(229) 896-3941

Chase Daughtrey

Probate Court Judge

Cook County

It is the mission and policy of the Cook County Probate Judge and Staff to provide a court that is fair, impartial, and responsive to the needs of the citizens.

 

Meet the Probate Court Staff

Gail White

Clerk of Court

Probate Division, Licenses, & Vital Records

Suzanne Bennett

Deputy Clerk of Court

Criminal & Traffic Division

Julie Payne

Deputy Clerk of Court

Criminal & Traffic Division

Martha Hall

Deputy Clerk of Court

Criminal & Traffic, Licenses, & Vital Records

Evan Summer

Deputy Clerk of Court

Criminal & Traffic Division

Taylor Hazel

Deputy Clerk of Court

Criminal & Traffic Division

Matthew Bennett

Solicitor General

Hayden Willis

Public Defender

Lea Hazel

Public Defender

Probate Courts in Georgia are courts of limited but exclusive jurisdiction over the:

  • Probate of wills and the administration of estates of deceased persons
  • Appointment of guardians of the person and property of incapacitated adults
  • Appointment of guardians of the property of minors
  • Appointment, in certain circumstances, of guardians of the person of minors
  • Commitment for involuntary treatment of persons addicted to drugs or alcohol and/or suffering from mental illness

Limited Jurisdiction

  • Probate Courts also issue certain licenses and permits and perform certain administrative duties.
  • In many counties, the Probate Court exercises limited criminal jurisdiction including traffic cases and game and fish violations.
  • Some Probate Judges also serve as the Elections Superintendent and/or Vital Records Custodian for their counties.
  • In certain counties, the Probate Judge is also the Magistrate Court Judge.

Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms
Many of the procedures filed in the Probate Courts in Georgia are by use of the Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms. Not all proceedings have a standard form applicable to them. All Georgia Probate Court Standard Forms are available in each Probate Court. These forms are also available on the Georgia Probate Court website.

Bio

Judge Chase Daughtrey was elected in 2008 at the age of 26 and was the youngest Probate Court Judge in the State of Georgia.

Chase graduated from Cook County High School in 2000. He then enrolled at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College where he earned an Associates Degree. After graduation, Chase attended Kennesaw State University where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. During college, Chase severed as an intern to United State Senator Zell Miller and State Representative Jay Roberts. While Attending Abraham Baldwin College, Governor Sonny Perdue appointed Chase to serve on the HOPE Scholarship Committee as a representative of the students of the University System of Georgia.

Chase served for years as a State Field Representative to United States Senator Johnny Isakson in Atlanta, GA. In 2006, he served as Gary Black’s Campaign Manager in his bid for Commissioner of Agriculture. Chase also served as Deputy Chief of Staff to the Georgia House of Representatives serving Majority Leader Jerry Keen at the State Capitol for two years.

Since taking office in 2009, Chase has revamped the office by creating a new system to manage funds that flow through the court, leading the effort to make local elections non-partisan, hiring a Solicitor and Public Defender for traffic and misdemeanor cases in the probate court thus reducing the caseload in superior court without any cost to the taxpayer, imposed a technology fee to offset costs for equipment and maintenance, and made mental health a priority for the court.

Chase currently serves on the Board of Directors for Tift Regional Health System and Renasant Bank. Governor Brian Kemp appointed him to serve on the Board of Commissioners for the Probate Judges Retirement Fund. He also serves on the State Bar of Georgia’s Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee and the Adel Industrial Development Authority.

In 2013, he was named as one of Georgia’s Top 40 under 40 by Georgia Trend Magazine. In 2014, he was named Judge of the Year by the Council of Probate Judges. He is also a graduate of the 2014 class of Leadership Georgia.  In 2020, he was named Cook County Man of the Year by the Chamber of Commerce.

He has two children, Cranford and Keaton, and they reside in Lenox, Georgia.

Useful Links

Quick Links

Court House Address

212 N. Hutchinson Ave.

Adel, Georgia 31620

Phone or Text:(229) 896-3941

Fax: (229) 896-6083

Have Questions? Text HI to 229-896-3941