Melbourne elder-law and estate practice on Sarno Road serving Brevard County. Handles probate and trust administration, probate litigation, and guardianship and guardian advocacy, plus Medicaid planning, special-needs trusts, and asset protection. Ruth C. Rhodes is one of only two board-certified elder law attorneys in Brevard County.
Melbourne is in Brevard County.
Probate in Brevard County
Probate Court Record
Brevard County Clerk of Circuit Court
Brevard County · 18th Judicial Circuit
Phone
Hours
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E-filing
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Brevard County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Brevard County? →Settling an estate in Brevard County →
Forms for Planning Your Estate in Florida
Free forms for planning your estate in Florida: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Florida.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Pour-Over Will
In Florida, a pour-over will is signed before 2Fla. Stat. § 732.502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
Transfer on Death Deed
Transfer real property to a beneficiary upon your death without probate. Available in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
Last Will and Testament
In Florida, a will is signed before 2Fla. Stat. § 732.502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyFla. Stat. § 732.502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in Florida
Free tools for planning your estate in Florida: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Florida and read its answer.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Florida, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees on a statutory schedule presumed reasonableFla. Stat. § 733.6171Verified Sep 8, 2026View source; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Florida runs $4,320Estimate: 10 hours at $432, Clio's Florida Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $6,480Estimate: 15 hours at $432, Clio's Florida Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
Do I Need a TOD Deed?
Florida does not authorize transfer on death deeds; sole-name real property goes through probate, at least 6 months for a simple estate, unless held in a trust or with a right of survivorship.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Florida automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceFla. Stat. § 732.703Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
