How probate works in Collier County: the Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Collier County · 20th Judicial Circuit
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Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
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 Collier County, probate runs through the Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller at 3315 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 102, Naples. The court sits in the 20th Judicial Circuit. The same 20th Judicial Circuit also serves Charlotte, Glades, Hendry and Lee.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Florida intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Florida estates take 9 months to 12 months to move through this process. 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 a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What probate costs in Collier County, Florida comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller at 3315 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 102, Naples. The court is part of the 20th Judicial Circuit.
Florida charges $400Fla. Stat. §§ 28.2401(1)(g), (3); 44.108(1)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Florida are based on reasonable compensation — usually hourly billing or a flat fee for the engagement.
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. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Florida requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under Fla. Stat. § 733.402Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Florida typically runs 9 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
Probate cases in Collier County, Florida are filed at the Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller. The court sits in the 20th Judicial Circuit.
Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Civil Departments (including Probate).
The Clerk's Self-Help Center provides computers to complete forms for civil and family matters such as small claims, family law, injunctions, name changes and landlord-tenant cases; probate is not among the listed services. A deputy clerk assists but cannot give legal advice.
Florida has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not available.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Collier County Self-Filing Assessment.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Disposition packet eligibility checklist is filed with the petition
The decedent must have been a Collier County resident, and the filing includes a certified copy of the death certificate on the Department of Health's watermarked paper. The completed eligibility checklist and chart are filed with the other documents; otherwise the court may not enter an order.
SourceEstate bond schedule
The Clerk publishes the schedule the court uses as an aid in setting personal representative bonds by the estate's gross value, from $18,000 for an estate of $75,000 or less to a $100,000 minimum above $500,000. The court keeps full discretion under Fla. Stat. 733.403(1).
SourceFiled with the opening petition at the Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller: Verified Petition for Administration drafted to Fla. Prob. R. 5.200 (petitioner interest, decedent data, beneficiaries, venue, § 733.301 priority, will statement, asset value); Original of the decedent's last will and any codicils (deposited with the court within 10 days of knowledge of death, Fla. Stat. § 732.901), in a testate estateFla. Stat. §§ 733.101-733.402 (venue, petition, appointment, letters, bond); Fla. Prob. R. 5.200 (petition), 5.235 (issuance of letters, bond), 5.030 (attorney required)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
In Florida a death is registered locally, and in Collier County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Florida Department of Health in Collier County, Vital Statistics as well as by Florida Department of Health - Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Vital Records Office Record
Collier County · Florida Department of Health in Collier County, Vital Statistics
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Certified copies
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Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $12 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $10 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Collier County · Collier County Medical Examiner
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Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Deeds and other real property documents for Collier County are recorded with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at 3315 Tamiami Trail East, Suite 102, Naples, FL 34112. Phone: 1-239-252-2646.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court charges $10 for the first page plus $9 for each additional page.
Collier County accepts electronic recording through CSC, ePN and Simplifile.
Recording Office Record
Collier County
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Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $10 |
| Each additional page | $8.5 |
Fla. Stat. 28.24(13), (13)(c), (13)(d), (13)(e); Fla. Stat. 201.02(1)(a)
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Florida uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Collier County — the filing sequence, notice requirements, and accounting leave little room for error. Estates under the small-estate threshold are the usual exception.
Florida uses a presumed-reasonable fee schedule for probate attorneys — the percentages are a starting point that can be negotiated, especially for simple estates. Collier County firms typically follow the schedule for routine work and negotiate on complex matters.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
FirmFort Myers, FL
Fort Myers firm serving Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties, with a second office in Port Charlotte. Handles formal and summary probate administration, ancillary administration for out-of-state heirs, trust administration, will contests and trust disputes, and guardianship litigation.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 5 more
FirmNaples, FL
Naples firm with a second office in Fort Myers, serving Collier and Lee counties. Handles probate and trust administration alongside estate planning and the real-estate work that follows a death, with more than two decades of practice behind it. The team takes clients in English, Spanish, Russian, and Creole.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbate
FirmFort Myers, FL
Fort Myers probate and elder law firm serving Lee, Collier, and Charlotte counties, with a Naples office. Matthew A. Linde is one of only ten Florida lawyers board certified by The Florida Bar in both Elder Law and Wills, Trusts & Estates -- the only such attorney in Southwest Florida. Handles probate and trust administration, estate planning, guardianship, and probate litigation.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 2 more
FirmFort Myers, FL
Fort Myers firm established in 1949, with a West Palm Beach office, serving Lee, Collier, and Palm Beach counties. The estate team handles probate and trust administration, fiduciary and beneficiary representation, guardianship, and Medicaid planning. Partner Mary Vlasak Snell practices in estate planning, probate, and trust administration.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 2 more
FirmNaples, FL
Naples estate and elder law firm serving Collier and Lee counties, with offices in Bonita Springs and Fort Myers. Seven attorneys handle probate, trust administration, guardianship, Medicaid and long-term care planning, and asset protection. Founder Pam Buff Baker is a Florida Bar Board Certified Elder Law Attorney. The initial vision meeting is complimentary.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 3 more
Solo PracticeFort Myers, FL
Fort Myers solo practice serving Lee and Collier County personal representatives and trustees, including Cape Coral, Naples, Bonita Springs, and Estero. Handles probate and trust administration — collecting and valuing assets, locating beneficiaries — plus contested probate and trust disputes. Thomas M. Dryden is Board Certified in Real Estate (1996) and Business Litigation (2013).
PracticesTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Data sourced from Florida statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Free tools for settling an estate in Florida: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Florida.
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.
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.
Florida has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not available.
Browse vetted Florida attorneys handling probate matters.
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Enter the estate value to see Florida attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
General information about probate costs, not legal or financial advice. Fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value or net property after debts. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
Enter the estate value to see whether Florida lets a self-represented person open probate, what the court requires, and what each route costs.
General information about filing probate without a lawyer, not legal advice. Both routes are priced by the probate cost estimator on the same estate; the attorney fee is the one line that differs. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
