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 Probate Judge
Melessa Shivers
210 S. Washington Street
Clay County Courthouse
P O Box 448
Fort Gaines, GA 39851
 229.768.2445
229.768.3028
 229.768.3028
 Probate Judge
Office Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday - Friday.
Probate Judges Role
County probate courts exercise exclusive, original jurisdiction in the probate of wills, administration of estates, appointment of guardians and involuntary hospitalization of incapacitated adults and other individuals.
All probate court judges administer oaths of office and issue marriage licenses. They may hold habeas corpus hearings or preside over criminal preliminary hearings. Unless a jury trial is requested, probate court judges may also hear certain misdemeanors, traffic cases and violations of state game and fish laws in counties where there is no state court. When authorized by local statute, probate judges serve as election supervisors and make appointments to certain local public offices.
Most probate court judges are elected to four-year terms in countywide, partisan elections. A candidate for judge of the probate court must be at least 25 years of age, a high school graduate, a U.S. citizen and a county resident for at least two years preceding the election.
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