Not taking new clients until late October 2026Mon–Fri 8a–6p67 FL countiesFlat fees, published
★★★★★Florida Bar member · 9 years
← Florida service area
South FL · Circuit 16

Monroe County probate help.

We serve Monroe County (including Key West, Marathon, Key Largo, and surrounding areas) under the 16th Judicial Circuit, with the county seat in Key West. Probate, estate planning, and trust administration — all on flat fees, all remote-friendly.

Monroe County is the Florida Keys plus mainland Everglades — about 83,000 residents strung along 125 miles of island chain. It's the sole county of the 16th Judicial Circuit and geographically the most spread-out probate venue in Florida.
— A probate attorney near you

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.New-client intake is closed until late October 2026; the Monroe County filing details on this page stay free to use.

— At a glance

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

The courthouse
Freeman Justice Center
Address500 Whitehead St, Key West, FL 33040Phone(305) 292-3423HoursMonday–Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm

Two additional courthouses serve the Keys: Marathon Branch (2798 Overseas Hwy, Marathon — (305) 289-6063) for Middle Keys; Plantation Key Government Center (Tavernier) for Upper Keys. Filings route by decedent residence. E-filing via myflcourtaccess.com.

Death certificates
FL Department of Health in Monroe · Vital Statistics
Address530 Whitehead St, Key West, FL 33040Phone(305) 293-7500HoursMonday–Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm
Cost · $16 per certified copy · order 8–12 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 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.

— What's different about probate here

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.
— Cities & neighborhoods

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

Key West
County seat; tourism-driven; historic Old Town. Deep ancillary-probate market.
Marathon
Middle Keys hub at mile marker 50; working-class commercial fishing town. Branch courthouse here.
Islamorada
Sportfishing capital; high-end second-home market.
Key Largo
Upper Keys gateway; dive and sport-fishing economy.
Tavernier · Plantation Key
Upper Keys community; Plantation Key Government Center has the Upper Keys courthouse branch.
Big Pine Key
Lower Keys; National Key Deer Refuge; quieter, residential.
Stock Island · Key Colony Beach · Layton
Working waterfront and small incorporated beach municipalities.
— Other helpful local contacts

Save these to your phone.

Monroe County Property Appraiser
Address500 Whitehead St (rear), Key West, FL 33040Phone(305) 292-3420

Homestead, FEMA elevation rules, ROGO licensing — Keys-specific valuation

Monroe County Tax Collector
Address1200 Truman Ave, Suite 101, Key West, FL 33040Phone(305) 295-5010

Vehicle and vessel title transfers, property tax

Monroe County Bar Association

Local bar group; small but active

Florida Unclaimed Property

Search forgotten accounts in the deceased's name

Lower Keys Medical Center — Records
Address5900 College Rd, Key West, FL 33040Phone(305) 294-5531

Only acute-care hospital in the Lower Keys. Mariners (Tavernier) and Fishermen's (Marathon) serve other regions.

Florida Bar — Probate FAQ

Public-facing reference for Florida probate basics

— Take this with you

One-tap kit for Monroe County probate.

Save Monroe 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
Monroe 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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