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Manatee County, FL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Circuit Court, 12th Judicial Circuit, Manatee County (Probate and Guardianship division); probate is a division of the Circuit Court, not a separate court |
| Filing office | Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller (Angelina "Angel" M. Colonneso, Esq.), Probate and Guardianship department |
| Courthouse | Clerk's probate counter: Historic Courthouse, 1115 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205. Hearings: Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205 |
| Mailing address | Clerk of the Circuit Court, Attn: Probate and Guardianship, P.O. Box 25400, Bradenton, FL 34206 |
| Phone | (941) 741-4037 (Probate and Guardianship); (941) 749-1800 (general) |
| Office hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed weekends and legal holidays |
| Filing fee | The Clerk's published fee schedule lists formal administration $400.00; summary administration $345.00 for estates of $1,000 or more, $235.00 under $1,000; disposition of personal property without administration $231.00 (Manatee County Clerk probate and guardianship fee schedule, manateeclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401). These county totals sit on the statutory service charges in F.S. 28.2401; the schedule posts no effective date, so confirm the current total with the Clerk before filing |
| Local forms | The Clerk publishes a limited set of local probate forms (disposition of personal property without administration, proof of service, consent, and a statement of claim), and the 12th Circuit publishes Manatee checklists that must be filed with each petition; Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set, and administrations are petitions prepared under the Florida Probate Rules |
| E-filing | Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com), mandatory for attorneys and optional for self-represented filers, who may also file on paper at the Clerk's counter. Original wills are deposited on paper with the Clerk |
| Case search | The Clerk's public court records search at records.manateeclerk.com, with anonymous public access; it covers probate cases, whose numbers carry the CP prefix |
| Remote appearance | Chief Judge Moreland runs a hybrid courtroom: under her published requirements, non-evidentiary probate hearings are conducted by Zoom, while evidentiary hearings are generally held in person unless the parties stipulate and submit marked evidence in advance; each day's Zoom credentials are posted on the 12th Circuit's public court hearings page |
| Website | https://www.manateeclerk.com |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
The most common Manatee 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 Bradenton home can transfer to the family while the estate subject to administration stays small.
Before you file, identify every bank and credit-union account, brokerage and retirement account, life-insurance policy, vehicle, business interest, and parcel of Manatee 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 12th Judicial Circuit serves Manatee County along with DeSoto and Sarasota counties. Within Manatee, the court covers the whole county, including Bradenton (the county seat), Palmetto, Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, Bradenton Beach, Ellenton, Parrish, Myakka City, and the Lakewood Ranch communities. Every Manatee probate is filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller; the Clerk's probate counter is in the Historic Courthouse at 1115 Manatee Avenue West, and mail goes to P.O. Box 25400, Bradenton, FL 34206. 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 Manatee resident, or one holding Manatee real property, is filed here.
Manatee runs a dedicated Probate and Guardianship division. Diana L. Moreland, Chief Judge of the 12th Judicial Circuit, presides over the county's probate and guardianship matters, and probate proceedings are held at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Avenue West, in Courtroom 5D. Probate estate cases carry the court type code CP in the case number. The 12th Circuit publishes its own Manatee checklists and filing procedures for the division.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm venue and choose the path. Manatee is the right court when the decedent was domiciled here at death or owned Manatee 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 remains the sole interested person (or the only beneficiary with no other interested persons), or is a Florida-licensed attorney. Most Manatee 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 the required checklist. Administrations are petitions prepared under the Florida Probate Rules (Fla. Prob. R. 5.010 to 5.530). The 12th Circuit publishes Manatee checklists (opening formal administration testate and intestate, summary administration, and petition for discharge) that must be completed and e-filed with the matter before the judge will sign the corresponding order. Proposed orders submitted through the e-filing portal must be in Word format, and a proposed order that will be recorded must leave a blank 3-inch by 3-inch space at the top right for the Clerk's recording stamp.
- File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller. 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 at the Clerk's probate counter in the Historic Courthouse, 1115 Manatee Avenue West, or by mail to P.O. Box 25400, Bradenton, FL 34206. The original will is deposited on paper with the Clerk.
- Pay the filing fee for the path: formal administration $400.00; summary administration $345.00 for an estate of $1,000 or more or $235.00 if under $1,000; disposition of personal property without administration $231.00 (Manatee County Clerk probate and guardianship fee schedule, manateeclerk.com, 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. Chief Judge Moreland runs a hybrid courtroom at the Judicial Center, and non-evidentiary probate hearings are conducted by Zoom. Uncontested matters of 5 minutes or less go on the ex parte docket, heard at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 5D on the mornings set by the court's monthly calendar (currently Monday and Wednesday under the judge's published requirements); the petition, notice of hearing, and proposed orders must be emailed in a single PDF to [email protected] by noon on the business day before. Follow the judge's published requirements for the format, date, and any evidentiary matter.
- 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 Manatee real property, account to the interested persons, distribute, and close the estate with a petition for discharge and its checklist.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Manatee 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), and Florida Courts Help states that it does not provide probate forms. Because Florida Probate Rule 5.030 requires a Florida-licensed attorney in most administrations, most Manatee estates do not self-file a form packet: the attorney prepares and e-files the petitions through the statewide portal.
Manatee adds two local layers. The Clerk's forms page publishes a limited set of local probate forms, chiefly for disposition of personal property without administration (under F.S. 735.301 and F.S. 735.304), a proof of service, a consent to disposition, and a statement of claim. Separately, the 12th Circuit publishes Manatee checklists, for opening formal administration (testate and intestate), summary administration, and the petition for discharge, that must be completed and e-filed with the matter before Chief Judge Moreland will sign the corresponding order. Proposed orders submitted through the e-filing portal must be in Word format.
The original will itself is not e-filed. The custodian of a will must deposit it with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death (F.S. 732.901), on paper at the Clerk's probate counter in the Historic Courthouse, 1115 Manatee Avenue West, or by mail to P.O. Box 25400, Bradenton, FL 34206.
| Resource | What it provides |
|---|---|
| Manatee County Clerk, probate and guardianship forms | The Clerk's local forms, including the disposition of personal property without administration forms, proof of service, consent, and statement of claim |
| 12th Judicial Circuit, Probate and Guardianship division | The circuit's Manatee checklists for formal and summary administration and the petition for discharge, plus the division's filing procedures |
| Florida Courts Help, probate (flcourts.gov) | The judiciary's probate self-help page; it explains that no statewide probate forms are provided and points to the Florida Probate Code |
| Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com) | The statewide portal for filing probate documents; mandatory for attorneys, optional for self-represented filers |
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 Manatee County Clerk publishes its probate and guardianship totals on its fee schedule; the current figures are below (verified July 2026).
| Filing | Fee | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Formal administration | $400.00 | Manatee County Clerk probate and guardianship fee schedule, manateeclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Summary administration, estate value $1,000 or more | $345.00 | Manatee County Clerk probate and guardianship fee schedule, manateeclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Summary administration, estate value under $1,000 | $235.00 | Manatee County Clerk probate and guardianship fee schedule, manateeclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Disposition of personal property without administration | $231.00 | Manatee County Clerk probate and guardianship fee schedule, manateeclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Foreign will admission | $231.00 | Manatee County Clerk probate and guardianship fee schedule, manateeclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Caveat or notice of trust | $41.00 | Manatee County Clerk probate and guardianship fee schedule, manateeclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Reopening a closed estate | $50.00 | Manatee County Clerk probate and guardianship fee schedule, manateeclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
The Clerk's schedule posts no effective date, so confirm the current total with the Probate and Guardianship department at (941) 741-4037 before filing. Certified copies, recording charges, and the guardianship audit fees based on estate value are billed separately.
Local nuance
Manatee County-specific considerations
Two buildings, one block apart. The Clerk's probate counter is in the Historic Courthouse at 1115 Manatee Avenue West, where paper filings and original wills are received and where mail goes to P.O. Box 25400, Bradenton, FL 34206. Court is held next door at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Avenue West, where Chief Judge Moreland hears probate and guardianship matters in Courtroom 5D.
Circuit checklists are required with each petition. The 12th Circuit publishes Manatee checklists for opening formal administration (testate and intestate), summary administration, and the petition for discharge. The Manatee probate coordinator and the court use these checklists to confirm a petition is complete, and Chief Judge Moreland requires them to be completed and e-filed for all cases and for all ex parte and JACS-scheduled hearings before the corresponding order is signed. Proposed orders submitted through the e-filing portal must be in Word format, and a proposed order that will be recorded must leave a blank 3-inch by 3-inch space at the top right for the Clerk's recording stamp.
Many hearings are on Zoom. Chief Judge Moreland runs a hybrid courtroom that takes in-person and Zoom appearances at the same time; non-evidentiary probate hearings are conducted by Zoom, while evidentiary hearings are generally held in person unless the parties stipulate and submit marked evidence at least 5 business days ahead. Ex parte hearings are heard at 8:30 a.m. in Courtroom 5D on the mornings set by the court's monthly calendar, currently Monday and Wednesday under the judge's published requirements, and the papers must be emailed in a single PDF to [email protected] by noon on the business day before. Each day's Zoom credentials are posted on the 12th Circuit's public court hearings page.
A direct probate line. The Clerk's Probate and Guardianship department has its own line at (941) 741-4037, separate from the general (941) 749-1800. Use it for local intake questions, filing in person versus by mail, and what the counter needs.
Look up a case online. The Clerk's public court records search at records.manateeclerk.com offers anonymous public access and covers probate; Manatee probate case numbers carry the CP prefix. The records search is informational, so confirm a filing with the Clerk when it matters.
Recent updates
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Manatee County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | A Bradenton or Lakewood Ranch 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 and Guardianship division. 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 and the circuit's checklist. A vetted Manatee probate attorney where the rule requires counsel. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | If the parent was domiciled in Manatee 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 non-evidentiary hearings are on Zoom, so the child can often avoid traveling to Bradenton. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the shorter path and to locate accounts from out of state. 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 12th 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 Manatee 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, checklist, and sale papers. A vetted Manatee probate attorney to run the formal administration and any contested step. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Manatee County Clerk of the Circuit Court, Probate and Guardianship, (941) 741-4037 (manateeclerk.com) | The filing office for probate: local intake, filing by mail or in person, the fee schedule, local forms, and the public court records search |
| 12th Judicial Circuit of Florida, Probate and Guardianship division (jud12.flcourts.org) | The Manatee checklists for formal and summary administration and the petition for discharge, Judge Moreland's requirements, and public Zoom access to court hearings |
| 12th Circuit Self Help Center, (941) 861-8191 (jud12.flcourts.org) | The circuit's program for self-represented litigants, with lawyer and community referrals; appointments are encouraged by phone, and the walk-in center is at 2002 Ringling Boulevard in Sarasota |
| Layon F. Robinson, II Law Library, Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Avenue West, Room 1101 (manateeclerk.com) | A public law library with Florida and federal materials and some forms for duplication; staff cannot give legal advice |
| Legal Aid of Manasota, Bradenton office, (941) 747-1628 (legalaidofmanasota.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible Manatee and Sarasota residents, including probate matters |
| 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 |
| The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service, (800) 342-8011 (floridabar.org) | Statewide referrals to Florida-licensed probate attorneys, plus the consumer pamphlet Probate in Florida |
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 the only beneficiary with no other interested persons), or is a Florida-licensed attorney, so most Manatee formal and summary administrations involve counsel. Beyond the rule, counsel makes practical sense when the estate is contested, when Manatee 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 Manatee 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, Manatee County real estate, business interests, and unclaimed property, so you know the estate's value and can pick the right Florida probate path for estate settlement before you file.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset assembles the Manatee 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 and the 12th Circuit's Manatee checklists.
Find a local probate attorney. Because Florida Probate Rule 5.030 requires counsel in most administrations, Sunset connects families to a vetted Manatee 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 Manatee County, Florida?
With the Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller, Probate and Guardianship department, whose counter is in the Historic Courthouse at 1115 Manatee Avenue West, Bradenton, FL 34205, or by mail to P.O. Box 25400, Bradenton, FL 34206. Manatee is in the 12th Judicial Circuit. Florida has no separate probate court; probate is a division of the Circuit Court. Attorneys e-file through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com).
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Manatee 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 the only beneficiary with no other interested persons), 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 Manatee 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 Clerk's probate counter in the Historic Courthouse. Original wills are deposited on paper with the Clerk.
How much does it cost to file probate in Manatee County?
The Clerk's published fee schedule is $400.00 for formal administration, $345.00 for summary administration of an estate of $1,000 or more (or $235.00 under $1,000), and $231.00 for disposition of personal property without administration (Manatee County Clerk fee schedule, manateeclerk.com, verified July 2026). These county totals sit on top of the statutory base in F.S. 28.2401. The schedule posts no effective date, so confirm the current total with the Probate and Guardianship department at (941) 741-4037 before filing.
What are the Manatee probate checklists?
The 12th Judicial Circuit publishes Manatee checklists for opening formal administration (testate and intestate), summary administration, and the petition for discharge. Chief Judge Diana L. Moreland requires the appropriate checklist to be completed and e-filed with each matter before she will sign the corresponding order, and the Manatee probate coordinator uses them to confirm a petition is complete. They are on the 12th Circuit site at jud12.flcourts.org.
Can I appear by Zoom for a Manatee County probate hearing?
Often yes. Chief Judge Moreland runs a hybrid courtroom that takes in-person and Zoom appearances at the same time, and non-evidentiary probate hearings are conducted by Zoom; evidentiary hearings are generally held in person unless the parties stipulate and submit marked evidence in advance. Ex parte hearings are heard at 8:30 a.m. on the mornings set by the court's monthly calendar, currently Monday and Wednesday under the judge's published requirements, with the papers emailed in a single PDF to [email protected] by noon on the business day before. Each day's Zoom credentials are posted on the 12th Circuit's public court hearings page.
How do I look up a Manatee County probate case?
Use the Clerk's public court records search at records.manateeclerk.com. It offers anonymous public access and covers probate cases, whose numbers carry the CP prefix. The search is informational, so to confirm a filing you can also call the Probate and Guardianship department at (941) 741-4037.
Where do I deposit the original will in Manatee 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 Clerk's probate counter in the Historic Courthouse, 1115 Manatee Avenue West, or mailed to P.O. Box 25400, Bradenton, FL 34206.
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 Manatee Clerk's Probate and Guardianship department, and the Clerk publishes local disposition-without-administration forms.
Do I have to travel to Bradenton to settle an estate there?
Not always. Attorneys and self-represented filers can file through the statewide e-filing portal, papers can be mailed to the Clerk at P.O. Box 25400, Bradenton, FL 34206, and non-evidentiary probate hearings are conducted by Zoom. Where an in-person hearing is required, it is held at the Manatee County Judicial Center, 1051 Manatee Avenue West.
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.