Estate Planning & Probate in Charlotte County, Florida
There are two reasons people look up Charlotte County probate: to keep a family out of it, or to get a loved one's estate through it. Pick the path that fits, then work from the local Clerk of Circuit Court details.
The Probate Process in Charlotte County
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Charlotte County, probate runs through the Clerk of Circuit Court at 350 East Marion Avenue, Punta Gorda. The court sits in the 20th Judicial Circuit. The same 20th Judicial Circuit also serves Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee.
Full Charlotte County probate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Charlotte County Clerk of Circuit Court
Charlotte County · 20th Judicial Circuit
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
E-filing
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Charlotte County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Recording Office Record
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Charlotte County
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Recording fee
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Vital Records Office Record
Local Registrar
Charlotte County · Florida Department of Health in Charlotte County
Phone
Office
Website
Certified copies
Certified copy fee
Full death certificate details →
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
District Medical Examiner
Charlotte County · District 22 Medical Examiner
Phone
Office
Serves this county
Full coroner or medical examiner details →
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the Clerk of Circuit Court
The clerk's Self-Help Services (selfhelp.charlotteclerk.com) provide free legal forms, TurboCourt automated forms for a fee, internet access, a law library on the ground floor of the Justice Center, and free virtual 20-minute consultations with Charlotte County Legal Aid, booked online. The services are not income-based.
Court documents and payments may be left in clerk drop boxes at the Justice Center (350 E. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda), 410 Taylor Street (Punta Gorda), 6868 San Casa Drive (Englewood) and 21229 Olean Blvd (Port Charlotte). Include contact information; do not include cash.
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.
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.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in Florida, a surviving spouse takes the entire estateFla. Stat. § 732.102Verified Oct 21, 2026View source when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per stirpesFla. Stat. § 732.104Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
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.
Florida Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Charlotte County.
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