Originally the duties of the Probate Judge were administrative duties and responsibilities relating to the control of roads, ferries, bridges, and the management of public buildings. The Probate Judge was also responsible for custody of land records and protected chattels by registration of brands. The first Judge of Probate for Montgomery County was David Campbell who was in office from 1850-1875. Judge Campbell previously served as Probate Judge in 1838 when the office was still a part of the county court system.

The current and 14^th Judge of Probate for Montgomery County is Reese McKinney, Jr. He became Probate Judge in March 1998 and was elected to a full six year term in November 2000 and again in 2006.

The responsibilities of the Probate Judge are far more complex and demanding than they were in the 1850's. Today, the Judge of Probate is one of the primary contacts with local government for many residents of the county. Most citizens of Montgomery County have some type of communication with his office whether through vehicle registration, probating of wills, deed and title searches, adoptions, guardianships, conservatorships, purchasing of marriage or business licenses, or other legal issues addressed through the Court. The Probate Judge is also the Chief Election Official.

Since August 1998, Judge McKinney has implemented the use of optical scanning equipment to record images of documents filed in Montgomery County. The use of this technology is the first step in the continuing process of making Probate records available.

In 2005, Judge McKinney directed Montgomery County's effort in becoming the only Alabama County compliant with the federally mandated Help America Vote Act (HAVA) by the January 1, 2006 deadline.  Included in those efforts was the introduction of a state-of-the-art voting system, and the creation of the Montgomery County Election Center.