Estate Planning for Jones County, Mississippi Property Owners

For most Jones 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.

Record a TOD deedWhere to recordLocal attorneys

For a Jones 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 Jones 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.

Skipping this planning step means the Chancery Court decides who receives the property: a simple Mississippi probate takes 6+ months and opens with $143 in court 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 Jones County

A transfer-on-death deed names a beneficiary who receives Jones 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.

Create a Mississippi TOD deed →Jones County signing requirements →

Where to Record Property Documents

Deeds and other real property documents for Jones County are recorded with the Chancery Clerk at 415 North 5th Avenue, Laurel, MS 39440. Phone: 1-601-428-0527. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.

Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 1468, Laurel, MS 39441.

The Chancery Clerk charges $25 for the first 5 pages plus $1 for each page beyond 5. A 2-page transfer-on-death deed costs $26 to record in Jones County, 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

Jones County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM

Office

415 North 5th Avenue, Laurel, MS 39440

Open in Google Maps

Mail

P.O. Box 1468 Laurel, MS 39441

Verified July 13, 2026 · Source

Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Jones County

FirmLaurel, MS

Gilchrist Yoder Yoder Leggett & Thames, PLLC

Serves 1 county

Laurel firm in Jones County that traces its roots to Stone Deavours, who began practicing in Laurel in 1902. Prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney and health care directives and assists families in probating estates; one attorney also handles guardianships and conservatorships. The larger practice is corporate work, litigation, real estate closings and workers' compensation defense.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateConservatorshipGuardianshipWills Trusts

Office
415 N. Magnolia Street, Suite 400Laurel, MS 39440

FirmMeridian, MS

Jacob & Kieronski, LLP

Since 1959 · Serves 13 counties

Meridian general practice on 19th Avenue serving Lauderdale County and 12 surrounding east central Mississippi counties, tracing to a firm founded in 1959 and named Jacob & Kieronski since 1983. Handles probate matters and will contests alongside will and trust drafting. Its attorneys hold Martindale-Hubbell AV ratings, and the firm advertises a free consultation.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationWills Trusts

Office
1010 19th Avenue, Suite 10Meridian, MS 39302
Free consultation

FirmFlowood, MS

Barnes, Bailey, Janoush & Dick, P.A.

Serves 2 counties

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.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 3 more

Office
5 River Bend Place, Suite AFlowood, MS 39232

FirmOxford, MS

Daniel Coker Horton & Bell, P.A.

Since 1946 · Serves 3 counties

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.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationWills Trusts

Office
265 North Lamar Boulevard, Suite ROxford, MS 38655

FirmVicksburg, MS

Bailess & Rector, LLP

Since 1878 · Serves the whole state

Vicksburg firm serving Warren County and clients across Mississippi, successor to a partnership formed in 1878. Guides executors through probating a will and settling the estate, and represents estates and executors in will challenges and claims of mismanaged estate assets. Also drafts wills, codicils, and advance directives.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationWills Trusts

Office
BancorpSouth Bank Building, 820 South Street, Suite 501Vicksburg, MS 39181

Solo PracticeMcComb, MS

Brock Law, PLLC

Serves the whole state

McComb practice of Thomas W. Brock, admitted in 1980, serving Pike County and clients across Mississippi. Advises executors and administrators from appointment and bond through paying creditors and distributing property, and represents them in beneficiary disputes. Drafts wills, living trusts, and directives, and handles guardianships and conservatorships.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTax Planningand 3 more

Office
200 Main StreetMcComb, MS 39648
Free consultation
See all 19 firms serving Jones County →

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.

SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·

Legal Sources

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.

Free

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.

Get Started
Free

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.

Get Started
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.

Get Started
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.

Get Started
Free

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.

Get Started
Free

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.

Get Started
Free

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).

Get Started
Free

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.

Get Started

All Mississippi forms

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.

Check the Rules

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.

Get the Answer

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.

Calculate Costs

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.

Calculate Costs

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.

Calculate Costs

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.

Compare Options

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.

See the Steps

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.

Get the Answer

All Mississippi tools

Mississippi Estate Planning Articles

Estate planning articles for Mississippi.