made to a designated agent / county Tax Collector).
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Living Will
In Mississippi, the living will is the Advance Health-Care DirectiveMiss. Code Ann. §§ 41-41-201 to 41-41-229 (Uniform Health-Care Decisions Act)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a written instruction that is valid with no agent named.
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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Mississippi
Free tools for planning your estate in Mississippi: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Mississippi.
How Do I Sign Estate Documents?
In Mississippi, a will is signed before 2Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredMiss. Code Ann. § 91-5-1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
Mississippi has no statute recognizing a will by the law of the place where it was signedMiss. Code § 91-7-33Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, so a will used here is tested against its own rule: 2Miss. Code Ann. § 91-5-1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredMiss. Code Ann. § 91-5-1Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
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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.
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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable living 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 for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
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How Much Does a Will Cost?
An attorney-prepared will in Mississippi runs $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 $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $23,712Miss. Code § 91-7-281 (attorney fees allowable; reasonable); see also § 91-7-299Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
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How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?
Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.
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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?
In Mississippi, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writingMiss. Code §§ 93-20-201, 93-20-206Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 21Miss. Code § 1-3-27Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
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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.
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Mississippi Estate Planning Articles
Estate planning articles for Mississippi.
