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.
Holmes Beach is in Manatee County.
More Probate Firms in Manatee County
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.
Veteran-owned solo practice in University Park (Manatee County) serving Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, and Venice. Handles formal, summary, and ancillary probate, and trust administration for successor trustees. Bart Scovill is a second-generation estate planning attorney who grew up in Sarasota, served in the U.S. Army, and has over 32 years of experience. Free initial consultation.
Sarasota practice founded in 2011, with a second office in Lakewood Ranch, serving Sarasota and Manatee counties. Handles probate, trust administration and settlement after death, estate and gift tax planning, and probate and trust disputes including arbitration and mediation. David M. Silberstein has been Florida Bar board certified in both Tax Law and Wills, Trusts and Estates since 1998.
Probate in Manatee County
Probate Court Record
Manatee County Clerk of Circuit Court and Comptroller
Manatee County · 12th Judicial Circuit
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
1115 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Manatee County →
Verified July 3, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Manatee County? →Settling an estate in Manatee County →
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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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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.
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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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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How Much Can an Executor Charge?
Florida sets executor compensation on a statutory schedule that is presumed reasonable — about $15,000 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 3.0%Fla. Stat. § 733.617Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
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Do I Need Probate?
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.
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What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
In Florida, creditors have 3 monthsFla. Stat. § 733.702Verified Sep 8, 2026View source from first publication of the creditor notice to present claims; late claims are barred.
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