Revocable Trust for Florida Residents

Florida revocable living trust: avoid probate, name beneficiaries, set distribution rules, appoint a successor trustee. State-specific execution.

Progress0%

Your Information

Tell us about yourself to get started.

First Name*

Middle Name

Last Name*

Date of Birth(MM/DD/YYYY)*

Email Address*

Phone Number

Street Address*

City*

State*

ZIP Code*

I agree to SimplyTrust's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, and understand that continuing creates a SimplyTrust account.*

I agree to receive updates about the SimplyTrust app and estate planning tips via email. You can unsubscribe at any time.*

SELF-HELP SERVICE: SimplyTrust provides a self-help document preparation service. We are not a law firm and cannot provide legal advice, select forms for you, or tell you how to complete forms. Our role is limited to providing a platform where you input your own information into document templates.

NOT LEGAL ADVICE: This document was created entirely based on your selections. SimplyTrust does not review, analyze, or verify your entries, nor do we verify your identity, capacity, or authority to act. You are solely responsible for determining whether this document meets your needs and for completing all required execution formalities (signatures, witnesses, notarization, or recording) in accordance with your state's laws. For any legal questions, consult a licensed attorney in your state.

Assets titled in the trust at death pass under the trust's terms without Florida probate; only assets still in the settlor's own name go through the court. Full probate in Florida typically takes 9 months to 12 months. Florida sets no dollar limit for its Disposition Without Administration; eligibility turns on other tests.

Florida requires 2 witnesses for a revocable trust and does not require a notary. The instrument may be signed electronically and the witnesses may attend by live audio-video, so nothing in the signing has to happen in person.

Florida accepts a certificate of trust in place of the full trust instrument. The certificate confirms the trust exists, identifies the trustee and states the trustee's powers without disclosing the beneficiaries or the distribution terms. A third party who relies on the certificate in good faith is protected by statute.

The successor trustee takes over, the trust becomes irrevocable, and the trustee distributes under the trust's terms without court involvement. Florida has no separate trust creditor-notice step — the settlor's debts stay subject to the general claims and limitations period (up to 24 months), which the trustee settles before distributing. Florida requires the trustee to notify the beneficiaries that the trust has become irrevocable. The trust needs its own EIN from the IRS once the settlor dies; the trust EIN application prepares Form SS-4.

Florida real estate goes into the trust by recording a Warranty Deed or Lady Bird Deed from the settlor to the trustee in the county where the property sits. The transfer is exempt from transfer tax, does not trigger a property tax reassessment, and keeps the homestead exemption. Bank and investment accounts are retitled to the trustee; retirement accounts and life insurance stay in the owner's name and name a beneficiary, which can be the trust.

Avoiding Probate in Florida

A revocable trust avoids Florida probate, which typically takes 9 months to 12 months. Without a trust, assets in your name go through public court proceedings. A will alone does not avoid probate — the question is whether a trust adds enough value to justify the cost.

Trust administration in Florida happens privately: the successor trustee distributes assets per the trust terms without court supervision. Florida has no separate trust creditor-notice step — the settlor's debts stay subject to the general claims and limitations period (up to 24 months), which the trustee settles before distributing. A certificate of trust — accepted by Florida banks, title companies, and recorders — establishes the trustee's authority without revealing the full document. To fund the trust with real property, a Warranty Deed or Lady Bird Deed is recorded with the county.

Some families pair a trust with a pour-over will — one way to direct unfunded assets into the trust at death. Other options include beneficiary designations and TOD deeds.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 17, 2026

Legal Sources

Data sourced from Florida statutes and official state code. How we research.

Is this your situation?

Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.

Marriage

What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.

Learn more

New Home

How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.

Learn more

New Baby or Adoption

Your family is growing. Your protection should too. Guardian nominations, trusts for minors, beneficiary updates, and the documents new parents need in place.

Learn more

Retirement

Retirement changes your financial picture. Healthcare directives, beneficiary reviews, long-term care planning, and protecting what you've built.

Learn more

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Florida

Free forms for planning your estate in Florida: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.

Free

Pour-Over Will

In Florida, a pour-over will is signed before 2 witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.

Get Started

All Florida forms

Tools for Planning Your Estate in Florida

Free tools for planning your estate in Florida: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.

How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Florida runs $4,320 to $6,480 for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

Compare Costs

How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?

Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.

Compare Services

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 reasonable; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

Check Now

How Do I Open a Trust Account at My Bank?

Compare trust-account requirements bank by bank: how a revocable trust account is opened or retitled, and what proves the trust.

See Bank Requirements

Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?

In Florida, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees on a statutory schedule presumed reasonable; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.

Compare Options

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.

Check Requirements

Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.

Check Portability

All Florida tools

Florida Estate Planning Resources

In-depth guides covering Florida probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.

Avoiding Probate in Florida

Some families pair a trust with a pour-over will — one way to direct unfunded assets into the trust at death. Other options include beneficiary designations and TOD deeds.