Special Master

Rule 53 of the Mississippi Rules of Civil Procedure is one of the least used rules.  However, it is good for certain issues of complex discovery disputes or complex property issues.  Rule 53 authorizes the Court to appoint an attorney to act as a arbitrator for certain disputes in ongoing litigation with the fees to be taxed as costs.  This may be a good avenue on certain issues where the Court may not have time to deal with complex issues.  The decision of the master is appealable to the chancellor or circuit court judge.  This is something to keep in the back of your mind for the right case.