In Ponte Vedra Beach, Ponte Vedra Valley is a family-owned funeral home with an on-site cremation center and cemetery. It arranges burials, cremations, pre-arrangements and burial in a National Cemetery for veterans, and its cemetery grounds include two consecrated Jewish areas and a Veterans Circle.
What to Do When Someone Dies in St. Johns County, Florida
How probate works in St. Johns County: the Clerk of Circuit Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
St. Johns County Clerk of Circuit Court
St. Johns County · 7th Judicial Circuit
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
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.
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedWalk-in service available at the Richard O. Watson Judicial Center. Appointments may be booked online at stjohnsappt.cxmflow.com.
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe Clerk's probate page states that Florida Probate Rule 5.030 requires an attorney for many probate cases and that the Clerk's Office cannot assist with these matters or provide forms. A disposition without administration is filed with the original will if there is one, the death certificate, a funeral bill showing it was paid in full and who paid, and a bank statement or other record of the assets to be transferred.
County forms
- Affidavit of Heirs (Seventh Judicial Circuit, St. Johns County)The probate division's affidavit, completed by an interested party, setting out the decedent's family and marital history.
Departments
- Probateprobate@stjohnsclerk.com
About the court
- Probate filings are handled at the Clerk's office in the Richard O. Watson Judicial Center on Lewis Speedway in St. Augustine.
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in St. Johns 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 St. Johns County, probate runs through the Clerk of Circuit Court at 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine. The court sits in the 7th Judicial Circuit. St. Johns County shares the 7th Judicial Circuit with Flagler, Putnam and Volusia.
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 St. Johns County
What probate costs in St. Johns 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 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine. The court is part of the 7th 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 St. Johns County, Florida are filed at the Clerk of Circuit Court. The court sits in the 7th Judicial Circuit.
Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Probate.
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 St. Johns County Self-Filing Assessment.
St. Johns 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
Depositing an original will
The custodian of an original will deposits it with the Clerk's Office within 10 days after learning of the death, supplying the date of death or Social Security number. The Clerk's Office prefers that a death certificate be filed with the original will.
SourceWhat 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 St. Johns County
In Florida a death is registered locally, and in St. Johns County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County as well as by Florida Department of Health - Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Registrar
St. Johns County · Florida Department of Health in St. Johns County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
200 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Website
Certified copies
At the counter
Fax
1-904-825-6875
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 | $10 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
District Medical Examiner
St. Johns County · District 23 Medical Examiner's Office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:00 PM
Office
4501 Avenue A, St. Augustine, FL 32095
Website
Serves this county
District 23 Medical Examiner's Office (District 23 (Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns Counties))
Mail and offices
Fax
1-904-209-0829
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Funeral Homes in St. Johns County
5 funeral homes and crematories in St. Johns County, each listed with the services it offers, the faiths it serves, the languages its staff speak, its address and its phone.
In St. Augustine, Craig Funeral Home has been family owned and operated by the Craig family since 1915. It states it offers cremation, burial and permanent memorialization, and it owns and operates its own crematory and memorial park.
In St. Augustine, Crevasse's Simple Cremation provides direct cremation from its office on Tree Boulevard, one of four it runs in Florida. Its own trained staff perform each cremation at the firm's own crematory, and the firm was founded in 2013.
In St. Augustine, this funeral home and crematory serves families choosing a traditional funeral service or a memorial service with cremation. It works from a 7,000 square foot family-friendly building with an on-site cremation facility.
In St. Johns, Hardage-Giddens St Johns is a funeral home and multipurpose event center at St. Johns Parkway and Race Track Road, with a flexible event space for up to 200 guests. It arranges traditional funerals and life celebrations, and it works with families on final arrangements in advance.
Funeral homes by city: Ponte Vedra Beach, St. Augustine, St. Johns
Cremation Services in St. Johns County
4 listings
Pre-Need Funeral Plans in St. Johns County
2 listings
Burial Services in St. Johns County
2 listings
Veterans Funeral Services in St. Johns County
4 listings
Listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any funeral home or crematory.
Transferring Property in St. Johns 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 St. Johns County are recorded with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084. Phone: 1-904-819-3600. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court charges $10 for the first page plus $9 for each additional page.
St. Johns County accepts electronic recording through CSC, e-Docs Solutions, ePN, File and Go, Indecomm, Simplifile and Hopdox.
Recording Office Record
Clerk of the Circuit Court
St. Johns County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Office
4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084
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 St. Johns County
Florida uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in St. Johns 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. St. Johns 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.
St. Augustine firm handling St. Johns and Flagler County probate — formal and summary administration for personal representatives and beneficiaries — plus trust administration and estate planning. Heather S. Maltby, a St. Johns County native and past president of its bar association, has practiced solely in estate planning, probate, and trust administration for over ten years.
Jacksonville firm handling estate administration for families across northeast Florida, from Duval and Clay through Marion and Suwannee counties. Opens probate estates, investigates creditor claims, addresses estate and income taxes, and distributes assets to heirs; also drafts wills, trusts, and advance directives. Robert W. Elrod, Jr. continues a practice his father started in 1966.
St. Augustine firm on A1A Beach Boulevard with a second office in Jacksonville, handling St. Johns and Duval County probate and trust administration. Guides personal representatives through formal administration and small-estate dispositions, and pairs that with estate planning, elder law, and tax work. Jonathan P. Hermes is Board Certified by The Florida Bar in Wills, Trusts and Estates.
St. Augustine tax and estate planning practice serving St. Johns County from Anastasia Island. Andrew Jackson handles tax law and IRS matters, estate planning, probate, and trust administration, and holds a master's degree in taxation.
Law Office of Brittany Fraser Keith, PLLC
1510 N. Ponce De Leon Blvd., Suite B, St. Augustine, FL 32084
St. Augustine solo practice serving St. Johns, Putnam, Flagler, and Clay counties. Handles estate planning, probate, estate and trust administration, and sealing and expungement. Brittany Fraser Keith is a St. Augustine native and offers consultations of up to an hour at no charge.
Jacksonville firm serving Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Nassau, and Baker counties, with a satellite office in Ponte Vedra Beach. Handles formal and summary probate administration, probate and trust litigation, guardianship, elder law and Medicaid crisis planning, and asset protection trusts. Practicing as this firm since 2008.
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)
- St. Johns County Clerk of Circuit Court, official page
- St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court, official page
- St. Johns 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
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