Clerk of Circuit Court

Circuit Court Clerk, Hon. Tiffany M. Couch, was elected on November 7, 2023, by the voters of Montgomery County to serve an 8-year term. Mrs. Couch has worked in this office since 2018 and enjoys serving the community she grew up in. 

Her office is charged with more than 800 statutory responsibilities, extending beyond judicial-related business to non-judicial and fiscal activities as well.

Couch is a Master Circuit Court Clerk and a Certified Court Manager from the National Center for State Courts.

As Chief Operating Officer of the Court, the Clerk ensures judiciary members are provided administrative support during courtroom proceedings. In criminal cases, the Clerk makes certain that all proceedings are recorded and memorialized, administers all criminal case records, and coordinates case scheduling and other case-related activities with prosecutors and law enforcement. The Clerk's Office also lends overall judicial support by managing juries, maintaining and disposing of evidence, issuing arrest and other legal documents to be served, investing/distributing monies on the part of litigants or third-party beneficiaries, collecting criminal fines and costs and serving as repository for the Court's records. 

Inquiries concerning the Court, procedures, policies and records should be directed to the Clerk's Office, which essentially serves as the Court's clearinghouse for information. In accordance with statutory provisions, the Clerk's Office routinely provides statistical data, case-related information and court documents to state, local, and federal agencies as well as to the general public, attorneys, litigants and the news media. 

On the non-judicial side, the Circuit Court Clerk serves as the probate judge in admitting or denying wills to probate and in qualifying executors, administrators, guardians and/or conservators. 

The Clerk also serves as the County's Register of Deeds and is responsible for recording all deeds, deeds of trust, powers of attorney, and real estate liens and releases. Other transactions and recordings processed include judgments, financing statements, fictitious names for businesses, marriage licenses, concealed handgun permits, and a variety of appointments including ministers, notaries, local commission and board members and law enforcement officers. 

The Clerk is required by statute to permanently preserve and archive the official records of the Court, in addition to probate (estate), real estate, and a vast array of other county records. The Clerk's Office maintains records dating to 1773, the year of the County's inception. Records management is an immense and critical responsibility given the volume and types of records maintained. Furthermore, because of the nature of the Court's records, the office is a hub for information for use by commercial entities. 

Fiscal responsibilities include maintenance and investment of trust and condemnation funds, as well as the collection of court fines and costs, real estate transfer fees, recordation taxes and a myriad of other fees authorized by statute. This revenue is used to fund citizen services, while fines and costs collected in criminal cases produce significant revenue for the prosecution and incarceration of criminal defendants.