Palm Beach County, Florida Probate
Cost Calculator

Estate administration in Palm Beach County, Florida proceeds through the Palm Beach County Circuit Court, Probate Division in West Palm Beach. Understanding the local court's requirements — from petition formatting to hearing schedules — helps the process move efficiently.

The Palm Beach County Circuit Court, Probate Division in West Palm Beach processes a high volume of estate filings, with dedicated probate staff and structured hearing calendars. Expect longer initial wait times for hearings, but the trade-off is a court system with deep experience handling complex estates.

The typical probate timeline runs 6-12 months.

Florida establishes separate statutory fee schedules for personal representatives (§ 733.617) and attorneys (§ 733.6171). Summary administration is available for estates under $75,000 or when the decedent died more than two years ago.

For Florida's full fee tiers and filing details, see our Florida Probate Calculator.

The Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court is located at 301 N Olive Ave, Ninth Floor, West Palm Beach, FL 33401. The court clerk can be reached at (561) 355-2996.

Visit the court's website for current forms, fee schedules, and filing instructions. Electronic filing is available.

Office hours: Mon–Fri 8:00 AM–5:00 PM.

• Florida has separate statutory fee schedules for personal representatives (§ 733.617: 3% on the first $1M, declining to 1.5% above $10M) and attorneys (§ 733.6171).
• The Palm Beach County Circuit Court, Probate Division in West Palm Beach must approve any fees exceeding statutory amounts.
• Summary administration — for estates under $75,000 — significantly reduces court costs.

• Probate in Palm Beach County — ranked 3rd of Florida's 67 counties — begins with filing a Petition for Administration at the Palm Beach County Circuit Court, Probate Division in West Palm Beach.
• Florida offers two primary pathways: formal administration for estates above $75,000, and summary administration for smaller estates or those where the decedent has been dead for more than two years.
• The choice of pathway significantly affects both the timeline and cost of administration in Palm Beach County.

• Under formal administration, the personal representative must publish a Notice to Creditors in a West Palm Beach-area newspaper, file an inventory within 60 days of appointment, and manage the estate through the creditor claims period (which runs 90 days from the first publication or 30 days from service on known creditors).
• Palm Beach County's Circuit Court maintains dedicated probate hearing days, and familiarize with the local administrative orders governing probate procedures.
• Florida's homestead protections — among the strongest in the nation — create additional complexity for estates that include the decedent's primary residence.

Florida's summary administration procedure — available for estates valued under $75,000 or when the decedent has been dead for more than two years — provides a streamlined alternative to formal probate in Palm Beach County, ranked 3rd of the state's 67 counties. Summary administration eliminates the need for a personal representative and allows the court to order direct distribution of assets to beneficiaries.

The petition is filed at the Palm Beach County Circuit Court, Probate Division in West Palm Beach.

Florida also offers a Disposition Without Administration procedure for estates consisting solely of exempt property (including homestead) and non-exempt personal property that does not exceed the cost of preferred funeral expenses and reasonable medical expenses of the last 60 days. In a larger jurisdiction like Palm Beach County, summary administration accounts for a significant volume of probate filings, and the court's staff are experienced with the streamlined procedures.

Florida's strong homestead protections mean that the primary residence often passes outside the probate estate entirely, reducing the value subject to formal administration.

• Getting an accurate cost estimate before you start probate in Palm Beach County helps you budget for Florida's statutory percentage schedule plus local filing fees at the Palm Beach County Circuit Court, Probate Division.
• The clerk's office in West Palm Beach can answer procedural questions about required forms and hearing schedules.

• This free probate calculator applies Florida's specific rules automatically — enter the estate's approximate value to get an instant breakdown of expected fees.
• No account required.