Not taking new clients until late October 2026Mon–Fri 8a–6p67 FL countiesFlat fees, published
★★★★★Florida Bar member · 9 years
← Florida service area
Tampa Bay & SW FL · Circuit 20

Lee County probate help.

We serve Lee County (including Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, and surrounding areas) under the 20th Judicial Circuit, with the county seat in Fort Myers. Probate, estate planning, and trust administration — all on flat fees, all remote-friendly.

Lee County stretches from Bonita Springs in the south to North Fort Myers in the north, anchored by the Caloosahatchee River. Cape Coral, Sanibel, Captiva, and Fort Myers Beach sit on the Gulf side. About 800,000 residents — one of Florida's largest counties by population. 20th Judicial Circuit.
— A probate attorney near you

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

We serve all of Lee County — Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs, Estero, 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 Lee County.New-client intake is closed until late October 2026; the Lee County filing details on this page stay free to use.

— At a glance

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

The courthouse
Lee County Justice Center
Address1700 Monroe St, Fort Myers, FL 33901Phone(239) 533-1700HoursMonday–Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm

Probate division on the 2nd floor. Self-help / pro se center available. Parking in the adjacent garage; first hour free.

Death certificates
Lee County Health Department · Vital Records
Address83 Pondella Rd N, Fort Myers, FL 33903Phone(239) 332-9572HoursMonday–Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm
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.

— Local notes

Probate in Lee County, as we see it.

Lee County is the most populous county in our SW Florida service area. The caseload here is the most varied: young families in Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres need estate planning more than probate; retirees in Fort Myers proper and the barrier islands fit the more familiar probate profile; and the I-75 corridor (Bonita Springs, Estero) skews toward higher-net-worth planning work.

We file in the 20th Judicial Circuit at the Lee County Justice Center in downtown Fort Myers — the same circuit as Charlotte and Collier. Probate moves at a moderate pace here; clean summary administration cases land in 7–10 weeks, formal cases run 7–12 months.

Hurricane Ian's 2022 impact remains visible. Sanibel, Fort Myers Beach, and parts of Cape Coral still have estates working through insurance, rebuilding, or condemned-property issues. We've handled cases where the sole real estate asset became a slab and the heirs had to decide whether to rebuild, sell the lot, or wait. There's no good template for this — just careful case-by-case work.

— What's different about probate here

Local quirks worth knowing.

  • Cape Coral's canal-grid layout. Cape Coral has more canal frontage than any city in Florida — many properties are non-homestead second homes or rental investments. Title work here is more complex.
  • Sanibel & Captiva — wildlife refuge land, heavy zoning rules, and ongoing Ian-related rebuilding all complicate estate property questions.
  • Out-of-state heirs are the norm. Lee County draws heavily from Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois. Ancillary administration is everyday work.
  • Lehigh Acres is its own world. Largely older platted lots, many on small or unimproved parcels. Often disposition without administration territory.
  • Hurricane Ian aftermath. Properties damaged or rebuilt post-2022; insurance claims and rebuilds frequently overlap with estate filings.
— Cities & neighborhoods

Local where you live — Lee County, top to bottom.

Fort Myers (city)
County seat; most courthouse filings happen here. Older downtown with newer development inland.
Cape Coral
Canal-grid city; more single-family homes than any FL city. Mix of homestead and rental properties.
Bonita Springs
Southern Lee, blends into Naples corridor. Higher-end retirees and second-home owners.
Estero
Between Fort Myers and Bonita; rapid growth, planned communities, often estate planning rather than probate.
Sanibel & Captiva
Barrier islands; Ian-affected. Trust admin and ancillary common; complex title work.
Fort Myers Beach
Estero Island; heavy Ian damage. Many ongoing post-disaster estates.
Lehigh Acres
Eastern Lee; older platted lots, many unimproved. Often summary admin or disposition territory.
North Fort Myers
Across the river from Fort Myers proper; mix of mobile home parks and traditional homes.
— Other helpful local contacts

Save these to your phone.

Lee County Property Appraiser
Address2480 Thompson St, Fort Myers, FL 33901Phone(239) 533-6100

Homestead exemption, Save Our Homes, post-Ian valuation questions

Lee County Tax Collector
Address2480 Thompson St, Fort Myers, FL 33901Phone(239) 533-6000

Vehicle title transfers, property tax payment

Lee County Bar Association

Lawyer referral service

Florida Unclaimed Property

Search forgotten accounts in the deceased's name

Lee Health (formerly Lee Memorial) — Records

Medical records release for estate claims

Cape Coral Property Information

Cape Coral parcel and code-enforcement lookup

— Take this with you

One-tap kit for Lee County probate.

Save Lee probate contacts to your phone (.vcf)
.vcf

Adds the firm + courthouse + vital records + property appraiser + tax collector to your phone contacts in one tap.

Download
Lee probate quick-reference (PDF kit)
Coming soon

Single-page printable cheatsheet — courthouse address, hours, where to get death certificates, our contact, top 5 first-call resources.

Notify me when ready
Intake paused · reopens late October 2026

You're going to get through this.

Rachel is not accepting new clients until late October 2026. Every guide, calculator, county page, and statute page here stays free. Leave your details and we'll call when intake reopens — or, if your matter can't wait, The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service refers you to another Florida attorney taking cases now.

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