Probate Attorney for Clearwater, Florida

Probate in Pinellas County: Where It’s Filed

Clearwater is in Pinellas County, which sits in Florida’s 6th Judicial Circuit. Probate is filed with the Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court, in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. Cases are handled at the county’s probate courts; the Clerk’s Clearwater probate counter is at the Pinellas County Courthouse, 315 Court Street, Room 106. Attorneys e-file every document through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, which is why an out-of-state family can have a Pinellas County estate handled without anyone traveling to the courthouse.

Pinellas County runs two probate sections, and under a court order effective December 8, 2025 new cases are assigned by the ZIP code of the attorney who files (or the petitioner, if unrepresented), not by which end of the county the decedent lived in. We serve Clearwater and Pinellas County residents, including Clearwater, Largo, Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Tarpon Springs, Safety Harbor, Oldsmar, Seminole.

Which Kind of Probate You’ll Need

Most Pinellas 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 Pinellas 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 Pinellas 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 Clearwater and Pinellas 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 Pinellas 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 Pinellas County, including which division gets the case, which checklists are required, and how proposed orders reach the judge. Under AO 2025-035, effective December 8, 2025, new Pinellas probate cases are assigned to one of two probate sections by the ZIP code of the attorney who files (or the unrepresented petitioner). Both sections currently keep chambers at the St. Petersburg Judicial Building, and the Clerk staffs probate counters in both Clearwater and St. Petersburg. All pleadings, including proposed orders, are submitted through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal under AO 2023-038, and each section posts detailed practice preferences.

• Administrative orders of the Sixth Judicial Circuit
• Sixth Judicial Circuit judges directory
• The clerk’s probate office for Pinellas County
• Local probate forms and checklists

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 Pinellas 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 Pinellas County Clerk of the Circuit Court (6th 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 Clearwater and Pinellas County residents from Miami; this is not a Clearwater office.