Practicing in Clarksville since 1923 · General civil litigation, family law, estates, and business law
Call (931) 552-6000Marks, Shell & Maness has been part of Clarksville since 1923, when Robert McReynolds and Dempsey Marks founded the firm. Our office is at 233 Dunbar Cave Road, Suite A, and it is the firm’s only office. For more than 100 years we have represented local businesses, nonprofits and families in Clarksville and the surrounding community.
The Montgomery County Courts Center is at 2 Millennium Plaza, next to the historic courthouse. Because we work here every day, a hearing, a filing, or a meeting at the clerk’s office is part of our regular routine. That matters for clients mostly in practical ways: matters stay close to home, and we know the people and procedures in the building.
2 Millennium Plaza, Clarksville, TN 37040. The Courts Center houses Circuit, General Sessions, Juvenile and Chancery courts.
The Clerk and Master is in Suite 101, (931) 648-5703. Chancery Court handles probate, divorce, conservatorships, guardianships, trusts, real estate matters and contract and debt cases.
The Circuit Court Clerk is in Suite 115, (931) 648-5700. Circuit Court hears civil and criminal cases and appeals from General Sessions, and its civil jurisdiction often overlaps with Chancery.
Montgomery County is part of Tennessee’s 19th Judicial District, which also includes Robertson County. The district has its own electronic filing rules for Chancery and Circuit courts.
Court addresses, suite numbers and phone numbers are taken from county websites and can change. Confirm with the clerk before you file or travel.
Which Montgomery County court hears a matter depends on what kind of matter it is. Estates are opened in Chancery Court through the Clerk and Master, and the same court handles divorces, conservatorships and guardianships. Contract and debt claims, real estate disputes, and many other civil lawsuits can be filed in either Chancery or Circuit Court depending on the relief sought. General Sessions Court hears smaller civil cases within its dollar limits.
Because Montgomery and Robertson Counties share a judicial district, the local rules and electronic filing rules for the Chancery and Circuit courts apply in both. Knowing those rules in advance prevents avoidable delays. If a case involves probate, a divorce, or a civil lawsuit, we can explain which court is likely to hear it and what to expect before anything is filed.
Albert Marks, one of our attorneys, is one of the founders of the Montgomery County Bar Association, and his practice focuses on estates. Austin Maness has served on the boards of local nonprofits, including as President of Friends of Dunbar Cave, and serves as a vestryman at Church of the Resurrection in Clarksville. Roger A. Maness has practiced since 1980 and is licensed in Tennessee and Kentucky, which can be useful in a community that sits beside Fort Campbell, a post that spans both states.
During the Great Depression the firm’s office served as the recruiting office for the Works Progress Administration, and the firm reopened in 1945 after its founders’ wartime service. That history is part of why local clients often come to us through family, friends and other local professionals.
Our practice areas are general civil litigation, family law, estates, estate litigation, small business legal consulting, and construction law. If you live or do business in Montgomery County, these pages explain how Tennessee law generally works in each area: Wills & Trusts, Estate Litigation, Forming an LLC, Contract Review, Business Litigation, and Construction Disputes. The information is general, and the right answer for your situation depends on its facts.
We also handle matters in neighboring counties. See our pages for Montgomery County (Clarksville), Stewart County (Dover), Houston County (Erin), Robertson County (Springfield), and Cheatham County (Ashland City).
Call to schedule a consultation about a Montgomery County matter.
Office: 233 Dunbar Cave Road, Suite A, Clarksville, TN 37043 · Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM
Email: [email protected] · Fax: (931) 645-1890
Contacting the firm does not create an attorney–client relationship. Please do not send confidential information until a relationship has been established. General information on this page is not legal advice, and every situation is different. Past matters do not predict the outcome of any future matter.