Probate in Hillsborough County

Probate Court Record

Hillsborough County Clerk of Circuit Court

Hillsborough County · 13th Judicial Circuit

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM

Office

800 East Twiggs Street, Tampa, FL 33602

Filing in person

Walk-ins accepted

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Hillsborough County →

Verified October 15, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Hillsborough County? →Settling an estate in Hillsborough County →

Estate Law Firms Serving Hillsborough County

Bradenton firm serving Manatee and Sarasota counties from five offices, including Lakewood Ranch, Parrish, Anna Maria Island, and downtown Sarasota. Handles formal and summary probate administration, creditor claims, trust administration and accountings, will contests and fiduciary disputes, and guardianship proceedings. Established 1995.

Since 1995Serves 4 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationGuardianship

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.

Since 1995Serves 3 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawGuardianshipSpecial Needs Planning

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.

Solo PracticeServes 3 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawSpecial Needs PlanningBusiness Law

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.

Since 1962Serves 2 countiesFree consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+2

Arcadia solo practice and one of the few probate firms based in Florida's inland Heartland, serving DeSoto, Hardee, Highlands, Charlotte, Sarasota, Lee, Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. Paul Seusy handles probate and probate litigation alongside elder law, real estate litigation and family matters, and states plainly that he is not certified by Florida as a specialist.

Solo PracticeServes 8 countiesProbateProbate LitigationElder LawFamily LawReal Estate Litigation

Family-run Ocala firm with offices in Beverly Hills and The Villages, representing clients throughout Marion, Sumter, Citrus, and Lake counties. Handles estate administration and probate, estate planning, real estate, and business matters, with an affiliated title company for closings.

Serves 4 countiesEstate PlanningProbateBusiness LawReal Estate

All 31 Florida estate law firms serving Hillsborough County →

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Florida

Free Florida forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Florida.

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Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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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.

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Healthcare Power of Attorney

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.

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Financial Power of Attorney

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 Oct 21, 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 Oct 21, 2026View source witnesses and a notary.

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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.

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Transfer on Death Deed

Transfer real property to a beneficiary upon your death without probate. Available in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

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All Florida forms

Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Florida

Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Florida: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Florida.

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.

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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

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.

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How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Florida costs an estimated $30,600Fla. Stat. § 733.6171Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees on a statutory schedule presumed reasonableFla. Stat. § 733.6171Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.

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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

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.

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How Do I Settle an Estate?

Settling an estate in Florida: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 60 daysFla. Prob. R. 5.340; Fla. Stat. § 733.604Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 3 monthsFla. Stat. §§ 733.2121, 733.702 (later of 3 months from first publication or 30 days from service on a served creditor), 733.703, 733.705, 733.707, 733.710Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

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.

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All Florida tools