Probate Attorney for Fort Myers, Florida

Probate in Lee County: Where It’s Filed

Fort Myers is in Lee County, which sits in Florida’s 20th Judicial Circuit. Probate is filed with Kevin C. Karnes, the Lee County Clerk of the Court and Comptroller, in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. Cases are handled at the Lee County Justice Center at 2075 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Fort Myers. Attorneys e-file every document through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, which is why an out-of-state family can have a Lee County estate handled without anyone traveling to the courthouse.

In Lee County, probate, guardianship, and mental health are handled together at the Justice Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. We serve Fort Myers and Lee County residents, including Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Bonita Springs, Estero, North Fort Myers.

Which Kind of Probate You’ll Need

Most Lee 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 Lee 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 Lee 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 Fort Myers and Lee 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 Lee 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 Lee County, including which division gets the case, which checklists are required, and how proposed orders reach the judge. Lee County requires a signed mandatory checklist filed with or before a petition for formal administration, summary administration, or final discharge; without it the court deletes the proposed order unreviewed. Wills cannot be e-filed; the original goes to the Clerk at the Lee County Justice Center. The circuit’s administrative order index carries only a few older probate orders; day-to-day practice is governed by the checklists on the circuit’s probate page.

• Administrative orders of the Twentieth Judicial Circuit
• Twentieth Judicial Circuit judges directory
• The clerk’s probate office for Lee 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 Lee 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 Kevin C. Karnes, the Lee County Clerk of the Court and Comptroller (20th 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 Fort Myers and Lee County residents from Miami; this is not a Fort Myers office.