Sarasota County probate help.

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

We serve all of Sarasota County — Sarasota, Venice, Englewood, North Port, 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 Sarasota County. Call 941.352.1006 or book a free 30-minute consult.

Probate in Sarasota County, as we see it.

Sarasota County is our home base. We file probate cases here every week, we know the 12th Judicial Circuit clerk's office by sight, and we live with the local quirks — the snowbird ancillary cases, the Save Our Homes property values, the inherited Siesta Key condos, the older clients with wills written before the 2026 reforms. If you're calling about a Sarasota County estate, you're calling the firm closest to the work.

Most cases here resolve through summary administration because Sarasota property values often put estates above $75k but the rest of the assets still come in under the new $150k threshold. Formal administration is more common in larger Lakewood Ranch or Casey Key estates. Ancillary administration (out-of-state decedent owning Florida property) is everyday work — about a third of our Sarasota caseload.

Below: the actual courthouse you'll go to, where to get death certificates, the local contacts you'll want saved, and a downloadable kit so it's all in one place when you need it.

Local quirks worth knowing.

• Higher property values mean homestead matters. Save Our Homes accumulated tax savings on Sarasota homes can be $20k–$60k+. We almost always file the homestead petition here.
• Snowbird ancillary is everyday work. A third of our local cases are out-of-state decedents with FL property. We coordinate with home-state attorneys in 30+ states routinely.
• Older clients, older wills. Many Sarasota wills were drafted before the 2026 reforms — and before the 2011 POA statute changes. We catch outdated documents during intake.
• Boats, condos, vacation properties. Common assets here that need careful titling. Boats over 26 feet have their own DMV process; condos have HOA estoppel requirements at sale.
• 12th Circuit moves fast. Sarasota's probate division is one of the more efficient in Florida. Clean summary admin filings often see orders in 4–6 weeks vs. 8–12 in Miami-Dade or Broward.

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.