What to Do When Someone Dies in Seminole County, Florida

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

Probate Court Record

Seminole County Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller

Seminole County · 18th Judicial Circuit

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM

Office

101 Eslinger Way, Sanford, FL 32773

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.

Self-represented filing

AllowedThe Clerk's Estates page posts fill-in packets for a petition for administration with or without a will, a petition for summary administration with or without a will, and a disposition of personal property without administration. The Clerk states that a person may represent themselves but that a personal representative is typically required to have legal representation.

Self-help center

  • Criminal Justice Center, 101 Eslinger Way, Sanford1-407-665-4300 · prose-shc@seminoleclerk.org · Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PMThe Clerk's Self Help program gives self-represented parties resources and ministerial assistance in probate estate cases (formal and summary administration only), with free legal-research computers and approved forms. Low-cost attorney consultations on procedure and forms review are held over Microsoft Teams on Wednesdays by appointment, booked online or at the Criminal Justice Center or Casselberry Branch.

Verified October 15, 2026 · Source

How Probate Works in Seminole 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 Seminole County, probate runs through the Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller at 101 Eslinger Way, Sanford. The court sits in the 18th Judicial Circuit. The same 18th Judicial Circuit also serves Brevard.

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 Seminole County

What probate costs in Seminole 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 Eslinger Way, Sanford. The court is part of the 18th 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 Seminole County, Florida are filed at the Clerk of Circuit Court & Comptroller. The court sits in the 18th Judicial Circuit.

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

The Clerk's Self Help program gives self-represented parties resources and ministerial assistance in probate estate cases (formal and summary administration only), with free legal-research computers and approved forms. Low-cost attorney consultations on procedure and forms review are held over Microsoft Teams on Wednesdays by appointment, booked online or at the Criminal Justice Center or Casselberry Branch.

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 Seminole County Self-Filing Assessment.

Seminole County Filing Requirements

These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.

Document Requirements

What to file with a disposition of personal property without administration

The Clerk lists the will (filed within ten days of notice of death), an itemized paid funeral bill, paid receipts for medical expenses from the 60 days before death, a statement of the type of asset to be released, identification of the person filing, and the filing fee. The court then enters an order allowing or disallowing the release of assets.

Source

Depositing an original will

The custodian of a will deposits the original with the Clerk within ten days of learning of the death, with the date of death or the last four digits of the decedent's Social Security number if known. No attorney is needed and there is no fee to deposit a will.

Source

What 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 Seminole County

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

Vital Records Office Record

Local Registrar

Seminole County · Florida Department of Health in Seminole County, Vital Statistics

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM

Office

400 West Airport Boulevard, Sanford, FL 32773

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

Seminole County · District 5 Medical Examiner's Office

Hours

Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-4:30 PM

Office

809 Pine Street, Leesburg, FL 34748

Serves this county

District 5 Medical Examiner's Office (District 24 (Seminole County, served by District 5))

Mail and offices

Fax

1-352-365-6438

Verified November 2, 2026 · Source

Transferring Property in Seminole 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 Seminole County are recorded with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at 1750 East Lake Mary Boulevard, Sanford, FL 32773. Phone: 1-407-665-4405. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.

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

Seminole County accepts electronic recording through CSC, ePN, Hopdox and Simplifile.

Recording Office Record

Clerk of the Circuit Court

Seminole County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM

Office

1750 East Lake Mary Boulevard, Sanford, FL 32773

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 Seminole County

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

FirmOrlando, FL

Flick Law Group, P.L.

Serves 3 counties

Orlando firm on South Conway Road serving Orange, Seminole, and Osceola County families. Handles probate administration and probate litigation, opens estates and publishes the notice to creditors, and administers trusts; also does Medicaid and asset-protection planning. Senior attorney James J. Flick is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Wills, Trusts and Estates and is a former CPA.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 4 more

Office
3700 South Conway Road, Suite 100Orlando, FL 32812
Free consultation

Solo PracticeDaytona Beach, FL

Jerry B. Wells, PL

Serves 5 counties

Daytona Beach probate and trust-litigation attorney serving Volusia County and central Florida, with 40+ years in Florida courts. Walks personal representatives through summary and formal administration and represents heirs in will and trust contests -- undue-influence, incapacity, and improper-execution claims. Offers contingency representation on certain contest matters.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust LitigationSpecial Needs Planning

Office
127 Magnolia AveDaytona Beach, FL 32114

FirmMaitland, FL

Kane and Koltun, Attorneys at Law

Since 1997 · Serves 5 counties

Maitland firm on Spartan Drive, founded in 1997, serving Orange, Seminole, Lake, Osceola, and Volusia counties. Handles probate and trust administration and trust and estate litigation -- claims against fiduciaries, will and trust contests, disputed trust accountings, and guardianship disputes -- alongside estate-tax, charitable, and special-needs planning.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 5 more

Office
150 Spartan Drive, Suite 100Maitland, FL 32751

Solo PracticeAltamonte Springs, FL

Law Offices of Brett D. Bevis, PLLC

Serves 1 county

Altamonte Springs solo practice serving Seminole County and the Orlando area, with a second address in Longwood. Brett D. Bevis handles estate and probate administration, trust administration, guardianships, wills and trusts, and Medicaid planning.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawGuardianship

Office
498 Palm Springs Dr, Suite 100Altamonte Springs, FL 32701
Free consultation

FirmOrlando, FL

ShuffieldLowman

Since 2003 · Serves 5 counties

Orlando firm formed in 2003, with offices in Lake Nona, Tavares, DeLand, and Port Orange, serving Orange, Seminole, Lake, Volusia, and Osceola counties. Its estate group handles probate administration and probate litigation, guardianship administration and litigation, Medicaid and special needs planning, and estate tax planning. Partners Daniel B. Harris and Heidi W. Isenhart lead it.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 5 more

Office
1000 Legion Place, Suite 1700Orlando, FL 32801

Solo PracticeOrlando, FL

Swiren Law Firm, P.A.

Serves 3 counties

Orlando practice serving Orange, Seminole, and Osceola counties, and handling Florida probate for out-of-state executors and ancillary matters referred by out-of-state attorneys. Aaron C. Swiren covers formal and summary administration, intestate estates, will and trust contests, guardianship, and elder law. Free initial consultation.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 4 more

Office
1516 E Hillcrest Street, Suite 200Orlando, FL 32803
Free consultation
See all 25 firms serving Seminole 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.

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