Probate Attorney for Bradenton, Florida

Probate in Manatee County: Where It’s Filed

Bradenton is in Manatee County, which sits in Florida’s 12th Judicial Circuit. Probate is filed with the Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. Cases are handled at the Manatee County Judicial Center at 1051 Manatee Avenue West in Bradenton. Attorneys e-file every document through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, which is why an out-of-state family can have a Manatee County estate handled without anyone traveling to the courthouse.

We serve Bradenton and Manatee County residents, including Bradenton, Palmetto, Lakewood Ranch, Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, Ellenton, Parrish.

Which Kind of Probate You’ll Need

Most Manatee County estates pass through one of three doors. The cheapest one may be open.

• Disposition without administration. Tiny estates with only exempt property and final-expense reimbursement; days to weeks.
• Summary administration. Estates of $150,000 or less (raised from $75,000 on July 1, 2026) after exempt property, or when the decedent died more than two years ago; often weeks.
• Formal administration. Everything else; a personal representative is appointed and the case runs about 6 to 12 months.

We confirm which applies at your consultation and quote a flat fee. Estimate the cost and timeline first →

How Long, and What It Costs

Formal administration is paced by the 3-month creditor-claim window; clean distribution waits for it to pass. Florida law sets a presumed-reasonable attorney fee scaled to the estate, but it’s a ceiling, not a mandate. Our flat fees start at $1,500 (disposition), $2,500 (summary), and $3,500 (formal). Government costs, the Manatee County filing fee (about $400), newspaper publication, and certified copies, are additional and passed through at cost. See the full Florida probate guide →

Out-of-State Personal Representatives

Under Florida law, you can serve as personal representative of a Manatee County estate from another state if you’re related to the decedent by blood, adoption, or marriage; an out-of-state child qualifies. We represent personal representatives across Bradenton and Manatee County by phone, video, and e-signature.

Inherited a house or other real property here, or took charge of one as personal representative or trustee? Our guide to inheriting a house in Manatee County maps every office that now matters to you, including the property appraiser, tax deadlines, code enforcement, and how to watch what the county is planning near the property.

Local Rules, Judges, and the Clerk’s Probate Office

Every circuit publishes administrative orders and local procedures that control how probate actually runs in Manatee County, including which division gets the case, which checklists are required, and how proposed orders reach the judge. Manatee probate changed hands on August 3, 2026, when the circuit assigned the whole Manatee and Sarasota probate division to one judge. The ex parte routine published under the prior judge (Monday through Thursday at 8:30 a.m., with the petition, notice and proposed orders emailed to the probate coordinator as a single PDF by noon the business day before) should be confirmed with the division before you rely on it. Operative orders include AO 2019-04.5 (assignment of adversary probate proceedings) and AO 2014-05.2 (the uniform ex parte process). Hearings are scheduled through JACS.

• Administrative orders of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit
• Twelfth Judicial Circuit judges directory
• The clerk’s probate office for Manatee County

You do not have to learn any of this yourself. Part of what a flat fee covers is an attorney who already files under these rules, so nothing bounces back for a missing checklist.

Rather handle the filing yourself? Our Manatee County Probate Court filing guide is the procedural version of this page, with the courthouse address, where the original will goes, which forms the county wants, the posted filing fee, and an eleven-step checklist for opening the estate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• Fla. Stat. ch. 733 to 735 (administration); §733.304 (nonresident PR); §733.702 (creditor claims); Fla. Prob. R. 5.030 (attorney required). Filing via the Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller (12th Judicial Circuit) and the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. (retrieved 2026-06-07)

Updated September 29, 2026. Reviewed by Kevin D. Klagge, Esq., Fla. Bar No. 99502. Attorney Kevin Klagge represents families, businesses, and international clients in estate and tax planning, business structuring, and international law, with a focus on Florida legal tools. He litigates estate and business issues in court. General information about Florida law, not legal advice. We serve Bradenton and Manatee County residents from Miami; this is not a Bradenton office.