Fort Lauderdale two-attorney firm in which both partners hold Florida Bar board certification: David Shulman in Wills, Trusts and Estates and Jill Ginsberg in Elder Law. Handles probate and trust administration for Broward and Palm Beach fiduciaries, plus guardianship — including emergency temporary guardianship — estate planning, and asset protection. Takes probate matters anywhere in Florida.
Probate in Monroe County
Probate Court Record
Monroe County Clerk of Circuit Court
Monroe County · 16th Judicial Circuit
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
How to file probate in Monroe County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Monroe County? →Settling an estate in Monroe County →
Asset Protection Firms Serving Monroe County
Winter Park firm serving Orange County and, in probate matters, the entire state of Florida. Represents estate administrators, executors, trustees, and fiduciaries; handles intestate estates, probate real estate, will contests, and probate litigation; and drafts wills, testamentary trusts, and advance directives. Co-founder John R. Gierach has 43 years of experience and an AV Preeminent rating.
Doral practice serving Miami-Dade and Broward families, with bilingual English/Spanish service. Handles formal, summary, and ancillary probate administration, trust administration, and beneficiary-rights representation, plus guardianship for minors and incapacity petitions. Also drafts wills, living trusts, advance directives, and special-needs plans.
Palm Beach Gardens elder law and estate planning firm with offices in Boynton Beach and Port St. Lucie, practicing since 1988. Handles probate and trust administration, estate litigation, Medicaid and veterans benefits planning, and wealth-transfer tax planning. Joseph S. Karp holds both Florida Bar and national elder law certification.
All 6 Florida asset protection firms serving Monroe 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.
