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Pasco County, FL Probate Information
Quick facts
| Category | Current rules |
|---|---|
| Court | Circuit Court, Sixth Judicial Circuit, Pasco County (probate sections on the east and west sides of the county) |
| Filing office | Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller (Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, Esq.), probate department |
| East side courthouse | Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center, 38053 Live Oak Avenue, Dade City, FL 33523; probate phone (352) 521-4542 |
| West side courthouse | West Pasco Judicial Center, 7530 Little Road, New Port Richey, FL 34654; probate phone (727) 847-8031 |
| Mailing address | Dade City: Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, Esq., Clerk & Comptroller, 38053 Live Oak Avenue, Dade City, FL 33523. New Port Richey: P.O. Box 338, New Port Richey, FL 34656-0338 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, excluding court holidays |
| Filing fee | Formal administration $400; summary administration $345 for estates of $1,000 or more, $235 under $1,000; disposition of personal property without administration $231 (Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller probate fee schedule, pascoclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401) |
| Local forms | The Clerk's Probate Forms page publishes an affidavit of heirs, a disposition of personal property without administration form with a requirements sheet, a statement of claim form, and case maintenance reference guides for formal administration, summary administration, petitions to determine homestead, and petitions for discharge. Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set |
| E-filing | Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com); new estate cases in Pasco County are filed electronically, e-filing is mandatory for attorneys, and a self-represented filer may e-file or file on paper at either Clerk's office. Original wills and other original documents are submitted to the Clerk on paper |
| Case search | Online Court Records Search for Pasco County (civitekflorida.com/ocrs/county/51/), reached from pascoclerk.com/172/Search-Court-Records: free anonymous public search, plus an enhanced Attorney of Record login; access tiers follow the Florida Supreme Court's electronic-access standards, and court files remain viewable at the Clerk's offices. The Clerk also offers a separate wills on deposit search by name |
| Remote appearance | Not every estate order requires a hearing; the Clerk notes that a hearing may be required when estate cases are presented to the court. When one is set, format and scheduling follow the assigned probate section's practice preferences published on jud6.org, which the Legal Resource Centers also keep on hand |
| Website | https://www.pascoclerk.com/268/ProbateEstates |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
The most common Pasco 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 New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, or Zephyrhills home can transfer to the family while the estate subject to administration stays small; the Pasco Clerk even publishes a reference guide for petitions to determine homestead status.
Before you file, identify every bank, credit-union, brokerage, and retirement account, life-insurance policy, vehicle, business interest, and parcel of Pasco 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 Sixth Judicial Circuit serves Pasco and Pinellas counties. Within Pasco, the court covers the whole county: Dade City (the county seat), New Port Richey, Port Richey, Zephyrhills, San Antonio, and St. Leo, plus the large unincorporated communities of Wesley Chapel, Land O' Lakes, Hudson, Holiday, Trinity, and Odessa. Probate is filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller, and the work is split between the county's two judicial centers: the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center at 38053 Live Oak Avenue in Dade City on the east side, and the West Pasco Judicial Center at 7530 Little Road in New Port Richey on the west side. Under Administrative Order 2026-027 (effective June 24, 2026), each side has its own probate section covering guardianship, estates, and all other probate cases: Section I in Dade City, assigned to Judge Linda Babb, and Section J in New Port Richey, assigned to Judge Dustin Anderson. Assignments are reviewed annually, and every case number carries an east side or west side section designation; the Clerk's Judicial Section/Division Lookup tool returns the assigned section for an existing case number, and the probate department at either office can confirm where a new filing belongs.
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 Pasco resident, or of a nonresident holding Pasco real property, is filed here, whichever side of the county handles it.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm venue and choose the path. Pasco is the right county when the decedent was domiciled here at death or owned Pasco 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, a rule the Pasco Clerk repeats on its own probate page, so Pasco formal administrations almost always involve counsel. Disposition of personal property without administration proceeds without a personal representative and can be handled without a lawyer using the Clerk's form.
- Deposit the original will. The custodian of a will must deposit the original with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death (F.S. 732.901). In Pasco, wills are placed on deposit only after death, there is no charge to deposit a will, and the original is delivered on paper to the Clerk at either judicial center; the Clerk maintains a public wills on deposit search by name.
- Gather what the court needs: 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). The Clerk's case maintenance reference guides for formal and summary administration list, item by item, what the file must contain before the court acts; use them to confirm the filing is complete.
- Prepare the petition. Petitions are drafted under the Florida Probate Rules (Fla. Prob. R. 5.010 to 5.530). The Clerk publishes an affidavit of heirs, a disposition of personal property without administration form with its requirements sheet, and a statement of claim form; printed packets are also sold at the Legal Resource Centers in both judicial centers. In a formal administration the attorney prepares and files the papers.
- File with the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller. New estate cases in Pasco County are filed electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com); e-filing is mandatory for attorneys, while a self-represented filer may e-file or file on paper at the Dade City or New Port Richey office (Administrative Order 2023-040). Original documents, including the original will, are submitted to the Clerk in paper form even when the filing itself is electronic. The case is docketed to the east side or west side probate section.
- Pay the filing fee for the path: formal administration $400; summary administration $345 for an estate of $1,000 or more or $235 if under $1,000; disposition of personal property without administration $231 (Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller probate fee schedule, pascoclerk.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. The Clerk's statement of claim form is on its Probate Forms page.
- Attend any hearing. The Clerk notes that a hearing may be required when estate cases are presented to the court, so not every order involves one. When a hearing is set, scheduling and format follow the assigned probate section's practice preferences published on jud6.org: Section I sits in Dade City and Section J in New Port Richey.
- 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.
- Administer and close. File the inventory, resolve creditor claims, obtain court authority where required to sell Pasco real property, account to the interested persons, distribute, and file the petition for discharge to close the estate; the Clerk's reference guide on petitions for discharge lists what the closing file must contain.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Pasco 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 because Florida Probate Rule 5.030 requires a Florida-licensed attorney in most administrations, most Pasco estates do not self-file a form packet; the attorney prepares and e-files the petitions through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal.
Pasco adds its own local layer. The Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller publishes printable probate forms on the Probate Forms section of pascoclerk.com: an affidavit of heirs, a disposition of personal property without administration form with a requirements sheet, a statement of claim form for creditors, e-mail service designation forms for self-represented parties, and case maintenance reference guides that list, checklist-style, what the court file must contain for a formal administration, a summary administration, a petition to determine homestead, an interim extension of time, and a petition for discharge. The same forms are sold in printed form at the Clerk's Legal Resource Centers in the West Pasco Judicial Center and the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center, which also keep law books, judges' practice preferences, and community legal referrals. These county materials guide a filing but do not replace the petitions themselves.
Original documents are filed on paper, not through the portal. Original wills and codicils placed on deposit must be submitted to the Clerk in their original form even when a scanned copy is e-filed (Administrative Order 2023-040), and the custodian of a will must deposit the original with the Clerk within 10 days of learning of the death (F.S. 732.901). There is no charge to deposit a will, and no attorney is needed to deposit one.
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 Pasco County Clerk's own published fee page totals are below (verified July 2026).
| Filing | Fee | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Formal administration | $400 | Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller probate fee schedule, pascoclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Summary administration, estate value $1,000 or more | $345 | Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller probate fee schedule, pascoclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Summary administration, estate value under $1,000 | $235 | Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller probate fee schedule, pascoclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Disposition of personal property without administration | $231 | Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller probate fee schedule, pascoclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Petition for curatorship or conservatorship; trust administration | $400 | Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller probate fee schedule, pascoclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Caveat; notice of trust | $41 | Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller probate fee schedule, pascoclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
| Reopening a closed estate (exemptions apply) | $50 | Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller probate fee schedule, pascoclerk.com, verified July 2026; statutory base F.S. 28.2401 |
The Clerk notes that all fees are subject to legislative change; confirm the current total on the Probate/Estate Fees & Costs page at pascoclerk.com before filing. Certified copies ($2 per document plus the copy charge), plain copies ($1 per page), and a 3.5% card transaction fee on debit and credit payments are charged separately; checks are made payable to Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, Clerk & Comptroller.
Local nuance
Pasco County-specific considerations
One county, two probate courthouses. Pasco runs probate on both sides of the county: the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center at 38053 Live Oak Avenue in Dade City serves the east side, and the West Pasco Judicial Center at 7530 Little Road in New Port Richey serves the west side. Under Administrative Order 2026-027 (effective June 24, 2026), each side has its own probate section covering guardianship, estates, and all other probate cases: Section I in Dade City (Judge Linda Babb) and Section J in New Port Richey (Judge Dustin Anderson); assignments are reviewed annually. Every case number carries an east side or west side designation, and the Clerk's Judicial Section/Division Lookup tool returns the assigned section for an existing case number.
New estate cases are filed electronically. The Clerk lists new estate and guardianship cases among the case types filed electronically in Pasco County, through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. E-filing is mandatory for attorneys in all divisions; a self-represented litigant is not required to e-file and may file on paper at either Clerk's office, though the portal is open to them (Administrative Order 2023-040). Original wills and codicils are always submitted to the Clerk in original form.
The Clerk publishes case maintenance reference guides. Pasco's Probate Forms page posts reference guides that list, item by item, what the court file must contain for a formal administration, a summary administration, a petition to determine homestead, an interim extension of time, and a petition for discharge, alongside an affidavit of heirs, a disposition of personal property without administration form, and a statement of claim form. Matching a filing to the applicable guide before submitting it is the fastest way to avoid a deficiency notice and get to Letters of Administration.
A self-help Legal Resource Center in each judicial center. The Clerk staffs Legal Resource Centers at the West Pasco Judicial Center (7530 Little Road, Suite 103, New Port Richey) and the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center (38053 Live Oak Avenue, Suite 205, Dade City). They offer self-service court forms and packets for purchase, law books and online legal research, individual judges' practice preferences, copy and fax services, and community legal referrals, including Bay Area Legal Services for income-eligible residents.
Wills on deposit are searchable by name. In Florida, a will is placed on deposit with the Clerk only after the testator's death, and the custodian must deposit it within 10 days of learning of the death (F.S. 732.901). Pasco charges nothing to deposit a will and runs a public wills on deposit search by name on pascoclerk.com, so families can confirm whether a will is already on file before opening an estate.
Court records online come in tiers. Pasco's Online Court Records Search (the CiviTek OCRS at civitekflorida.com/ocrs/county/51/) offers free anonymous public access to case records and an enhanced Attorney of Record login for counsel on their own cases, with access levels governed by the Florida Supreme Court's electronic-access standards. Documents that are not viewable online remain viewable in person: the Clerk provides court-file viewing at its records facilities in Dade City and New Port Richey, and the probate department can confirm a filing by phone.
Recent updates
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| June 24, 2026 | Administrative Order 2026-027 (effective immediately) reset the Pasco Circuit judicial assignments and rescinded Administrative Order 2026-015; the probate assignments are unchanged: Section I (guardianship, estates, and all other probate cases) in Dade City and Section J in New Port Richey. | jud6.org administrative orders |
| 2024 | Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, Esq., drew no opponent in the 2024 election cycle and continues as Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller; she was first appointed in 2019 and first elected in 2020. | pascoclerk.com; WUSF (August 2024) |
Page last reviewed: July 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely path in Pasco County | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse, co-owned home | A Pasco 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, for which the Pasco Clerk publishes its own reference guide. Accounts and property in the decedent's sole name may still need summary or formal administration; formal administration requires a Florida attorney under Florida Probate Rule 5.030 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 Pasco probate attorney where the rule requires counsel. |
| Out-of-state adult child, small estate | If the parent was domiciled in Pasco 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, using the Clerk's own form and requirements sheet. Filings can be e-filed through the statewide portal from anywhere, not every estate order requires a hearing, and any hearing follows the assigned section's published preferences, so the child can often avoid traveling to Dade City or New Port Richey. | Asset discovery to confirm the estate fits the shorter path. Packet generation for the petition, checked against the Clerk's summary administration reference guide. Attorney referral where Rule 5.030 requires counsel. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Formal administration in the Circuit Court, docketed to the east side or west side probate section depending on where in Pasco the case belongs. 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 Pasco 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 Pasco probate attorney to run the formal administration and any contested step. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | What it offers |
|---|---|
| Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller, Probate/Estates (pascoclerk.com/268/ProbateEstates) | The Clerk's probate page: filing information, the Probate Forms page with the county's forms and case maintenance reference guides, the Probate/Estate Fees & Costs schedule, and probate department phones, (352) 521-4542 in Dade City and (727) 847-8031 in New Port Richey |
| Clerk's Legal Resource Centers (pascoclerk.com/330/Legal-Resource-Center) | Self-help centers in both judicial centers (West Pasco Judicial Center, Suite 103, New Port Richey; Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center, Suite 205, Dade City): court forms and packets, law books, online legal research, judges' practice preferences, copy services, and community legal referrals |
| Sixth Judicial Circuit of Florida (jud6.org) | Judges' directory and practice preferences, administrative orders including the Pasco judicial assignments and e-filing orders, courthouse information, and a representing-yourself-in-court guide |
| Pasco Online Court Records Search (civitekflorida.com/ocrs/county/51/) | Free public case search for Pasco County court records, reached from pascoclerk.com/172/Search-Court-Records, with an enhanced login for attorneys of record; the Clerk also offers a wills on deposit search by name |
| Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com) | The statewide e-filing system used for Pasco probate filings; self-represented filers may register and e-file or file on paper |
| Bay Area Legal Services (bals.org) | Free civil legal help for income-eligible residents of the Tampa Bay region, including Pasco County; listed by the Clerk's Legal Resource Center |
| West Pasco Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service | Local attorney referrals for Pasco County, linked from the Clerk's Legal Resource Center page |
| 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 (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 remains the sole interested person, a rule the Pasco Clerk repeats on its own probate page, so Pasco formal administrations almost always involve counsel. Beyond the rule, counsel makes practical sense when the estate is contested, when Pasco 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, and the Clerk's Legal Resource Centers can point self-represented filers to forms and referrals. Sunset can connect families to a vetted Pasco 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, Pasco 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 Pasco 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 checked against the Pasco Clerk's case maintenance reference guides so the file is complete the first time.
Find a local probate attorney. Because Florida Probate Rule 5.030 requires counsel in most administrations, Sunset connects families to a vetted Pasco 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 Pasco County, Florida?
With the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller. New estate cases are filed electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal (myflcourtaccess.com), and the Clerk's probate department serves both judicial centers: the Robert D. Sumner Judicial Center, 38053 Live Oak Avenue, Dade City, FL 33523, phone (352) 521-4542, and the West Pasco Judicial Center, 7530 Little Road, New Port Richey, FL 34654, phone (727) 847-8031. A self-represented filer may file on paper at either office.
Does my case go to Dade City or New Port Richey?
Pasco dockets every probate case to an east side or west side section. Under the Sixth Circuit's current judicial assignments (Administrative Order 2026-027, effective June 24, 2026), Section I hears guardianship, estates, and all other probate cases in Dade City, and Section J hears them in New Port Richey. Which side handles a new estate depends on where in the county the case belongs; the Clerk's Judicial Section/Division Lookup tool on pascoclerk.com shows the section for an existing case, and the probate department at either office can confirm where a new filing will sit.
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Pasco County?
For formal administration, almost always. Under Florida Probate Rule 5.030, quoted on the Pasco Clerk's own probate page, the personal representative must be represented by a Florida-licensed attorney unless the personal representative remains the sole interested person. Disposition of personal property without administration proceeds without a personal representative and can be handled without a lawyer using the Clerk's form and requirements sheet; summary administration is also a shorter path, though most families use counsel to prepare the petition.
Do I have to e-file probate in Pasco County?
Attorneys must e-file through the statewide Florida Courts E-Filing Portal in all divisions, and the Clerk lists new estate cases among the case types filed electronically in Pasco County. A self-represented person is not required to e-file: under Administrative Order 2023-040 the Clerk must accept paper filings from unrepresented litigants, who may also opt in to the portal. Original documents, such as original wills, are always submitted to the Clerk on paper.
How much does it cost to file probate in Pasco County?
The Clerk's published fee page lists $400 for formal administration, $345 for summary administration of an estate of $1,000 or more (or $235 under $1,000), and $231 for disposition of personal property without administration (Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller fee page, pascoclerk.com, verified July 2026). These county totals sit on top of the statutory base in F.S. 28.2401. Card payments carry a 3.5% transaction fee, and the Clerk notes all fees are subject to legislative change, so confirm the current total before filing.
Where do I deposit the original will in Pasco 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). In Pasco, wills are placed on deposit only after death, there is no fee to deposit a will, and the original is delivered on paper to the Clerk at the Dade City or New Port Richey office; even when a case is e-filed, the original will must still reach the Clerk in original form. The Clerk's website includes a wills on deposit search by name.
How do I look up a Pasco County probate case?
Use the Online Court Records Search reached from pascoclerk.com/172/Search-Court-Records, which runs on the CiviTek system at civitekflorida.com/ocrs/county/51/. The public option is free and anonymous; attorneys of record can register through the Clerk for enhanced access to their own cases. Access levels follow the Florida Supreme Court's electronic-access standards, so some probate documents are viewable only at the Clerk's offices, and the probate department can confirm a filing at (352) 521-4542 or (727) 847-8031.
Does the Pasco Clerk provide probate forms?
Yes, a local set. The Probate Forms page on pascoclerk.com publishes an affidavit of heirs, a disposition of personal property without administration form with a requirements sheet, a statement of claim form for creditors, and case maintenance reference guides for formal administration, summary administration, petitions to determine homestead, and petitions for discharge; printed packets are sold at the Legal Resource Centers in both judicial centers. Florida publishes no statewide self-help probate form set, and petitions are prepared under the Florida Probate Rules, in a formal administration by an attorney.
Can I handle a Pasco probate case from out of state?
Often, yes. Filings go through the statewide e-filing portal, the Clerk notes that a hearing may be required when estate cases are presented to the court rather than in every case, and when a hearing is set the format follows the assigned probate section's practice preferences published on jud6.org. Original documents such as the will still travel to the Clerk on paper, and formal administration requires a Florida attorney under Rule 5.030, who typically appears for the family.
Who is the Pasco County Clerk of the Circuit Court?
Nikki Alvarez-Sowles, Esq., is the Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller for Pasco County. First appointed in 2019 and elected without opposition in 2020, she ran unopposed again in the 2024 cycle. Her office is the filing point for probate at both the Dade City and New Port Richey judicial centers and operates the Legal Resource Centers and the online court records search.
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.