What to Do When Someone Dies in Dixie County, Florida

How probate works in Dixie County: the Clerk of Circuit Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.

Probate Court Record

Dixie County Clerk of Circuit Court

Dixie County · 3rd Judicial Circuit

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM

Office

214 Northeast Highway 351, Cross City, FL 32628

Self-represented filing

Allowed

E-filing

Required for attorneysE-filing mandatory for attorneys since April 1, 2013. Optional for self-represented parties. Statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal for all circuit courts.

Self-represented filing

AllowedSelf-represented filers permitted.

Verified October 15, 2026 · Source

How Probate Works in Dixie 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 Dixie County, probate runs through the Clerk of Circuit Court at 214 Northeast Highway 351, Cross City. The court sits in the 3rd Judicial Circuit.

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 Dixie County

What probate costs in Dixie 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 at 214 Northeast Highway 351, Cross City. The court is part of the 3rd 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.

How to File Probate at the Clerk of Circuit Court

Probate cases in Dixie County, Florida are filed at the Clerk of Circuit Court. The court sits in the 3rd Judicial Circuit.

Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Probate & Guardianship.

Can You File Without an Attorney?

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 Dixie County Self-Filing Assessment.

What to Bring

Filed with the opening petition at the Clerk of Circuit Court: 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.

Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Dixie County

In Florida a death is registered locally, and in Dixie County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Florida Department of Health in Dixie County as well as by Florida Department of Health - Bureau of Vital Statistics.

Vital Records Office Record

Local Registrar

Dixie County · Florida Department of Health in Dixie County

Office

149 Northeast 241st Street, Cross City, FL 32628

Certified copies

At the counter

Local rule

  • A legible copy of a valid driver license, passport, state-issued ID or military identification card accompanies every request.

Verified November 2, 2026 · Source

Coroner or Medical Examiner Record

District Medical Examiner

Dixie County · Office of the Medical Examiner, District 8

Office

3217 Southwest 47th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32608

Serves this county

Office of the Medical Examiner, District 8 (District 3 (Dixie County, served by District 8))

Mail and offices

Fax

1-352-384-3365

Verified November 2, 2026 · Source

Transferring Property in Dixie County

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 Dixie County are recorded with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at 214 Northeast Highway 351, Cross City, FL 32628. Phone: 1-352-498-1200. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM.

Documents submitted by mail go to P.O. Box 1206, Cross City, FL 32628.

The Clerk of the Circuit Court charges $10 for the first page plus $9 for each additional page.

Recording Office Record

Clerk of the Circuit Court

Dixie County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM

Office

214 Northeast Highway 351, Cross City, FL 32628

Mail

P.O. Box 1206 Cross City, FL 32628

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Probate Attorneys Serving Dixie County

Florida uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Dixie 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. Dixie 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, 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.

Solo PracticeGainesville, FL

Clayton-Johnston, P.A.

Since 1927 · Serves 11 counties

Gainesville firm founded in 1927 by E.G. Baxter and E.A. Clayton, one of the oldest continuously operated law firms in Florida. Handles estate administration, probate, trust administration, and asset-protection and charitable trusts for families across eleven north-central Florida counties, from Alachua and Marion to Lafayette, Dixie, and Putnam.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTax Planningand 3 more

Office
18 NW 33rd CourtGainesville, FL 32607

FirmLive Oak, FL

Sellers, Taylor & Morrison, P.A.

Since 1965 · Serves 7 counties

Live Oak firm in the historic downtown, practicing since 1965 across Suwannee, Madison, Columbia, Hamilton, Lafayette, Taylor, and Dixie counties in the Third Judicial Circuit. The firm belongs to the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The Florida Bar and carries an AV Martindale-Hubbell peer rating.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbate

Office
108 West Howard StreetLive Oak, FL 32064

FirmLive Oak, FL

The Chauncey Law Firm, P.A.

Since 2007 · Serves 8 counties

North Florida firm with offices in Live Oak, Lake City, and Jacksonville, working the Third Judicial Circuit -- Suwannee, Columbia, Lafayette, Hamilton, Madison, Taylor, and Dixie counties. Handles probate, wills and estates, guardianship, and family law. Serving clients since 2007.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateGuardianshipWills Trusts

Office
320 White AvenueLive Oak, FL 32064
Free consultation

FirmGainesville, FL

The Law Office of Knellinger & Associates

Since 1974 · Serves 12 counties

Gainesville firm serving Alachua County and north-central Florida since 1974. Handles probate and estate administration, trust administration, wills and trusts, Medicaid planning, and elder and minor guardianships. Richard Knellinger was admitted to The Florida Bar in 1974 and holds Martindale-Hubbell's AV Peer Review Rating.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 2 more

Office
2815 NW 13th Street, Suite 305Gainesville, FL 32609

FirmGainesville, FL

Harrison Estate Law, P.A.

A probate litigation attorney firm in Gainesville serving most of Florida (excluding Broward and Miami-Dade counties). Guides families through Florida's probate process with exclusive focus on estates and trusts. McCabe G. Harrison has an L.L.M. in taxation and expertise in financial and tax aspects.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationAsset Protection

Office
7015 SW 24th AveGainesville, FL 32607
Free consultationVirtual consultations

FirmGainesville, FL

Florida Probate Law Group

Since 2014 · Serves the whole state

Gainesville firm handling probate in every Florida county on a flat fee, with an Ocala office and a fully remote administration process. Founding partner R. Nadine David advised Florida circuit court probate judges as a probate court staff attorney before entering private practice in 2014. Handles formal and summary administration, trust administration, and estate litigation.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation

Office
201 SE 2nd Ave, Suite 210Gainesville, FL 32601
Free consultationVirtual consultations
See all 23 firms serving Dixie County →

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.

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Legal Sources

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Data sourced from Florida statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.

Tools for Settling an Estate in Florida

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.

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.

See the Steps

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.

See the Steps

Can I Self-File Probate?

Florida has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not available.

Get the Answer

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