Probate Attorney for Ocala, Florida

Probate in Marion County: Where It’s Filed

Ocala is in Marion County, which sits in Florida’s 5th Judicial Circuit. Probate is filed with Gregory C. Harrell, the Marion County Clerk of Court and Comptroller, in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. Cases are handled at the Marion County Judicial Center at 110 N.W. First Avenue in Ocala. Attorneys e-file every document through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal, which is why an out-of-state family can have a Marion County estate handled without anyone traveling to the courthouse.

The Fifth Circuit runs a Marion County Self-Help Center and law library, and requires proposed probate orders to be e-filed in Word format through the portal. We serve Ocala and Marion County residents, including Ocala, Belleview, Dunnellon, Silver Springs, Marion Oaks, Ocklawaha, Reddick.

Which Kind of Probate You’ll Need

Most Marion 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 Marion 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 Marion 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 Ocala and Marion 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 Marion 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 Marion County, including which division gets the case, which checklists are required, and how proposed orders reach the judge. Marion runs probate, guardianship, and vulnerable adult exploitation injunctions through a single courtroom, and the division is paperless. Proposed orders go through the e-service portal rather than the mail, and hearings are scheduled by email rather than by phone. Unrepresented parties and witnesses must also file a redacted photo ID through the portal at least 48 hours before a hearing. A Marion County order puts every guardianship annual accounting on a fiscal year keyed to the date the letters of guardianship issued, instead of the statutory calendar deadline.

• Administrative orders of the Fifth Judicial Circuit
• Fifth Judicial Circuit judges directory
• The clerk’s probate office for Marion 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 Marion 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 Gregory C. Harrell, the Marion County Clerk of Court and Comptroller (5th 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 Ocala and Marion County residents from Miami; this is not a Ocala office.