In Crestview, Brackney Funeral Service is a family owned and operated funeral home offering burial, cremation and pre-need planning. Traditional services can be held at its chapel or a chosen place of worship, and it also arranges graveside services. It has served the community since 1998.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Okaloosa County, Florida
How probate works in Okaloosa County: the Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Okaloosa County Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller
Okaloosa County · 1st Judicial Circuit
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM CT
Office
101 East James Lee Boulevard, Crestview, FL 32536
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
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.
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedThe Clerk's site offers online appointment booking and a remote queue for in-person service at the courthouse and the Fort Walton Beach annex.
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe Clerk's probate page carries the Disposition of Personal Property packet, both caveat forms, the probate Statement of Claim and the e-mail designation forms. The First Judicial Circuit publishes Okaloosa probate checklists that are e-filed with the proposed order; its summary administration checklist states that an attorney certifies having reviewed the checklist and supporting documents. The Law Library's Ask A Lawyer program offers one-time consultations with a volunteer attorney, including help filling out form packets.
County forms
- Disposition of Personal Property Without Administration PacketRelease of a decedent's personal property without formal administration
- Okaloosa County Checklist - Summary AdministrationFirst Judicial Circuit checklist e-filed with the proposed order of summary administration
- Probate Statement of ClaimA creditor's claim against an estate
Departments
- Clerk Customer Service (Crestview)1-850-689-5000 · 101 East James Lee Boulevard, Suite 108 · (option 4)
- Clerk Customer Service (Fort Walton Beach annex)1-850-651-7200 · 1940 Lewis Turner Boulevard, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32547 · (option 4)
- Law Library1-850-651-7256The Law Library runs the Ask A Lawyer program with the Okaloosa Bar Association; sessions follow the volunteer attorneys' schedules, and the library answers calls about open times.
About the court
- The Clerk also serves the public at the Courthouse Annex Extension, 1940 Lewis Turner Boulevard, Fort Walton Beach (850-651-7200).
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Okaloosa 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 Okaloosa County, probate runs through the Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller at 101 East James Lee Boulevard, Crestview. The court sits in the 1st Judicial Circuit. Okaloosa County shares the 1st Judicial Circuit with Escambia, Santa Rosa and Walton.
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 Okaloosa County
What probate costs in Okaloosa 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 101 East James Lee Boulevard, Crestview. The court is part of the 1st 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 & Comptroller
Probate cases in Okaloosa County, Florida are filed at the Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller. The court sits in the 1st Judicial Circuit.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Clerk Customer Service (Crestview), Clerk Customer Service (Fort Walton Beach annex), and Law Library.
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 Okaloosa County Self-Filing Assessment.
Okaloosa County Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
Probate checklists and proposed orders go through the e-filing portal
Okaloosa probate checklists are filed through the Florida e-filing portal to the county's probate-guardianship queue with their proposed orders. Proposed orders are named Case Number/Last Name/Title of Order, with EMERGENCY added after the case number when a submission needs immediate attention.
SourceDocument Requirements
Disposition of personal property without administration
The Clerk's packet is for very small estates with no real property and no creditors, where the asset does not exceed the funeral bill and the last 60 days of medical expenses. It is filed with a statement regarding creditors, consents from other heirs, a certified death certificate, the original will if not already deposited, the funeral bill and paperwork showing the asset; the judges have required summary administration when there are known creditors. The forms may be sworn before a deputy clerk or a notary and are forwarded to the judge after filing.
SourceWhat to Bring
Filed 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.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Okaloosa County
In Florida a death is registered locally, and in Okaloosa County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County, Vital Statistics as well as by Florida Department of Health - Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Registrar
Okaloosa County · Florida Department of Health in Okaloosa County, Vital Statistics
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-12:30 PM and 1:30 PM-4:00 PM
Office
221 Hospital Drive Northeast, Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548
Website
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.
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $15 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
District Medical Examiner
Okaloosa County · District One Medical Examiner's Office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
5961 Commerce Road, Milton, FL 32583
Website
Serves this county
District One Medical Examiner's Office (District 1 (Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa and Walton Counties))
Mail and offices
Fax
1-850-285-0774
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Funeral Homes in Okaloosa County
11 funeral homes and crematories in Okaloosa County, each listed with the services it offers, the faiths it serves, the languages its staff speak, its address and its phone.
In Crestview, Davis-Watkins - Crestview Memorial is the newly renovated location Davis-Watkins Funeral Homes & Crematory provides for north Okaloosa County and its surrounding areas. The firm is family owned, with homes also in Bonifay, DeFuniak Springs, Fort Walton Beach and Miramar Beach.
In Crestview, McKinnie Funeral Home serves families in Crestview, Campbellton and the surrounding areas. The family owned business was established in Marianna in 1974 and relocated to Crestview in 1986.
In Crestview, Northwest Florida Cremation Service offers direct cremation directly to the public. Its location on Locke Lane serves Crestview and all of Northwest Florida.
In Crestview, Whitehurst Powell Funeral Home has served panhandle families since 1955. It is a privately owned funeral home with its own on-site crematory, and when a veteran chooses cremation it offers to drape a U.S. flag over the veteran at the time of cremation.
In Fort Walton Beach, Davis-Watkins - Fort Walton Beach is a location of the family owned Davis-Watkins Funeral Homes & Crematory, which began in DeFuniak Springs and Fort Walton Beach. The home offers a prearrangement guide and an advanced planning conference with its state licensed funeral professionals.
Funeral homes by city: Crestview, Fort Walton Beach, Mary Esther, Niceville
Cremation Services in Okaloosa County
7 listings
Pre-Need Funeral Plans in Okaloosa County
6 listings
Burial Services in Okaloosa County
4 listings
Veterans Funeral Services in Okaloosa County
3 listings
Listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any funeral home or crematory.
Transferring Property in Okaloosa 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 Okaloosa County are recorded with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at 101 East James Lee Boulevard, Crestview, FL 32536. Phone: 1-850-689-5000. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court charges $10 for the first page plus $9 for each additional page.
Okaloosa County accepts electronic recording through CSC, ePN, Indecomm, Nationwide Title Clearing, Simplifile and Tyler Portico.
Recording Office Record
Clerk of the Circuit Court
Okaloosa County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
101 East James Lee Boulevard, Crestview, FL 32536
Website
Fees
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
Probate Attorneys Serving Okaloosa County
Florida uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Okaloosa 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. Okaloosa 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.
Pensacola firm practicing since 1913, with its main office less than a half mile from the Escambia County Court House where Pensacola probate cases are heard. Handles probate and estate administration, ancillary administration of non-residents' Florida property, will contests and probate litigation, guardianships, and estate tax planning. Branch offices in Pace and Miramar Beach.
Shalimar firm on Eglin Parkway, near Fort Walton Beach, serving Okaloosa, Walton, Santa Rosa, and Bay counties since 1987. Handles probate administration, guardianships and conservatorships, and tax-efficient estate planning. Founding shareholder H. Bart Fleet is admitted to the U.S. Tax Court and teaches the Wills, Trusts and Probate course at Northwest Florida State College.
Pensacola firm on Palafox Place serving Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties from offices in Pensacola and Santa Rosa Beach. Handles formal, summary, and ancillary probate administration through the Escambia County probate court, plus contested wills, executor-duty disputes, and creditor claims. Rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell.
Destin firm serving Okaloosa, Walton, and the rest of Northwest Florida, founded in 2014 by Destin native William G. Kilpatrick Jr. and now three attorneys. Handles formal and summary probate administration for personal representatives and trust administration for trustees, including notices, accountings, and creditor claims. Estate planning is quoted on flat fees.
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.
Bradenton firm on State Road 70 East serving Manatee and Sarasota families, and accepting probate cases in any Florida county. Guides personal representatives and trustees through probate and trust administration, and handles estate planning, wills, trusts, and elder law as a National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys member. Rodney D. Gerling and Dana Laganella Gerling founded the firm in 2004.
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.
Legal Sources
(8)·
- Fla. Stat. § 733.617
- Fla. Stat. §§ 28.2401(1)(g), (3); 44.108(1)
- Fla. 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)
- Fla. 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, 733.710
- Fla. Stat. 28.24(13), (13)(c), (13)(d), (13)(e); Fla. Stat. 201.02(1)(a)
- Okaloosa County Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller, official page
- Okaloosa County Clerk of the Circuit Court, official page
- Okaloosa County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
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
Hire a Florida Probate Attorney
Browse vetted Florida attorneys handling probate matters.
Browse firms
Notify Banks & Financial Institutions
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
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