Monroe County probate help.

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

We serve all of Monroe County — Key West, Marathon, Key Largo, Islamorada, 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 Monroe County. Call 941.352.1006 or book a free 30-minute consult.

Probate in Monroe County, as we see it.

Monroe is three courthouses for one county. The seat is Key West at the Freeman Justice Center, with the Marathon Branch and Plantation Key Government Center (Tavernier) handling Middle and Upper Keys filings respectively. Cases route to whichever branch matches the decedent's last residence; we sort venue at intake.

Second-home and investment property drives a meaningful share of the work here. Many decedents are out-of-state primary residents — Northeast, Midwest, and California snowbirds with Keys condos or houses. Ancillary administration alongside the home-state probate is everyday work.

Hurricane Irma (2017) still surfaces in property valuations and insurance proceeds in pending estates. Beyond storm aftermath, the Keys carry their own zoning and titling rules: transient rental licensing (ROGO/BPAS), septic and sewer requirements, and FEMA flood elevation rules all affect estate property dispositions. Commercial fishing and marina assets — vessels, dock slips, fish-house licenses — appear in inventories more than mainland counties.

Local quirks worth knowing.

• 16th Judicial Circuit (Monroe only). Three courthouses across 125 miles of island chain — Key West, Marathon, Tavernier.
• Heavy out-of-state ancillary administration. Many decedents have Keys property as a second home; primary domicile is elsewhere.
• Hurricane Irma (2017) lingering effects. Property valuations and insurance proceeds in current estates often trace back to Irma damage and rebuild decisions.
• Keys-specific rules. ROGO/BPAS transient-rental licensing, septic-to-sewer conversion requirements, FEMA elevation rules — all affect estate property sales.
• Commercial fishing and marina assets. Vessels, dock slips, fish-house licenses appear in inventories more than mainland counties.

You're going to get through this.

Tell us what's happening. We'll tell you exactly which path applies, what it'll cost, and how long it'll take. No sales pitch. Most calls end with a 4-step plan and zero stress.