Florida follows the reasonable-compensation standard for trusteesFla. Stat. § 736.0708Verified Sep 18, 2026View source. A court decides what is reasonable case by case, on the trust's size, its complexity and the trustee's actual work. A family-member trustee often waives the fee. A professional trustee (a bank, a trust company, an attorney) typically charges 0.5% to 1.5% of trust assets a year, and a corporate fiduciary applies an annual minimum. The Florida trustee compensation calculator breaks it down by trust situation.

Trust administration in Florida is typically faster than probate because a trust needs no court supervision. There is no court-supervised creditor period — the trustee distributes once known debts are settled, subject to Florida's general limitations period. A simple trust often wraps up in six to nine months; a trust holding a business interest, real property in more than one state, or one that files an estate tax return takes longer. The Florida trust settlement plan carries the full process.

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.

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Florida

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.

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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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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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Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Florida

Free calculators and checklists for planning or settling an estate in Florida: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay, and inheritance taxes.

How Do I Settle a Trust?

Settling a trust in Florida happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeFla. Stat. § 736.0101 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysFla. Stat. §§ 736.0813, 736.1008, 736.10081Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.

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What's Fair Trustee Compensation?

In Florida, trustee compensation follows "reasonable compensation" (UTC § 708 or equivalent)Fla. Stat. § 736.0708Verified Sep 18, 2026View source unless the trust instrument sets a different amount.

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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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Do I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died?

Florida has no state income tax, so only the federal final Form 1040 is due for the decedentFla. Const. Art. VII, § 5(a)Verified Sep 20, 2026View source; a federal estate tax return (Form 706) is required only for estates above $15,000,00026 USC 2001(c), 2010; P.L. 119-21 §70106Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.

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How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?

Inherited assets in Florida take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death26 USC § 1014Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the gain on a later sale faces no state capital gains taxFla. Const. Art. VII, § 5(a) — "No tax upon estates or inheritances or upon the income of natural persons who are residents or citizens of the state shall be levied by the state"Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.

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