The Clerk of Superior Court in North Carolina is vital to the local administration of justice, however, few people realize the complexity and diversity of the Clerk’s responsibilities. The Clerk of Superior Court is an elected judicial official, with many important judicial responsibilities. The clerical task of filing, processing, indexing, and preserving court documents is only a part of the Clerk’s job.

Unlike clerks of court in other states, the Clerk of Superior Court in North Carolina is a judge . The Clerk of Superior Court in North Carolina has four main responsibilities: (1) Judge; (2) Record Keeper; (3) Administrator; and (4) Controller.

As the Probate Judge, the Clerk determines what documents meet the legal requirements for a Last Will and Testament and should therefore be admitted to probate. Additionally, the Clerk oversees the administration of family estates, including appointing personal representatives, auditing their accountings, and removing them from office if necessary. The Clerk also presides over many other legal matters including incompetency and guardianship proceedings; foreclosures; partitions of property; legitimations; name changes; adoptions; and many civil hearings as well.

As Record Keeper, the Clerk in Stanly County, North Carolina is responsible for filing, processing, indexing, and maintaining every piece of paper filed each year. The Clerk also provides public access to court records and copies of them as well.

As Administrator, the Clerk in Stanly County manages 17 employees which consist of six divisions, four Assistants, Bookkeeper, and 13 Deputies who are responsible for assisting the public in filing and accessing court documents, staffing the courtrooms, and performing the many complex duties required in order to ensure that court records are accurate.

Finally, as Controller, the Clerk is responsible for receiving, investing, and disbursing millions of dollars each year that come from court fees, traffic citations, fines, etc.