Panhandle · Circuit 14

Washington County probate help.

We serve Washington County (including Chipley, Vernon, Wausau, and surrounding areas) under the 14th Judicial Circuit, with the county seat in Chipley. Probate, estate planning, and trust administration — all on flat fees, all remote-friendly.

Call 941.352.1006 Join the waitlist

Washington is an inland Panhandle county of roughly 25,000 residents with Chipley (the seat) sitting on I-10. 14th Judicial Circuit. Central Time Zone.

— A probate attorney near you

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

We serve all of Washington County — Chipley, Vernon, Wausau, Ebro — 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 Washington County.New-client intake is closed until late October 2026; the Washington County filing details on this page stay free to use.

— At a glance

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

The courthouse

Washington County Clerk of Court

Address1293 Jackson Ave, Chipley, FL 32428Phone(850) 638-6009HoursMonday–Friday, 8:00am – 4:00pm CT

Probate at the Chipley courthouse. Small clerk's office; phone-first works well. E-filing via myflcourtaccess.com.

Clerk's website ↗E-file portal ↗

Death certificates

FL Department of Health in Washington · Vital Statistics

Address1338 South Blvd, Chipley, FL 32428Phone(850) 638-6240HoursMonday–Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm CT

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 Washington County, as we see it.

Washington is small and rural. Probate filings go to the Washington County Clerk in Chipley under the 14th Judicial Circuit. Courthouse small enough that clerk staff handle probate filings personally.

Hurricane Michael (2018) affected southern Washington County; some estates still tangled in insurance recovery and rebuild title issues. Timber-heavy estates — large pine plantations require specialty appraisal at probate. I-10 corridor and out-of-state heir issues common in Chipley/Bonifay decedent estates.

— What's different about probate here

Local quirks worth knowing.

14th Judicial Circuit. Shared with Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson.
Small personal clerk's office. Filings handled by staff directly; phone-first works well.
Hurricane Michael (2018). Southern Washington estates still face insurance recovery and rebuild title issues.
Timber-heavy estates. Large pine plantations require specialty appraisal at probate.
I-10 corridor. Out-of-state heir issues common; Chipley sits on the interstate.

— Cities & neighborhoods