State guide
Mississippi
Mississippi moved its modern guardianship and conservatorship law into Title 93, Chapter 20, with the 2019 act effective January 1, 2020. Official Mississippi materials emphasize chancery-court oversight, individualized planning, and least restrictive alternatives, but I did not find a statewide judiciary self-help page specifically for adult petitions on the official pages reviewed.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Court that handles adult guardianship
- Adult guardianship and conservatorship petitions are handled in Mississippi chancery court.
- What it's called
- guardian (person) and conservator (estate)
- Filing fee
- $158.00 for guardianship and $158.00 for conservatorship, as published by Jackson County Chancery Court.
- Less-restrictive alternatives
- Official legislative materials say the act encourages individualized planning and the use of least restrictive alternatives.
- Law
- Miss. Code Ann. Title 93, Chapter 20
Official resources in Mississippi
Official county fee page listing chancery filing fees, including guardianship and conservatorship.
Official chancery clerk page describing chancery-court responsibilities, contacts, and filing-fee information.
Official county forms page linking to GAP Act forms, a guardianship-of-a-child form, and Mississippi Access to Justice resources.
Key facts for Mississippi
- Mississippi chancery courts have jurisdiction over probate and guardianship matters.
- The 2019 guardianship/conservatorship act took effect January 1, 2020.
- Official legislative materials say the act distinguishes guardian of the person from conservator of the estate.
- Official legislative materials say the act encourages individualized planning and least restrictive alternatives.
- Jackson County publishes a $158.00 filing fee for guardianship and $158.00 for conservatorship.
- Harrison County says chancery filing fees are set by Mississippi Code and must be paid when filed.
County court guardianship pages in Mississippi
| Court | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| DeSoto County Chancery Clerk DeSoto | Hernando | 662-469-8005 | Official clerk page with forms and court resources, including GAP Act forms and a Mississippi Access to Justice link. |
| Jackson County Chancery Court Department Jackson | Pascagoula | 228-769-3124 | Handles chancery-court files, service process, dockets, commitments, appellate records, and filing-fee receipt functions. |
| Harrison County Chancery Court Clerks Department Harrison | Gulfport | (228) 865-4095 | Chancery court staff assist the public and attorneys with filings including estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and commitments. |
| Harrison County Public Guardian - Judicial District 1 Harrison | Gulfport | (228) 214-2222 | Public guardian contact listed on the official Harrison County chancery-court page. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Start with the chancery clerk in the county where the respondent lives or the case will be filed, and ask what local documents the judge expects.
- Check the county chancery fee page before filing; Jackson County publishes separate guardianship and conservatorship line items.
- If you need forms help, review the county court-resources pages and any Mississippi Access to Justice links they provide before drafting the petition.
Not seeing your court or county?
Not every court publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from Mississippi's population center, for comparison only):
- Mobile County Probate Court, Alabama · about 157 miles
- Mobile County Probate Court - Protective Proceedings, Alabama · about 157 miles
- Alabama WINGS, Alabama · about 167 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Harrison County Chancery Court
Website →Phone: (228) 865-4054 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the Mississippi page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.