Back to Florida
Duval County, FL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Circuit Court, Fourth Judicial Circuit, Duval County (Probate Division); probate is a division of the Circuit Court, not a separate court |
| Filing office | Clerk of the Circuit Court (Jody Phillips), Probate Department |
| Courthouse | Duval County Courthouse, 501 West Adams Street, Room 1260, Jacksonville, FL 32202 |
| Mailing address | Duval County Clerk of Courts, Attn: Probate Department, 501 West Adams Street, Room 1260, Jacksonville, FL 32202 |
| Phone | (904) 255-1990 (Probate Department); (904) 255-2000 (general information) |
| [email protected] (the Clerk's public information contact; the Probate Department itself is reached by phone, mail, or in person) | |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; closed weekends and court holidays |
| Filing fee | Formal administration $401.00; summary administration $346.00 for estates of $1,000 or more, $236.00 under $1,000; disposition of personal property without administration $231.00 (Duval County Clerk fee schedule, duvalclerk.com/about/fee-schedules, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401) |
| Local forms | Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set; the Fourth Judicial Circuit posts a short probate self-help page (jud4.org) with an Affidavit of Heirs form and a Summary Administration Petition Checklist. Petitions are prepared under the Florida Probate Rules, in most cases by an attorney |
| E-filing | Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com), mandatory for attorneys and optional for self-represented filers. Original wills and codicils are filed on paper with the Probate Department, in person or by mail |
| Case search | CORE (Clerk Online Resource ePortal) at core.duvalclerk.com. Anonymous users may view basic non-confidential records, but records in cases governed by the Florida Probate Rules require a free registered CORE account, and what a user can view depends on the user's role and the record's confidentiality |
| Remote appearance | Governed by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.530; Fourth Judicial Circuit judges hear many non-evidentiary matters by Zoom, and the format for a given matter follows the assigned probate judge's published procedures (divisions PR-A and PR-B, jud4.org) |
| Website | https://www.duvalclerk.com/departments/civil-court-services/probate |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
The most common Duval County misstep is filing before you know what the estate holds and which administration path fits. Florida has three routes: formal administration (F.S. Chapter 733), summary administration (F.S. 735.201), and disposition of personal property without administration (F.S. 735.301). Which one applies depends on the value and type of the assets, whether the decedent left Florida real property, and how long ago the death occurred; the thresholds are statewide and are covered on the Florida state page. Homestead real property often passes outside the probate estate, so a Jacksonville home can transfer to the family while the estate subject to administration stays small.
Before you file, identify every bank, credit-union, brokerage, and retirement account, life-insurance policy, vehicle, business interest, and parcel of Duval County real estate, along with every debt, and identify each heir and beneficiary by name. Only then can you pick the right path, calculate the correct filing fee, and decide whether counsel is needed. Sunset's asset-discovery work, searching more than 2,300 financial institutions, exists for this step.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Fourth Judicial Circuit serves Duval, Clay, and Nassau counties; within Duval it covers the entire county. Because the City of Jacksonville and Duval County consolidated their governments on October 1, 1968, most of Duval County is the City of Jacksonville. Four municipalities kept their own city governments in that consolidation, Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Neptune Beach (together the Beaches) and the town of Baldwin, but they remain part of Duval County, and every Duval probate, wherever the decedent lived, is filed with the same Clerk of the Circuit Court at the Duval County Courthouse, 501 West Adams Street, Room 1260, Jacksonville, FL 32202.
Under Florida's venue rule (F.S. 733.101), administration is proper in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death; if the decedent had no Florida domicile, in any county where the decedent owned property; and otherwise in the county where a debtor of the decedent resides. In practice, the estate of a Duval County resident, or one who owned Duval County real property, is filed here. Duval County runs a dedicated Probate Department within the Clerk's office, and the Fourth Judicial Circuit hears the division's estate, guardianship, trust, and related matters.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm venue and choose the path. Duval County is the right court when the decedent was domiciled here at death or owned Duval County property (F.S. 733.101). Decide, based on the assets and the time since death, whether the estate needs formal administration (F.S. Chapter 733), qualifies for summary administration (F.S. 735.201), or fits disposition of personal property without administration (F.S. 735.301); the statewide thresholds are on the Florida state page.
- Confirm whether an attorney is required. Under Florida Probate Rule 5.030, the personal representative must be represented by a Florida-licensed attorney unless the personal representative is the sole interested person (or the only beneficiary with no other interested persons), or is a licensed attorney. Most Duval formal and summary administrations therefore involve counsel; disposition without administration and sole-interested-person matters can proceed without a lawyer.
- Gather what the court needs: the original will (if any), a certified copy of the death certificate, a list of the estate's assets and debts, and the names and addresses of the beneficiaries and other interested persons. Florida's estate representative is the personal representative in every case, whether or not there is a will (F.S. 731.201).
- Prepare the petition and supporting documents under the Florida Probate Rules (Fla. Prob. R. 5.010 to 5.530). Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set, so in most cases the attorney prepares the papers; the Fourth Judicial Circuit's self-help page (jud4.org) posts an Affidavit of Heirs form and a Summary Administration Petition Checklist.
- File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Attorneys e-file through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com), which is mandatory for them; a self-represented filer may e-file or file on paper. The original will and codicils are filed on paper with the Probate Department at 501 West Adams Street, Room 1260, in person or by mail. The custodian of a will must deposit the original with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death (F.S. 732.901).
- Pay the filing fee for the path: formal administration $401.00; summary administration $346.00 for an estate of $1,000 or more or $236.00 if under $1,000; disposition of personal property without administration $231.00 (Duval County Clerk fee schedule, duvalclerk.com/about/fee-schedules, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401).
- Give notice. In a formal administration, serve the notice of administration on interested persons and publish and serve the notice to creditors. A creditor must file its claim by the later of 3 months after first publication or 30 days after being served (F.S. 733.702), and F.S. 733.710 bars all claims 2 years after death.
- Attend any hearing. Duval County probate is heard in the circuit's probate divisions, PR-A and PR-B. Remote appearance is governed by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.530, and Fourth Judicial Circuit judges hear many non-evidentiary matters by Zoom; the format for a given matter follows the assigned judge's procedures, published at jud4.org. Check those and the hearing calendar for the date, time, and format.
- Receive authority. In a formal administration the court appoints the personal representative and the Clerk issues Letters of Administration, the representative's proof of authority for banks and title companies. In a summary administration the court enters an order distributing the assets and no personal representative is appointed. Request enough certified copies for the institutions involved.
- Administer and close. File the inventory, resolve creditor claims, obtain court authority where required to sell Duval County real property, account to the interested persons, distribute, and close the estate.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Duval County
Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set. Probate filings are petitions prepared under the Florida Probate Rules (Fla. Prob. R. 5.010 to 5.530); Florida Courts Help states that it does not provide probate forms, and the state's Supreme Court approved-forms program covers family law, not probate. Locally, the Fourth Judicial Circuit posts a short probate self-help page at jud4.org with an Affidavit of Heirs form and a Summary Administration Petition Checklist; the Duval Clerk does not publish a probate form packet of its own. Because Florida Probate Rule 5.030 requires a Florida-licensed attorney in most administrations, most Duval estates do not self-file a form packet; the attorney prepares and e-files the petitions through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal.
The original will itself is not e-filed. The custodian of a will must deposit the original with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death (F.S. 732.901), and original wills and codicils are filed on paper with the Probate Department at 501 West Adams Street, Room 1260, Jacksonville, in person or by mail. For questions about local intake, filing in person versus by mail, or what the Probate Department counter needs, call the Probate Department at (904) 255-1990.
Fees
Florida sets the Clerk's base probate service charges by statute (F.S. 28.2401): formal administration $395, summary administration $340 for an estate of $1,000 or more, and disposition of personal property without administration $230, plus a $4 additional service charge on administration petitions. On top of that statutory base, counties add further mandatory statutory charges, so the Clerk's published total is higher than the bare base and is set county by county. The Duval County Clerk's own published fee schedule totals are below (verified July 2026).
| Filing | Fee | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Formal administration | $401.00 | Duval County Clerk fee schedule, duvalclerk.com/about/fee-schedules, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Summary administration, estate value $1,000 or more | $346.00 | Duval County Clerk fee schedule, duvalclerk.com/about/fee-schedules, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Summary administration, estate value under $1,000 | $236.00 | Duval County Clerk fee schedule, duvalclerk.com/about/fee-schedules, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Disposition of personal property without administration | $231.00 | Duval County Clerk fee schedule, duvalclerk.com/about/fee-schedules, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Caveat | $42.00 | Duval County Clerk fee schedule, duvalclerk.com/about/fee-schedules, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
The Clerk's fee schedule does not print an effective date, so confirm the current total on the schedule at duvalclerk.com before filing, since counties adjust these charges over time. Certified copies, recording, and records-search fees are charged separately.
Local nuance
Duval County-specific considerations
One consolidated city and county. The City of Jacksonville and Duval County have shared a single consolidated government since October 1, 1968, so for most of the county the city and the county are the same jurisdiction. Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Neptune Beach (the Beaches) and the town of Baldwin kept their own city governments, but they remain in Duval County. Wherever in Duval County the decedent lived, the estate is filed at the same Clerk of the Circuit Court at the Duval County Courthouse in downtown Jacksonville.
A dedicated Probate Department at Room 1260. The Clerk runs a dedicated Probate Department at the Duval County Courthouse, 501 West Adams Street, Room 1260, Jacksonville, FL 32202, reachable at (904) 255-1990. Mail is directed to the same room. Original wills and other original documents are filed on paper there, in person or by mail, even though most petitions are e-filed.
E-filing for attorneys, paper for original wills. Attorneys must e-file through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com); self-represented filers may e-file or file on paper. Original wills and codicils are filed on paper with the Probate Department, and the custodian of a will must deposit the original within 10 days of learning of the death (F.S. 732.901).
Probate records on CORE require a free account. The Clerk's online records portal, CORE (Clerk Online Resource ePortal) at core.duvalclerk.com, provides online access to court records. Anonymous users may view basic non-confidential records, but records in cases governed by the Florida Probate Rules require a free registered CORE account, and what a given user can view depends on the user's role, the case type, and the record's confidentiality. The Probate Department does not run case searches by phone; search in person on the office's system or send a written request with the decedent's name, date of death, and the $2.00 search fee.
Two probate divisions, many hearings by Zoom. Duval County probate is heard in the Fourth Judicial Circuit's probate divisions, PR-A and PR-B. Remote appearance is governed by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.530, and circuit judges hear many non-evidentiary matters by Zoom; the format for a given matter follows the assigned judge's procedures, published at jud4.org, so check those before a hearing.
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| January 2025 | Clerk of the Circuit Court Jody Phillips, who took office in January 2021, was sworn in for a second term on January 7, 2025, after being re-elected without opposition in 2024. | duvalclerk.com; jaxdailyrecord.com |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Duval County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | A Jacksonville home held by the spouses as tenants by the entirety, or as homestead, generally passes to the surviving spouse outside the probate estate; the survivor records the death certificate and, where needed, files a petition to determine homestead status with the Probate Department. Accounts and property in the decedent's sole name may still need summary or formal administration, which under Florida Probate Rule 5.030 usually requires a Florida attorney unless the spouse is the sole interested person. | Asset discovery to separate what passed outside probate from what did not. Packet generation for the petition. A vetted Duval County probate attorney where the rule requires counsel. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | If the parent was domiciled in Duval County and the estate is small enough, or the death was more than 2 years ago, the estate may qualify for summary administration (F.S. 735.201); if it holds only exempt and limited personal property and no real estate, disposition of personal property without administration (F.S. 735.301) may apply. An attorney typically e-files through the portal, and because Fourth Judicial Circuit judges hear many non-evidentiary matters by Zoom under Rule 2.530, the child can often avoid traveling to Jacksonville, subject to the assigned judge's procedures. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the shorter path. Packet generation for the petition. Attorney referral where Rule 5.030 requires counsel. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Formal administration in the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Because there is no will, the parent's attorney petitions for appointment as personal representative and the Clerk issues Letters of Administration; the personal representative then obtains court authority where required to sell the Duval County home before the deed can transfer. Rule 5.030 requires a Florida attorney unless the parent is the sole interested person. | Asset discovery for the child's accounts and property. Packet generation for the administration petition and sale papers. A vetted Duval County probate attorney to run the formal administration and any contested step. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Duval County Clerk of Courts, Probate Department, (904) 255-1990 (duvalclerk.com/departments/civil-court-services/probate) | The filing office for probate: filing information, local intake, the fee schedule, will deposit, and contact for the Probate Department |
| Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida (jud4.org) | Court administration for Duval County, each probate judge's published procedures (divisions PR-A and PR-B), and a probate self-help page with an Affidavit of Heirs form and a Summary Administration Petition Checklist |
| CORE, the Clerk's online records portal (core.duvalclerk.com) | Online access to Duval County court records; probate case records require a free registered CORE account, and access to a document depends on the user's role and the record's confidentiality |
| Duval County Law Library (jud4.org/duval-county-law-library) | A public law library operated by the Fourth Judicial Circuit at the Duval County Courthouse, Room 2291, with Florida legal resources and reference help; open to the public |
| Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (jaxlegalaid.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible North Florida residents, with its main office in Jacksonville; its case types include wills and estates |
| Florida Courts Help, probate (flcourts.gov/Courts-System/florida-courts-help/other-resources/probate) | The judiciary's probate self-help page, with plain-language information on the probate process; it states that no statewide probate forms are provided |
| The Florida Bar (floridabar.org) | Consumer pamphlet "Probate in Florida" and the statewide Lawyer Referral Service |
When to hire an attorney
Florida is an attorney-forward probate state. Under Florida Probate Rule 5.030, the personal representative must be represented by a Florida-licensed attorney unless the personal representative is the sole interested person or is a licensed attorney, so most Duval County formal and summary administrations involve counsel. Beyond the rule, counsel makes practical sense when the estate is contested, when Duval County real property must be sold, when the estate is insolvent or its solvency is in doubt, when a business interest or an out-of-state asset complicates administration, or when heirs are in conflict. Disposition of personal property without administration and sole-interested-person matters can proceed without a lawyer. Sunset can connect families to a vetted Duval County probate attorney when the situation calls for counsel.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and public records to surface bank and credit-union accounts, retirement plans, brokerage holdings, life insurance, Duval County real estate, business interests, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value for estate settlement and can pick the right Florida probate path before you file.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the Duval County filing: the petition for administration, the notice of administration and notice to creditors, the inventory, and the supporting documents, formatted for e-filing through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal or for filing on paper at the Probate Department.
Find a local probate attorney. Because Florida Probate Rule 5.030 requires counsel in most administrations, Sunset connects families to a vetted Duval County probate attorney to file and appear.
Sunset is free for families. Revenue comes from bank partners that pay Sunset while estate funds sit in an FDIC-insured estate account ($3M coverage).
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Duval County, Florida?
With the Clerk of the Circuit Court, Probate Department, at the Duval County Courthouse, 501 West Adams Street, Room 1260, Jacksonville, FL 32202. Duval County is in the Fourth Judicial Circuit. Attorneys e-file through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com); the Probate Department can be reached at (904) 255-1990. Florida has no separate probate court; probate is a division of the Circuit Court.
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Duval County?
Usually yes. Under Florida Probate Rule 5.030, the personal representative must be represented by a Florida-licensed attorney unless the personal representative is the sole interested person or is a licensed attorney. Most formal and summary administrations therefore involve counsel. Disposition of personal property without administration and sole-interested-person matters can proceed without a lawyer.
Do I have to e-file probate in Duval County?
Attorneys must; self-represented filers have a choice. Florida attorneys must e-file through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com). A self-represented person may e-file or file on paper at the Probate Department. Original wills and codicils and other original documents are always filed on paper with the Probate Department at Room 1260.
How much does it cost to file probate in Duval County?
The Clerk's published fee schedule is $401.00 for formal administration, $346.00 for summary administration of an estate of $1,000 or more (or $236.00 under $1,000), and $231.00 for disposition of personal property without administration (Duval County Clerk fee schedule, duvalclerk.com, verified July 2026). These county totals sit on top of the statutory base in F.S. 28.2401. The schedule does not print an effective date, so confirm the current total before filing.
Where do I deposit the original will in Duval County?
The custodian of a will must deposit the original with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death (F.S. 732.901). The original will is not e-filed; it is delivered on paper to the Probate Department at the Duval County Courthouse, 501 West Adams Street, Room 1260, Jacksonville, in person or by mail.
How do I look up a Duval County probate case?
Use the Clerk's online records portal, CORE (Clerk Online Resource ePortal), at core.duvalclerk.com. Anonymous users may view basic non-confidential records, but records in cases governed by the Florida Probate Rules require a free registered CORE account, and whether a specific document can be viewed depends on the user's role and the record's confidentiality. The Probate Department does not run case searches by phone; you can also search in person on the office's system at Room 1260 or send a written request with the decedent's name, date of death, and the $2.00 search fee.
Can I appear remotely for a Duval County probate hearing?
Often yes. Remote appearance is governed by Florida Rule of General Practice and Judicial Administration 2.530, and Fourth Judicial Circuit judges hear many non-evidentiary matters by Zoom. Duval probate is heard in divisions PR-A and PR-B, and each judge publishes procedures at jud4.org; the format for a given matter follows the assigned judge's procedures, so check those and the hearing calendar when a hearing is set.
Do the Beaches and Baldwin file probate somewhere else?
No. Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, and Baldwin keep their own city governments, but they are all part of Duval County. Every Duval estate, wherever in the county the decedent lived, is filed with the same Clerk of the Circuit Court at the Duval County Courthouse in downtown Jacksonville.
What if the estate is small or the death was years ago?
The estate may qualify for summary administration (F.S. 735.201), which does not appoint a personal representative and ends with an order distributing the assets, or for disposition of personal property without administration (F.S. 735.301) if it holds only exempt and limited personal property and no real estate. The dollar thresholds are statewide and are covered on the Florida state page; both paths are filed at the same Duval County Probate Department.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.