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.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Wayne County, Mississippi
How probate works in Wayne County: the Chancery Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Wayne County Chancery Court
Wayne County · Chancery Court District 19
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
609 Azalea Drive, Waynesboro, MS 39367
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Attorney of record required
E-filing
Required for attorneysAttorneys file estate papers through Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC). A party without a lawyer files on paper at the chancery clerk's office, and the clerk uploads the filing to the case. On paper: Self-represented parties file on paper, and the clerk scans the filing into MEC.
Fax
1-601-735-6224
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Wayne County
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Wayne County, probate runs through the Chancery Court at 609 Azalea Drive, Waynesboro. The court sits in the Chancery Court District 19. The same Chancery Court District 19 also serves Jones.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Mississippi intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Mississippi estates take 12 months to 18 months to move through this process. 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 a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Wayne County
What probate costs in Wayne County, Mississippi comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Chancery Court at 609 Azalea Drive, Waynesboro. The court is part of the Chancery Court District 19.
Mississippi charges $143Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9(1)(j), (2), (3); § 37-26-3(1); § 37-26-9(4)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Mississippi are negotiated, 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 estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Mississippi allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payMiss. Code § 91-7-299 (such sum as the court deems proper; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Mississippi requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under Miss. Code Ann. §§ 91-7-41, 91-7-45, 91-7-67Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Mississippi typically runs 12 months to 18 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Chancery Court
Probate cases in Wayne County, Mississippi are filed at the Chancery Court. The court sits in the Chancery Court District 19.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
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.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Wayne County Self-Filing Assessment.
What to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Chancery Court: Original will and any codicils, with a copy of the will attached as an exhibit to the petition (UCCR 6.15); Petition to admit the will to probate / for letters (attorney-drafted, personally signed and sworn to by the fiduciary — UCCR 6.14) under Miss. Code § 91-7-1 et seq; Death certificate — NOT required by any Mississippi statute, court rule, or official form as a condition of opening an estate or obtaining Letters; commonly supplied at intake. (A CERTIFIED copy is required by statute only downstream, to obtain a deceased user's digital assets from a custodian — § 91-23-13.)Miss. Code §§ 91-7-1 to 91-7-67 (proof of wills, grant of letters testamentary & of administration); § 9-5-141 (chancery clerk powers); Uniform Chancery Court Rules 6.01-6.02 (fiduciary must retain a Mississippi attorney)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Coroner in Wayne County
In Wayne County certified copies of the death certificate come from Mississippi State Department of Health - Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Mississippi State Department of Health - Vital Records
Wayne County · State vital records office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM (except state holidays)
Office
222 Marketridge Drive, Ridgeland, MS 39157
Website
Certified copies
From Mississippi State Department of Health - Vital Records
Mississippi Vital Records
P.O. Box 1700
Jackson, MS 39215-1700
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $17 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $6 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
Wayne County · Wayne County Coroner
Phone
Verified November 3, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Wayne County
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the Chancery Clerk.
Deeds and other real property documents for Wayne County are recorded with the Chancery Clerk at 609 Azalea Drive, Waynesboro, MS 39367. Phone: 1-601-735-2873. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
The Chancery Clerk charges $25 for the first 5 pages plus $1 for each page beyond 5.
Recording Office Record
Chancery Clerk
Wayne County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
609 Azalea Drive, Waynesboro, MS 39367
Website
Fax
1-601-735-6224
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 September 7, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Death Form · Affidavit of Heirship Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Wayne County
Mississippi allows informal probate, so many families settle straightforward estates in Wayne County without hiring an attorney. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in Mississippi are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Wayne County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Chancery Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
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.
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.
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.
Tupelo practice of attorney Kerry M. Bryson, handling estate planning and probate for Lee County clients and across Mississippi, including out-of-state heirs. Checks the courthouse for liens on real property to value the estate and reviews probate alternatives, and drafts wills, powers of attorney, and advance health care directives. Can provide video recordings of a will signing.
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
(9)·
- Miss. Code § 91-7-299 (such sum as the court deems proper; no statutory percentage)
- Miss. Code §§ 91-7-1 to 91-7-67 (proof of wills, grant of letters testamentary & of administration); § 9-5-141 (chancery clerk powers); Uniform Chancery Court Rules 6.01-6.02 (fiduciary must retain a Mississippi attorney)
- Miss. Code §§ 91-7-145, 91-7-149, 91-7-151, 91-7-165, 91-7-261
- Miss. Code Ann. § 25-7-9(1)(j), (2), (3); § 37-26-3(1); § 37-26-9(4)
- Miss. 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)
- Miss. Code Ann. 25-7-9(1)(b); 25-60-5
- Wayne County Chancery Court, official page
- Wayne County Chancery Clerk, official page
- Wayne County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Mississippi statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Mississippi
Free tools for settling an estate in Mississippi: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool.
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.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Mississippi happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeMiss. Code Ann. § 91-8-101 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysMiss. Code §§ 91-8-813, 91-8-1005Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
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.
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