Elder law attorneys in Florida work the legal issues facing aging adults and their families: Medicaid planning for long-term care, drafting and updating durable powers of attorney and healthcare directives, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, special needs trusts, and asset protection. Many also handle probate and estate planning; elder law is the subset focused on care planning and benefits eligibility. The Florida healthcare proxy and financial power of attorney forms cover the two instruments.
Federal law, as Florida applies it, sets a 5-year lookback period for Medicaid long-term care eligibility. An uncompensated transfer in the five years before the application (a gift, a transfer to a family member, a transfer to a trust that does not qualify) can trigger a penalty period during which Medicaid does not pay for nursing home care. It is why Medicaid planning starts years before the care is needed, and why elder law exists as its own practice area.
Estate planning attorneys in Florida average $440Clio Compare Lawyer Rates, Florida: Wills and Estates rate (2025 data)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source an hour for wills and estates work. A flat-fee package runs $1,320Estimate: 3 hours at $440, Clio's Florida Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,640Estimate: 6 hours at $440, Clio's Florida Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for a simple individual will and $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 a basic revocable trust. An online service prices the same documents in the tens to low hundreds of dollars; the Florida will cost calculator sets the two side by side.
Florida sets no dollar limit for its Disposition Without AdministrationFla. Stat. § 733.402 (bond — required by default: "Unless the bond requirement has been waived by the will or by the courtVerified Sep 8, 2026View source; eligibility turns on other tests. Most estates go through formal probate, and most families retain an attorney for it; a living trust is the common way to skip the process entirely. The Florida probate calculator estimates the cost by estate value.
In Florida, the situations where counsel is typically worth the cost are: a blended family with children from a prior relationship; a business, rental property or significant investment assets; a dependent with special needs, who needs a special-needs trust to keep benefits; substantial property in more than one state. Where none of these apply, an online or self-help document is often enough.
Free Florida forms for planning an estate or settling one: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed, and the probate forms an executor files.
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Florida requires 2Fla. Stat. § 765.203Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses for a healthcare power of attorney; notarization is not requiredFla. Stat. § 765.203Verified Oct 15, 2026View source.
Florida requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityFla. Stat. §§ 709.2101, 709.2104, 709.2105, 709.2106, 709.2108, 709.2109, 709.2113, 709.2119, 709.2120, 709.2201, 709.2202, 709.2208, 709.2209 (2024 supported decisionmaking — informational only, not a POA); § 695.01 (recording); § 695.03 (alternative acknowledgment methods referenced by § 709.2105(2))Verified Sep 18, 2026View source, and it is signed before 2Fla. Stat. §§ 709.2101, 709.2104, 709.2105, 709.2106, 709.2108, 709.2109, 709.2113, 709.2119, 709.2120, 709.2201, 709.2202, 709.2208, 709.2209 (2024 supported decisionmaking — informational only, not a POA); § 695.01 (recording); § 695.03 (alternative acknowledgment methods referenced by § 709.2105(2))Verified Sep 18, 2026View source witnesses and a notary.
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.
Free calculators and checklists for planning or settling an estate in Florida: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay, and inheritance taxes.
An attorney-prepared revocable 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 and a simple will $1,320Estimate: 3 hours at $440, Clio's Florida Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,640Estimate: 6 hours at $440, Clio's Florida Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
In Florida, four years at a public university cost about $64,352NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is near the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; no state estate or inheritance tax appliesNo state estate or inheritance tax. Fla. Const. Art. VII, § 5(a) caps any Florida estate or inheritance tax at the federal credit amount; the Chapter 198 estate tax (Fla. Stat. § 198.02) is a federal-credit pickup — not repealed, but $0 since EGTRRA eliminated the federal state death tax credit, and the Florida Department of Revenue confirms the estate tax was eliminated for people who died after Dec. 31, 2004. Florida has no inheritance tax and no gift tax.Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Florida costs an estimated $30,600Fla. Stat. § 733.6171Verified Sep 8, 2026View source and takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees on a statutory schedule presumed reasonableFla. Stat. § 733.6171Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Estates under $150,000 can use a small-estate procedure instead.
Probate in Florida takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees on a statutory schedule presumed reasonableFla. Stat. § 733.6171Verified Sep 8, 2026View source; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
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.
58 elder law firms in Florida, by county and firm type.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
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58 firms
Solo PracticeAltamonte Springs, FL
Altamonte Springs solo practice serving Seminole County and the Orlando area, with a second address in Longwood. Brett D. Bevis handles estate and probate administration, trust administration, guardianships, wills and trusts, and Medicaid planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawGuardianship
FirmMiami, FL
Miami probate firm serving Miami-Dade, Broward, and Collier counties, with a second office in Weston. Handles probate administration and probate litigation, guardianship and Baker Act matters, elder abuse and fraud recovery, and wills and trusts. Serving clients since 1998; Spanish spoken.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder LawGuardianship
FirmCoral Gables, FL
Coral Gables firm serving Miami-Dade County since 1998. Handles probate and trust administration, guardianships, will contests and trust litigation including undue influence and fiduciary disputes, elder law, and estate and tax planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 3 more
FirmSarasota, FL
Sarasota elder law and estate planning firm founded in 1995, serving Sarasota, Tampa, and St. Petersburg. Handles probate and trust administration, guardianship proceedings, long-term care planning, special needs trusts, and veterans benefits. Two of its attorneys were among the first three board certified elder law attorneys in Florida.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 2 more
FirmBradenton, FL
Lakewood Ranch firm serving Manatee and Sarasota counties, renamed from Butler Elder Law in January 2026. Handles probate and trust administration, guardianships, Medicaid eligibility planning, special needs trusts, and elder fraud and fiduciary abuse claims.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 2 more
FirmPalm Coast, FL
Palm Coast firm serving Flagler County, where Timothy Conner opened his practice in 1985; William Bosch joined in 2007 to form Conner Bosch Law. Handles probate, trust administration, guardianship, elder care matters, advance directives, and asset protection, alongside real estate and civil work. The two attorneys report over sixty years of combined experience.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 4 more
FirmNorth Miami, FL
North Miami firm serving Miami-Dade and Broward counties. Handles probate administration and probate litigation, trust administration and trust disputes, will contests built on undue influence or lack of testamentary capacity, guardianship, and elder law. Spanish spoken.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 3 more
Solo PracticeTallahassee, FL
Tallahassee solo practice serving Leon County. Anthony L. Conticello handles Florida probate and ancillary probate administration, elder law, estate planning and advance care directives, and business and contract work, including Sunshine Law and public records matters.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawBusiness Law
FirmJacksonville, FL
Jacksonville firm serving Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Nassau, and Baker counties, with a satellite office in Ponte Vedra Beach. Handles formal and summary probate administration, probate and trust litigation, guardianship, elder law and Medicaid crisis planning, and asset protection trusts. Practicing as this firm since 2008.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 4 more
FirmPalm Beach Gardens, FL
Palm Beach Gardens firm handling probate and trust administration, guardianship, elder law and Medicaid, and estate tax planning for Palm Beach County families. Founded by Rebecca G. Doane in 2003; Randell C. Doane is board certified by The Florida Bar in wills, trusts and estates, and the firm is AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 2 more
Solo PracticeLargo, FL
Largo practice serving Pinellas County and the Tampa Bay area, with a second office in downtown St. Petersburg. Daniel De Paz handles probate and trust administration, estate planning, elder law and VA benefits planning, special needs trusts, and unclaimed property recovery. Bilingual English and Spanish.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 2 more
Solo PracticeMiami, FL
Miami solo practice serving Miami-Dade County families through the county probate division. Handles formal and summary probate administration, guardianship, special needs trusts, and Medicaid planning alongside wills and revocable trusts. Denise Jomarron has practiced since 2009 and was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in Elder Law for three consecutive years.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawGuardianshipand 2 more
FirmSaint Petersburg, FL
St. Petersburg firm practicing since 1962 and filing in the Pinellas County probate court. Six attorneys handle estate and trust administration, probate litigation, and will and trust contests, alongside estate planning, guardianship, and Medicaid and long-term-care planning. Founder George Wilsey is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 8 more
FirmSaint Petersburg, FL
St. Petersburg firm serving Pinellas and Hillsborough County families from Clearwater to Tampa and Sun City. Represents personal representatives and trustees through probate and trust administration and probate and trust litigation, plus wills, trusts, guardianships, and elder law. David Foster began the practice here in 1962; his son Bill Foster was mayor of St. Petersburg from 2010 to 2013.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 3 more
FirmBradenton, FL
Bradenton firm on State Road 70 East serving Manatee and Sarasota families, and accepting probate cases in any Florida county. Guides personal representatives and trustees through probate and trust administration, and handles estate planning, wills, trusts, and elder law as a National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys member. Rodney D. Gerling and Dana Laganella Gerling founded the firm in 2004.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawWills Trusts
FirmFort Lauderdale, FL
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 4 more
FirmSt. Augustine, FL
St. Augustine firm on A1A Beach Boulevard with a second office in Jacksonville, handling St. Johns and Duval County probate and trust administration. Guides personal representatives through formal administration and small-estate dispositions, and pairs that with estate planning, elder law, and tax work. Jonathan P. Hermes is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Wills, Trusts and Estates.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawTax Planning
FirmSeminole, FL
Seminole firm serving Pinellas and Hillsborough County families since 1976, with St. Petersburg and Sun City Center offices. Walks personal representatives through disposition without administration, summary and formal probate, and trust administration, and litigates trust and estate disputes. Long-term-care Medicaid and elder-law planning sit alongside the settlement work.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 4 more
Solo PracticePlantation, FL
Plantation solo practice with Boca Raton and Aventura offices, serving Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties. Handles formal, summary, and ancillary administration for personal representatives, beneficiaries, creditors, and corporate fiduciaries, plus trust administration and probate and trust litigation. Daniel T. Fleischer has practiced estate and probate law since 2001 and is AV rated.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 8 more
Solo PracticeMarianna, FL
Marianna solo practice in Jackson County, seat of the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit for the rural eastern Panhandle. Charles Wynn narrowed a long general practice to estate planning and probate only, handling will validation, probate for estates left without a will, and estate administration including asset distribution and debt resolution, alongside guardianship and deed work.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawGuardianshipReal Estate