About the Alcorn County Chancery Clerk's Office
Keith Settlemires serves as the Alcorn County Chancery Clerk. The office sits in the Chancery Building on Waldron Street in Corinth and is open to the public on weekdays during regular business hours. As clerk of the Chancery Court, this officer also acts as the county's public land recorder and as the records hand for the Board of Supervisors.
The Chancery Clerk is one of two clerks in Alcorn County. This office covers equity cases, land records, and county fiscal duties, while a separate Circuit Clerk keeps the files of the Circuit Court. The contact details below are the fastest way to reach the Chancery Clerk.
Alcorn County Chancery Clerk
Clerk: Keith Settlemires
501 Waldron St.
P.O. Box 69
Corinth, MS 38835-0069
662-286-7700
Court phone: 662-286-7702
Fax: 662-284-4994
ksettlemires@alcorncountyms.gov
Mon to Fri, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
What the Chancery Clerk Does in Alcorn County
The Alcorn County Chancery Clerk holds a broad set of duties that reach well past the courtroom. The office serves three roles at once: clerk of court, land recorder, and county records keeper. Core duties include the following:
- Acting as clerk of the Chancery Court for estates, guardianships, conservatorships, divorce, custody, adoption, and property disputes.
- Recording deeds, mortgages, construction and condominium liens, federal tax liens, lis pendens, and military discharges.
- Keeping the official minutes of the Board of Supervisors.
- Preparing the claims docket and payrolls, and writing checks after board approval.
- Storing older land rolls, tax receipts, and county records, and disposing of them after retention.
Staff are assigned to these functions. The office lists Carolyn James as chief deputy clerk, Renea Wall for court filing, Emily Glissen for delinquent taxes, Floyd Crum for youth court, and Julia Taylor for deeds. A quick call to the main line points you to the right desk before you send a request.
Chancery Clerk vs Circuit Clerk: Who Handles What
The most common mistake is sending a request to the wrong clerk. Alcorn County splits court records between two offices, and each one keeps a clear set of files. Use the table to match your record to the office that holds it.
| Record or service | Office that handles it |
|---|---|
| Estates, wills, and probate | Chancery Clerk |
| Guardianships and conservatorships | Chancery Clerk |
| Divorce, custody, and adoption | Chancery Clerk |
| Deeds, mortgages, and liens | Chancery Clerk |
| Board of Supervisors minutes | Chancery Clerk |
| Criminal and civil Circuit Court cases | Circuit Clerk |
| Marriage licenses and voter rolls | Circuit Clerk |
| Juries, judgments, fines, and restitution | Circuit Clerk |
If your record sits on the Circuit side, the duties and contact details are set out on the Alcorn County Circuit Clerk page. When a matter could touch both offices, the Chancery Clerk can usually point you to the right one.
Chancery Court Cases and Records
Chancery Court is Mississippi's court of equity, and the Alcorn County Chancery Clerk keeps every file it makes. These cases cover the events that shape families and property over a lifetime. A person opens a case to probate a will, settle an estate that was left without one, set up a guardianship for a child, or place a conservatorship over an adult who can no longer manage alone. The same court hears divorce, child custody, adoption, and disputes over land and title.
Each case builds a file of petitions, orders, notices, inventories, and final accountings. Because estates and equity matters can run for months or years, a Chancery file often holds many documents filed at different stages. The probate side of this work, including estate and guardianship files, is covered in more depth on the Alcorn County probate records page.
Land Records and Public Recording
As the county's public land recorder, the Alcorn County Chancery Clerk maintains the chain of title for property across the county. When a deed is signed, a mortgage is taken out, or a lien is placed, the document is recorded here so the public record reflects who owns what and who holds a claim. The office records deeds, mortgages, construction liens, condominium liens, federal tax liens, lis pendens notices, and military discharges.
Title searchers, lenders, surveyors, and property owners all rely on these records. A recorded document is indexed by the names of the parties and by the property it describes, so a search can run by grantor, grantee, or legal description. For recording, documents must meet the county's format rules, which the clerk's office can explain before you file.
Electronic Access Through MEC and PAMEC
Many Alcorn County Chancery cases are filed and stored through Mississippi Electronic Courts, the statewide e-filing system. The public views filed documents through PAMEC, which needs an account and a login. The Alcorn County Chancery Court went live on MEC on October 3, 2016, so cases from that point forward are the most likely to be available online. You can register for public access on the PAMEC online registration page.
MEC is not the only path. The court information for the First Chancery District, including the Alcorn County listing, is posted on the First Chancery District MEC court information page. Some documents stay limited to attorneys of record, and older files may never have been scanned, so the counter remains the backstop when an online search comes up short.
Alcorn County Chancery Filing Fees
The Chancery Court charges set filing fees that the county published in a schedule effective January 1, 2020. These fees open a case and are separate from the cost of a certified copy or a recorded land document, which the clerk confirms by document. The fees rest on the clerk's statutory fee authority under state law.
| Chancery filing | Fee |
|---|---|
| Estate, testate or intestate | $154.50 |
| Estate, muniment of title only | $144.50 |
| Accounting probate | $154.50 |
| Guardianship | $154.50 |
| Conservatorship | $154.50 |
| Heirship | $154.50 |
| Minor's settlement under $10,000 | $144.50 |
| Minor's settlement over $10,000 | $154.50 |
| Divorce, uncontested or joint | $144.50 |
| Divorce, contested or fault | $154.50 |
Fees change over time, so confirm the current amount with the Chancery Clerk before you file or mail a payment. Land recording fees follow a separate county schedule and depend on the type and length of the document.
Board Minutes and County Fiscal Records
Beyond court and land work, the Alcorn County Chancery Clerk serves as the records hand for county government. The clerk keeps the official minutes of the Board of Supervisors, the body that sets county policy and the budget. Those minutes are a public record of what the board voted on and decided at each meeting, and they are a useful source for anyone tracking county spending or a local decision.
The office also handles the money side of county business. The Chancery Clerk prepares the claims docket and payrolls, then writes and signs checks once the board approves them. This fiscal duty puts the clerk at the center of how the county pays its bills, which is why the office keeps both the legal and the financial records of Alcorn County in one place.
Mail, Phone, Email, and Counter Access
The Alcorn County Chancery Clerk gives the public several ways to reach the office, and the right channel depends on what you need.
- Counter: Visit 501 Waldron St. in Corinth on a weekday to search land records, file a case, or pick up a certified copy.
- Phone: Call 662-286-7700 for general questions, or the court line at 662-286-7702 for case matters.
- Mail: Send requests and filings to P.O. Box 69, Corinth, MS 38835-0069, with a return address.
- Email: Reach Keith Settlemires or staff at their alcorncountyms.gov addresses, and aim your note at the function, such as court filing or deeds.
- Fax: Send documents to 662-284-4994 when speed matters.
For any in person task, plan around the Monday through Friday hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. A mailed request takes longer than a counter visit, so include the full record detail and your payment the first time to keep things moving.
How to Request a Record or Certified Copy
A certified copy carries the clerk's stamp and signature to prove it matches the record on file. Other courts, agencies, and lenders often require one for a deed, a divorce decree, or an estate order. Follow these steps to request a record or certified copy from the Alcorn County Chancery Clerk.
- Identify the record by party names, property description, or cause number, and an approximate year.
- Contact the Chancery Clerk by phone, mail, email, or at the counter to confirm the copy and certification fee.
- Submit your request with the document type, the number of certified copies, and your return contact details.
- Pay the quoted fee, then pick up the copy in person or wait for it to arrive by mail.
Mississippi keeps court and land records open to the public under the state Public Records Act, though sealed cases and certain minor or protected party files carry limits set by court order. For an older or non-digitized file, give the clerk as much detail as you can so staff can pull it from storage.