Estate Planning in Sarasota: the Local Picture
Sarasota skews heavily retiree (median age about 48), an established arts-and-culture retirement destination on the Gulf. An established Gulf-coast retirement city with a high older-adult share and many 55+ communities, strong for elder law, Medicaid, and trusts.
Sarasota’s median age is around 48, and the median home value is about $463,000. A home at that value sits well above Florida’s $75,000 summary-administration threshold, so without planning it can pull your family into a full, months-long probate. The fix is to coordinate the home, the will or trust, and any deed together, so the house passes the way you intend.
What a Complete Plan Covers
An estate plan is a coordinated set of documents, not one piece of paper: a will or a revocable living trust to direct your property, a durable power of attorney so someone can act if you can’t, and a health-care surrogate, living will, and HIPAA authorization for medical decisions. Homeowners often add a lady bird deed on the homestead. See the full estate-planning guide →
Keeping a Sarasota Home Out of Probate
Your Florida homestead carries special rules: it generally can’t be left freely in a will if you have a spouse or minor child, and it passes outside the will by its own path. A funded revocable trust or a lady bird deed keeps the home out of probate while you keep full control during life. See Sarasota County probate → or find the right deed →
Serving Sarasota and Sarasota County, remotely.
A free 30-minute video consult maps your plan and quotes a flat fee. No office visit required.
Book your free consultCommunities We Serve
We work with families across Sarasota County, including The Meadows, Palmer Ranch, Gulf Gate, Bird Key, Laurel Park, Siesta Key, Longboat Key, and the rest of Sarasota County. Any deed in your plan records with the Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, whose office is at 2000 Main Street in Sarasota (with a branch in Venice); we prepare and e-record it for you. We are a Miami firm serving Sarasota remotely; this is not a Sarasota office.
Recently moved to Florida, or planning to? Make it official and cut your old state’s income tax with a Sarasota County Declaration of Domicile, then re-do your plan under Florida law.
Flat Fees
Trust-based plan $3,200 individual / $4,500 couple (trust + pour-over will + durable POA + health-care directives + one funding deed). Will-based plan $1,200 individual / $1,950 couple. Single documents from $299. Government recording costs are additional, at cost. See full pricing →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have an office in Sarasota?
No. StepUp Law is a Miami firm that serves Sarasota and Sarasota County residents remotely, by phone and video. Most of the work happens online, and your signing is coordinated to meet Florida formalities (two witnesses and a notary).
Where are deeds recorded in Sarasota County?
Deeds and other documents for a Sarasota County property are recorded with the Sarasota County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. We handle the recording for any deed in your plan and pass the county’s cost through at cost.
Do I need a living trust, or is a will enough?
It depends on what you own and your goals. A will alone still goes through probate; a funded revocable living trust avoids it and manages things if you lose capacity. For a single home passing to your kids, a lady bird deed may be all you need. We talk through both at the free consult.
Updated June 10, 2026. Reviewed by Kevin D. Klagge, Esq., Fla. Bar No. 99502. General information about Florida law, not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. We serve Sarasota and Sarasota County residents remotely from our Miami office. Local figures are Census estimates (ACS 2024) and approximate.