Fayette County Chancery Clerk
The Fayette County Clerk & Master is Amy Anderson. In Tennessee, the Clerk & Master is the Chancery Court clerk and is appointed by the Chancellor. This is different from the elected Circuit Court Clerk and the elected County Clerk. Fayette County Chancery Court records are managed from the historic courthouse on Highway 64 in Somerville, where the Clerk & Master office is listed as Suite 210.
The office handles the record side of Chancery Court. The county's Chancery page lists divorces, adoptions, name changes, workers' compensation, open estates, and delinquent-tax suits. Those case types are often searched by party name, estate name, decedent name, filing year, case number, or document type. There is no public online Chancery case portal for Fayette County in the research file, so searches are handled by the office directly.
Fayette County Clerk & Master
Clerk & Master: Amy Anderson
16755 Highway 64, Suite 210
Somerville, TN 38068
Mailing: P.O. Box 220, Somerville, TN 38068
901-465-5219
Fax: 901-465-5217
Email: Amy.Anderson@tncourts.gov
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Fayette County Chancery Records
Chancery Court is a court of equity. In Fayette County, its practical public-record role is especially important because probate and estate administration run through Chancery Court through the Clerk & Master. The same office also holds divorce files, adoption files, adult name-change matters, workers' compensation cases, delinquent-tax suits, and related Chancery pleadings and orders. The Chancellors for the district are Kasey A. Culbreath and William C. Cole.
| Record group | What the file may contain | Public access note |
|---|---|---|
| Open estates and probate | Wills, petitions, letters, inventories, claims, orders, accountings | Generally public, with confidential medical or protected data redacted |
| Divorce | Complaint, answer, parenting plan, marital dissolution agreement, decree | Public, but sensitive financial and child data may be restricted |
| Adoption | Petition, reports, orders, final decree | Sealed and confidential under Tennessee adoption law |
| Name change | Petition, proof, order changing name | Generally public unless tied to a sealed matter |
| Delinquent tax | Tax suit filings, notices, orders, sale or judgment records | Public court record unless sealed by law |
Search Fayette County Chancery Records
Because no public online Chancery portal was found for Fayette County, the search path is office-based. A request should identify the court as Chancery, name the case type, and include the names and dates that would help staff locate the file. For estates, include the decedent's full name and date of death if known. For divorce, include both spouses' names and the approximate filing or decree year. For name changes, include the prior and new name if known.
- Decide whether the record is Chancery rather than Circuit, General Sessions, County Clerk, or municipal court.
- Gather names, case number if known, filing year, document type, and copy type.
- Call 901-465-5219 to confirm file location, copy costs, and whether the record is public or restricted.
- Visit Suite 210 or mail a written request to P.O. Box 220, Somerville, TN 38068.
- Ask for plain or certified copies depending on the purpose of the record.
Note: Marriage licenses are County Clerk records, while divorce decrees and divorce case files are Chancery or Circuit Court records.
Fayette County Probate Records
Probate in Fayette County runs through Chancery Court. There is no separate Probate Court. Estate files are searched through the Clerk & Master, who manages wills, letters testamentary, letters of administration, small-estate filings, creditor claims, accountings, guardianships, conservatorships, trusts, muniment of title matters, and will contests. Estate files are generally public court records, although medical reports, protected personal identifiers, and sealed filings may be withheld or redacted.
A small-estate affidavit may be available when the personal-property estate does not exceed $50,000 and the required waiting period has passed. A full estate may require appointment of a personal representative, publication of notice to creditors, inventory, claims review, accountings, and closing orders. Tennessee has no state inheritance tax and no state estate tax, but estate administration still requires attention to creditors, TennCare or state notices, tax issues, and court deadlines.
- Testate
- The decedent left a valid will.
- Intestate
- The decedent died without a will.
- Personal representative
- The executor or administrator appointed to act for the estate.
- Letters
- Court-issued authority showing who may act for the estate.
- Muniment of title
- A process that can use a will to transfer property without full administration.
Fayette County Chancery Fees
The exact Fayette County Chancery fee schedule was not posted online in the official sources reviewed. The research file does identify statewide Tennessee statutory amounts that apply to many Chancery and probate matters. Parties should call the Clerk & Master before filing or requesting certified copies, especially for divorce, probate, and estate matters where total costs may include clerk fees, litigation taxes, publication, bond, copy charges, or service fees.
| Item | Amount or status |
|---|---|
| Opening and closing an estate other than a small estate | $230 statewide statutory baseline |
| Filing a claim against a decedent's estate | $11.00, paid by claimant |
| Filing exceptions to a claim | $42.00 |
| Data-entry surcharge for a new case | $4.00 |
| Certification and seal | $5.00 statutory clerk baseline |
| Local divorce, probate, and copy totals | Not posted on Fayette County's official site |
Fayette County Divorce Records
Divorce files may be filed in Chancery Court through the Clerk & Master or in Circuit Court. Fayette County's Chancery page expressly lists divorces. A divorce case file can include the verified complaint, answer, service papers, motions, temporary orders, parenting plan, marital dissolution agreement, financial information, hearing entries, and final decree. Certified copies of the final decree are requested from the clerk that holds the case file.
When minor children are involved, Tennessee requires a permanent parenting plan, and each parent must attend a parent-education seminar of at least four hours unless a waiver or exception applies. Contested divorces may be ordered to mediation. Some financial details, Social Security numbers, children's identifying data, addresses of protected parties, and sealed exhibits may be redacted even when the case itself is public.
| Divorce record detail | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Complaint for divorce | Grounds, parties, filing date, requested relief |
| Parenting plan | Residential schedule and decision-making terms |
| Marital dissolution agreement | Agreed property, debt, support, and other terms |
| Final decree | The order ending the marriage |
Restricted Fayette County Chancery Records
Chancery records are public by default only when no statute, rule, or court order restricts them. Adoption records are sealed. Conservatorship medical reports and treatment information may be confidential. Juvenile-related material, Social Security numbers, financial-account numbers, protected addresses, and minors' identifiers are subject to redaction. A court may also seal a filing or limit access when the law allows it.
The Tennessee Public Records Act and Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 34 both matter for Chancery records. The Act opens public records to Tennessee citizens unless an exemption applies. Rule 34 governs public access to court records and allows reasonable safeguards, redactions, and local court policies. A requester should ask for the public docket or public order even if some documents in the file are restricted.
Fayette County Clerk Routing
Routing is the key to avoiding delay. Circuit Court Clerk Ed Pulliam keeps Circuit and General Sessions records at 705 Justice Drive. County Clerk Shana N. Burch keeps marriage, business, vehicle, notary, beer, and TWRA records at 1 Court Square and satellite offices. Clerk & Master Amy Anderson keeps Chancery, probate, divorce, and estate records at 16755 Highway 64, Suite 210. City courts keep many ordinance and municipal traffic records.
Use the Fayette County Chancery Court page for the court profile and the Clerk & Master office for the records. Use the County Clerk only when the record is a marriage license or administrative county service.
The courthouse split is also a practical clue. Chancery Court, the Clerk & Master, the County Clerk, and general county offices are tied to the square courthouse. Circuit Court, General Sessions, Juvenile Court, the Sheriff's Office, and the jail are tied to the Justice Drive complex. A mailed request should use the correct P.O. Box because each records custodian is separate.
When a request involves both a marriage and a divorce, the records may sit in two places. The marriage license and returned certificate belong with the County Clerk or the Tennessee Office of Vital Records. The divorce decree and case file belong with the court clerk that handled the divorce, often the Clerk & Master for Chancery matters in Fayette County.