Broward County Probate Lawyer

Estates of people who lived in Broward County, or who owned property here, are administered through the Probate Division of the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit in Fort Lauderdale. This page covers how that division works, what the process involves, and where to find help in your city.

Where Broward probate cases are heard

Broward County probate and guardianship matters are handled by the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, with probate courtrooms in the West Wing. The circuit currently runs three probate divisions, and cases are assigned among them.

Filings go through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. The circuit also maintains dedicated addresses for procedural questions on probate and guardianship matters, though court staff cannot give legal advice or comment on a specific case.

Our Fort Lauderdale office sits at 12 SE 7th Street, Suite 701, in Courthouse Place, a few minutes from the courthouse. You can reach that office directly on (954) 371-0402.

Which type of administration applies

Summary administration is available where the probate estate subject to administration is worth $150,000 or less, or where the person died more than two years ago. It is faster and cheaper, and no personal representative is appointed in the ordinary sense. See our guide to summary administration in Florida.

Formal administration applies to most other estates, and is required whenever someone needs court authority to act on the estate’s behalf. Our Florida probate process guide sets out the stages in order.

Many assets bypass probate altogether — jointly held property with survivorship rights, accounts with a named beneficiary, and anything already titled in a trust. Our page on Florida non-probate assets explains which is which.

What tends to complicate a Broward estate

Broward has a large retiree population, and two issues follow from that. The first is guardianship: families often arrive needing a guardianship before the person has died, and then a probate afterwards. The second is beneficiary designations that were never updated after a remarriage or a death in the family, which is one of the most common causes of an avoidable dispute.

Condominium property is the other Broward-specific issue. Association dues, estoppel letters and the timing of a sale all interact with the administration, and they are easier to handle when raised early rather than at closing. Where beneficiaries disagree, or a personal representative is not acting properly, that becomes probate litigation.

How long it takes

A straightforward Broward formal administration commonly runs several months to a year. The creditor period alone is three months from first publication of the notice to creditors, and that period cannot be shortened. Our guide on how long probate takes in Florida covers the usual variables.

Broward cities we serve

• Fort Lauderdale
• Coconut Creek
• Cooper City
• Dania Beach
• Davie
• Lauderhill
• Lighthouse Point
• Margate
• North Lauderdale
• Oakland Park
• Pembroke Park
• Pembroke Pines
• Plantation
• Pompano Beach
• Southwest Ranches
• Sunrise
• Tamarac
• Weston
• Wilton Manors

Áreas de servicio en español

Atendemos a familias de habla hispana en todo el condado de Broward.

• Fort Lauderdale
• Cooper City
• Dania Beach
• Davie
• Pembroke Park
• Pembroke Pines
• Plantation
• Southwest Ranches
• Weston

Related pages

For the wider region, see South Florida probate attorney, or the neighbouring Miami-Dade County probate lawyer page. Statewide coverage is listed on Florida probate service areas.