Clerk & Master - Duties and Requirements

Requirements & Duties
The Clerk and Master is appointed by the Chancellor serving the Twenty-Seventh Judicial District and serves as clerk for the Chancery Court and Master in appropriate proceedings. Chancery Court is a court of equity with concurrent jurisdiction with Circuit Court of all civil cases (divorce, adoption, worker's compensation, boundary disputes, delinquent tax, breach of contract, change of name etc), except those for unliquidated personal damages and unliquidated property damage not founded in contract. In Weakley County, the Chancery Court has exclusive jurisdiction over the administration of estates, including estates of decedents and estates of wards under guardianship or conservatorship. All petitions to administer an estate, probate a will, appoint a guardian for a minor, and appoint a conservator for a disabled person must be filed in Chancery Court.

The Clerk and Master, as clerk of Chancery Court, is required by statute to keep rule and execution dockets, enter the minutes of the court, file and enter all documents, pleadings, papers, and exhibits; invest funds under the clerk's control; attend court; and perform all other duties as required by law. In all estates, annual accountings are taken and confirmed by the Clerk and Master.