General Civil Case Cover Sheet

COVER SHEET — CIVIL CASE FILING FORM

STATE OF MISSISSIPPI — CIRCUIT, CHANCERY, AND COUNTY COURTS

Filing Requirement Notice: This Civil Case Filing Form (Cover Sheet) must accompany every new complaint, petition, or initiating document filed in a Mississippi Circuit Court, Chancery Court, or County Court. This form corresponds to Mississippi Administrative Office of Courts (AOC) Form AOC/01 and is used by court clerks for case classification, statistical reporting, fee assessment, and docket management. The cover sheet is an administrative document and does not expand or limit the claims in the pleadings.

I. COURT AND CASE IDENTIFICATION

II. CASE CAPTION

IN THE [☐ CIRCUIT ☐ CHANCERY ☐ COUNTY] COURT OF [________________________________] COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI

[________________________________],
Plaintiff(s) / Petitioner(s),

v. Civil Action No. _________________

[________________________________],
Defendant(s) / Respondent(s).

III. FILER IDENTITY

IV. PARTY INFORMATION

A. Plaintiff(s) / Petitioner(s)

☐ Additional plaintiffs/petitioners listed on attached Schedule 1

B. Defendant(s) / Respondent(s)

☐ Additional defendants/respondents listed on attached Schedule 2

V. ATTORNEY / PRO SE FILER INFORMATION

A. Attorney for Filing Party

B. Attorney for Opposing Party (if known)

C. Pro Se Filer

☐ Filing party appears pro se (without attorney)

VI. CASE TYPE CLASSIFICATION — PRIMARY CATEGORY

Select ONE primary case category below. These codes track the Mississippi Administrative Office of Courts (AOC) uniform case-type classification system. Confirm the most current code list on the AOC website before filing.

A. Contract / Business

☐ Breach of Contract — General
☐ Installment Contract / Retail Sales
☐ Insurance Coverage / Bad Faith
☐ Debt Collection / Account Stated
☐ Employment — Contract
☐ Product Liability — Contract Theory
☐ Specific Performance
☐ Business Dissolution (Corporation / Partnership)
☐ Stockholder Suit / Derivative Action
☐ Other Contract (specify): [________________________________]

B. Torts — Personal Injury

☐ Motor Vehicle Accident
☐ Premises Liability
☐ Medical Malpractice (Miss. Code Ann. Section 11-1-58)
☐ Other Professional Negligence (Legal, Accounting, etc.)
☐ Product Liability — Tort Theory
☐ Wrongful Death (Miss. Code Ann. Section 11-7-13)
☐ Intentional Tort (Assault, Battery, False Imprisonment)
☐ Loss of Consortium
☐ Defamation / Libel / Slander
☐ Other Personal Injury (specify): [________________________________]

C. Torts — Property

☐ Trespass
☐ Conversion
☐ Property Damage — Motor Vehicle
☐ Property Damage — Other
☐ Nuisance
☐ Other Property Tort (specify): [________________________________]

D. Real Property

☐ Adverse Possession
☐ Ejectment
☐ Eminent Domain / Condemnation (Miss. Code Ann. Section 11-27-1 et seq.)
☐ Judicial Foreclosure
☐ Lien Assertion / Enforcement
☐ Partition
☐ Quiet Title / Title Dispute
☐ Tax Sale
☐ Title / Boundary Dispute
☐ Landlord-Tenant — Eviction
☐ Other Real Property (specify): [________________________________]

E. Domestic Relations (Chancery Court)

☐ Divorce — Irreconcilable Differences (Miss. Code Ann. Section 93-5-2)
☐ Divorce — Fault Grounds (Miss. Code Ann. Section 93-5-1)
☐ Child Custody / Visitation
☐ Child Support / UIFSA
☐ Modification of Prior Order
☐ Contempt — Domestic
☐ Paternity (Miss. Code Ann. Section 93-9-1 et seq.)
☐ Adoption / Termination of Parental Rights
☐ Domestic Abuse Protection Order
☐ Separate Maintenance
☐ Property Division
☐ Emancipation of Minor
☐ Other Domestic (specify): [________________________________]

F. Probate / Estate (Chancery Court)

☐ Probate of Will
☐ Administration of Estate
☐ Conservatorship / Guardianship (Miss. Code Ann. Section 93-13-1 et seq.)
☐ Accounting
☐ Other Probate (specify): [________________________________]

G. Appeals and Reviews

☐ Administrative Agency Appeal
☐ Justice Court Appeal
☐ Municipal Court Appeal
☐ Election Contest
☐ Other Appeal (specify): [________________________________]

H. Miscellaneous Civil

☐ Declaratory Judgment (Miss. Code Ann. Section 11-13-1 et seq.)
☐ Injunction / Temporary Restraining Order
☐ Extraordinary Writ (Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, Habeas Corpus)
☐ Civil Forfeiture
☐ ERISA
☐ Racketeering / RICO
☐ Receivership
☐ Garnishment / Examination of Debtor
☐ Execution
☐ Foreign Judgment Domestication (Miss. Code Ann. Section 11-7-301 et seq.)
☐ Replevin
☐ Other Civil (specify): [________________________________]

I. Specialized Claims (check all that apply)

☐ Asbestos-related
☐ Chemical Spill / Environmental Contamination
☐ Civil Rights — State
☐ Civil Rights — Federal (42 U.S.C. Section 1983)
☐ Class Action
☐ Mass Tort
☐ Other Specialized (specify): [________________________________]

VII. MANNER OF FILING

☐ Original filing — new civil action
☐ Reopened case — post-judgment motion
☐ Transferred from another court (Case No.: [________________________________])
☐ Remanded from appellate court (Case No.: [________________________________])
☐ Removed from federal court and remanded (Case No.: [________________________________])

VIII. AMOUNT IN CONTROVERSY AND RELIEF SOUGHT

A. Monetary Relief

☐ No monetary relief sought
☐ Under $75,000
☐ $75,000 to $500,000
☐ Over $500,000
☐ Amount unspecified (unliquidated damages)

Approximate monetary damages claimed: $[________________________________]

B. Non-Monetary Relief

☐ Declaratory relief
☐ Injunctive relief
☐ Specific performance
☐ Quiet title
☐ Custody / Support modification
☐ Other: [________________________________]

C. Additional Claims

☐ Punitive damages alleged (Miss. Code Ann. Section 11-1-65 — cap applies)
☐ Attorney fees claimed by statute or contract — Statute: [________________________________]

Note: Under Mississippi law, punitive damages are capped at the greater of $20,000,000 or two percent of the defendant's net worth, with specified exceptions (Miss. Code Ann. Section 11-1-65).

IX. JURY DEMAND

☐ Jury trial demanded pursuant to Miss. R. Civ. P. 38
☐ No jury demand at this time

Mississippi Jury Demand Rules:

• Under Miss. R. Civ. P. 38(b), a party demanding a jury trial must serve a written demand no later than 10 days after service of the last pleading directed to the issue.
• The demand must specify the issues to be tried by jury. If no specification is made, the demand is deemed to cover all issues triable by jury.
• Failure to serve a timely demand constitutes a waiver of the right to jury trial (Miss. R. Civ. P. 38(d)).
• A jury fee must be paid at the time of demand — verify the current amount with the Clerk.
• In Chancery Court, jury trials are available only in limited circumstances (e.g., will contests, certain equity matters).

X. SERVICE INFORMATION

Service Deadline: Under Miss. R. Civ. P. 4(h), service must be completed within 120 days of filing the complaint. Failure to effect timely service may result in dismissal without prejudice.

XI. RELATED OR COMPANION CASES

Are there related cases currently or previously pending in any Mississippi state or federal court?

☐ No related cases
☐ Yes — provide details below:

"Related" means arising out of the same transaction or occurrence, involving identical or substantially overlapping parties, or requiring consolidation for efficient adjudication.

XII. ESTIMATED TRIAL INFORMATION

XIII. FILING FEES

Filing fees in Mississippi are governed by statute and may vary by court type and county. Fees are established under Miss. Code Ann. Sections 25-7-9 (Chancery Clerk) and 25-7-13 (Circuit Clerk).

Representative Fee Components:

Important: Filing fee amounts vary significantly by county and court type. Always verify the current fee schedule with the Circuit Clerk, Chancery Clerk, or County Clerk in the filing county before tendering payment. Underpayment will result in rejection; overpayment may delay processing.

☐ Filing fee tendered: $[________________________________]
☐ In Forma Pauperis petition filed (Miss. Code Ann. Section 11-53-17)

XIV. ELECTRONIC FILING — MISSISSIPPI ELECTRONIC COURTS (MEC)

Mississippi uses the Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC) system for electronic filing in all trial courts (Circuit, Chancery, and County Courts).

MEC Filing Requirements:

• Attorneys: Electronic filing through MEC is mandatory for all registered attorneys.
• Pro Se Litigants: May file electronically through MEC or in paper at the Clerk's Office.
• Document Format: PDF; comply with MEC formatting and size requirements.
• Cover Sheet: Upload this Cover Sheet as a separate lead document in MEC, linked to the initiating pleading.
• Service: Electronic service through MEC is available for registered users.

MEC Website: https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php

☐ Filing submitted electronically via MEC
☐ Filing submitted in paper at the Clerk's Office

XV. CERTIFICATION AND SIGNATURE

By signing below, the undersigned certifies that:

1. The information provided on this Civil Case Filing Form is complete and accurate to the best of my knowledge, information, and belief;
2. This filing is submitted in compliance with the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure and all applicable local court rules;
3. A copy of this Cover Sheet will be served on all parties together with the initiating pleading as required; and
4. I have tendered the correct filing fee or filed a proper in forma pauperis petition.

XVI. CLERK'S OFFICE USE ONLY

XVII. PRACTICE TIPS AND GUIDANCE

Court Selection — Circuit vs. Chancery vs. County

1. Circuit Court has general jurisdiction over civil actions at law, including torts, contracts, and statutory claims (Miss. Code Ann. Section 9-7-81).
2. Chancery Court has exclusive jurisdiction over matters in equity, including domestic relations, adoptions, guardianships, wills, estates, trusts, and certain real property matters (Miss. Code Ann. Section 9-5-81).
3. County Court has concurrent jurisdiction with Circuit Court in civil actions where the amount in controversy does not exceed $200,000 (Miss. Code Ann. Section 9-9-21).
4. If filing in the wrong court, the case may be transferred rather than dismissed — but this causes delay and additional expense.

Venue

5. Venue in Mississippi is governed by Miss. Code Ann. Section 11-11-3 and is generally proper in the county where the defendant resides, where the cause of action occurred, or where the contract was to be performed.
6. For actions against corporations, venue is also proper in the county where the corporation maintains its principal office or where the cause of action arose (Miss. Code Ann. Section 11-11-3(1)(c)).

Medical Malpractice

7. Mississippi imposes a two-year statute of limitations for medical malpractice (Miss. Code Ann. Section 15-1-36).
8. Expert certification requirements apply to medical malpractice claims (Miss. Code Ann. Section 11-1-58).
9. Non-economic damages in medical malpractice cases are capped at $500,000 (Miss. Code Ann. Section 11-1-60).

Service Notes

10. Process must be served within 120 days of filing (Miss. R. Civ. P. 4(h)). Request an extension before the deadline expires.
11. Service on the Mississippi Secretary of State is available for out-of-state defendants doing business in Mississippi (Miss. Code Ann. Section 13-3-57).

XVIII. FILING CHECKLIST

☐ Original pleading (complaint or petition)
☐ This Civil Case Cover Sheet (completed in full)
☐ Required number of copies (verify with Clerk)
☐ Correct filing fee (cashier's check, money order, or accepted payment method)
☐ Summons prepared for each defendant
☐ Certificate of Service attached to pleading
☐ Electronic filing (MEC) users: Cover Sheet uploaded as separate lead document
☐ Confidential information redacted per applicable rules
☐ In Forma Pauperis petition (if applicable)
☐ Medical malpractice expert certification (if applicable, per Miss. Code Ann. Section 11-1-58)

Sources and References

• Mississippi Administrative Office of Courts — Forms: https://courts.ms.gov/aoc/forms/
• Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure: https://courts.ms.gov/rules/msrulesofcourt/rules_of_civil_procedure.pdf
• Mississippi Electronic Courts (MEC): https://courts.ms.gov/mec/mec.php
• Mississippi Code Annotated (LexisNexis / Westlaw)
• Miss. Code Ann. Section 25-7-13 (Circuit Clerk Fees)
• Miss. Code Ann. Section 25-7-9 (Chancery Clerk Fees)
• Miss. Code Ann. Section 11-1-65 (Punitive Damages Cap)
• Mississippi AOC Civil Case Filing Form (AOC/01): https://courts.ms.gov/aoc/forms/civil_case_filing_form.pdf

This template is provided for informational and drafting purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice. Practitioners must verify all information, case type codes, fee amounts, and procedural requirements against the most current Mississippi statutes, court rules, and local administrative orders before filing.