Lawrence County Chancery Clerk Office

About the Lawrence County Chancery Clerk's Office

The Chancery Clerk is Kevin Rayborn, an elected official who answers to Lawrence County voters. The post is a county office, not a job filled by a judge or board, so the clerk runs the office and its staff directly. In Mississippi the chancery clerk wears more than one hat. The same person serves the Chancery Court, keeps the county land books, and acts as clerk to the Board of Supervisors. That mix makes this one of the busiest record offices in Monticello.

The office sits inside the Lawrence County Courthouse at 517 East Broad Street, the same building that houses the Circuit Court. Mail goes to a separate post office box. Staff handle walk-in requests, phone questions, and written orders for copies during normal business hours. If you are not sure whether your record is a chancery file or a circuit file, a quick call to the clerk can point you to the right counter before you drive in.

What the Chancery Clerk Does in Lawrence County

The chancery clerk keeps the written memory of the Chancery Court. The job covers far more than filing. Mississippi State University Extension explains that chancery clerks attend court sessions, keep minute books of court rulings and orders, record and preserve land records, and take in bills, petitions, motions, accounts, and inventories. The clerk also serves as clerk to the Board of Supervisors, which adds county business and finance duties on top of the court work.

A short look at the role helps show how broad it runs. The Mississippi State University Extension guide to the office lays out these duties in plain terms.

A photo and overview of the office appear in the Mississippi State University Extension chancery clerk guide.

That guide backs up the wide reach of the Lawrence County office, where court files, land deeds, and board papers all flow through the same staff. The list below sums up the main records the office holds for the public.

• Chancery court files, including divorce, custody, and adoption matters
• Estates and probate, plus wills once they are filed with the court
• Guardianships and conservatorships over minors and adults
• Land and property records, deeds, and equity disputes
• Chancery court minutes and final decrees
• Board of Supervisors records and county financial filings

Note: Some chancery files such as adoption, sealed matters, and youth records are not open to the public and stay closed unless a court order allows access.

Chancery Clerk and Circuit Clerk in Lawrence County

Lawrence County splits its clerk work between two elected offices, and mixing them up is a common mistake. The Chancery Clerk handles equity, family, land, probate, and board records. The Circuit Clerk, Tracey Carney, handles a different set of files. Felony criminal cases, large civil suits, appeals from the lower courts, jury duty, voter records, and Mississippi marriage license applications all go to the Circuit Clerk, not the Chancery Clerk.

If you need a marriage license or a felony case file, the Lawrence County Circuit Clerk is the right office. If you need a divorce decree, a deed, an estate file, or a guardianship record, the Chancery Clerk is your stop. The table below shows the split at a glance so you can route your request the first time.

How to Request a Certified Copy

A certified copy is a clerk-stamped copy that proves a record is true and on file. Courts, banks, title firms, and other agencies often ask for a certified copy of a divorce decree, an estate order, or a deed. A plain printout will not always meet that bar. The Chancery Clerk can certify chancery and land records that the office holds.

1. Pin down the record. For a court file, find the case number, the party names, and the type of paper you need, such as a final decree or an order. For a land record, note the grantor, grantee, and the rough date or book and page.
2. Reach the office. Call the Chancery Clerk at 601-587-7162, visit 517 East Broad Street in Monticello, or write to P.O. Box 821, Monticello, MS 39654 to confirm what the office needs and what it charges.
3. Submit your request with payment. Provide the record details, the number of copies, and the certification fee. The clerk has not published a fixed fee sheet, so confirm the cost and accepted payment when you ask.
4. Collect the copy. Pick it up in person or wait for it by mail. Ask for a rough turnaround time and include a return address if you mail your request.

Lawrence County Records Request Form

The clerk works faster when a request spells out the record clearly. Whether you call, write, or visit, have the same core details ready. The table lists the fields the office usually needs to find and certify a chancery or land record.

Lawrence County Chancery Clerk Fees

Fees pay for copies, certification, and record searches. The Lawrence County Chancery Clerk has not published a public fee sheet for chancery copies, certifications, or land recording in the official sources reviewed. Because of that, the table marks each item as a call-to-confirm cost rather than a set dollar figure. Do not assume another county's prices apply here.

Always confirm the current charge before you mail a payment. The clerk can tell you the exact cost, the accepted payment method, and whether mailed orders need a self-addressed envelope.

Lawrence County Land and Board Records

The chancery clerk is the county land record keeper. Deeds, deeds of trust, liens, releases, and plats are recorded and preserved here, which makes the office a key stop for title searches, property history, and lien checks. Land records reach back many years and often predate the courthouse move to electronic filing, so older entries may live in bound books and minute volumes that staff pull by hand.

The same office serves the Board of Supervisors. That means county claims, orders, budgets, and meeting minutes pass through the chancery clerk as well. A resident tracking a road order, a county contract, or a supervisor vote can ask this office for those board records.

Estate and guardianship files sit alongside the land books. For a deeper look at how the Chancery Court handles wills, estates, and fiduciary matters, the Lawrence County probate records page walks through what those files hold and how to open one.

Chancery Records Access in Lawrence County

Lawrence County Chancery Court joined Mississippi Electronic Courts on November 17, 2017, and sits in the 13th Chancery District. Online case and document access runs through Public Access Mississippi Electronic Courts, known as PAMEC. The system uses one login for docket information, case data, and document downloads in courts that have gone live.

PAMEC is not an open, no-login index. The public must register through the PAMEC registration portal before the full search tools appear. After you sign in, you select the 13th Chancery District for Lawrence County chancery cases, then search by the fields the system shows. Sealed or restricted matters stay hidden even when the case exists. The wider Mississippi Electronic Courts landing page explains how the statewide system works and lists the help desk.

When you do not have an account, or when a file is old enough to predate electronic filing, the courthouse is the fallback. Clerk counters and public terminals at 517 East Broad Street let you inspect chancery and land records in person. For files held only on paper, the Chancery Clerk can pull the minute book or land volume that holds your record. Call 601-587-7162 first to confirm the file is there before you travel.