North FL · Circuit 8

Alachua County probate help.

We serve Alachua County (including Gainesville, Alachua, Newberry, and surrounding areas) under the 8th Judicial Circuit, with the county seat in Gainesville. Probate, estate planning, and trust administration — all on flat fees, all remote-friendly.

Call 941.352.1006 Join the waitlist

Alachua County, in North Central Florida, has about 282,000 residents and is the legal/medical anchor of the 8th Judicial Circuit. Home to the University of Florida in Gainesville, the county blends university-town demographics with rural agricultural areas and a younger median age (~32) than most Florida counties.

— A probate attorney near you

Looking for a probate or estate planning attorney near you in Alachua County?

We serve all of Alachua County — Gainesville, Alachua, Newberry, High Springs, and the surrounding communities — with flat-fee probate, estate planning, wills, and trusts. Most of it happens by phone, email, and e-signature, so “near me” really means wherever you are in Alachua County.New-client intake is closed until late October 2026; the Alachua County filing details on this page stay free to use.

— At a glance

Where you'll go. What you'll need.

The courthouse

Alachua County Family/Civil Justice Center

Address201 E University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601Phone(352) 374-3636HoursMonday–Friday, 8:15am – 5:00pm

Civil/probate filings at the downtown Family/Civil Justice Center. Criminal cases at the separate Criminal Justice Center. E-filing via myflcourtaccess.com.

Clerk's website ↗E-file portal ↗

Death certificates

FL Department of Health in Alachua · Vital Statistics

Address224 SE 24th St, Gainesville, FL 32641Phone(352) 334-7970HoursMonday–Friday, 8:00am – 4:00pm

Cost · Local DOH fees vary — call ahead. Order 8–12 certified copies for an estate.

Order 8–12 certified copies — banks, title companies, the IRS, and the court each need their own. Ordering more upfront saves trips back later.

Order online ↗

— Local notes

Probate in Alachua County, as we see it.

Alachua's identity is the University of Florida, but the probate caseload is broader. UF faculty, staff, and retiree estates routinely involve multi-state assets and TIAA-CREF retirement accounts. UF Levin College of Law in Gainesville produces a steady supply of probate attorneys; pro bono and law-school clinic resources are robust.

Probate filings go to the Family/Civil Justice Center in downtown Gainesville under the 8th Judicial Circuit (Alachua/Baker/Bradford/Gilchrist/Levy/Union). E-filing via myflcourtaccess.com.

Heir-property issues in historically Black communities and rural east-county tracts (Hawthorne, Cross Creek area) are a recurring thread — undivided interests passed through generations without probate are common. Significant farm and timber land in north and east county requires agricultural classification analysis (Greenbelt Law) for inherited property to preserve preferential tax treatment.

— What's different about probate here

Local quirks worth knowing.

8th Judicial Circuit. Multi-county circuit with chief judge in Gainesville; shared with Baker, Bradford, Gilchrist, Levy, Union.
UF faculty/retiree estates. Out-of-state retirees, faculty, and academic professionals create estates with multi-state assets and TIAA-CREF accounts.
UF Levin College of Law. Robust local probate bar; pro bono and law-school clinic resources are strong.
Heir-property in historically Black communities. Hawthorne, Cross Creek — undivided interests passed without probate are common.
Greenbelt agricultural classification. Farm and timber land in north and east county needs careful analysis to preserve preferential tax treatment.

— Cities & neighborhoods