Access Lauderhill Probate Court Records

Lauderhill residents file probate cases through Broward County, served by the 17th Judicial Circuit. All probate matters for the county are handled at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale. This page covers how to find records, what the clerk's office needs from you, what fees apply, and how the probate process works for estates opened in Lauderhill.

Which County Handles Probate for Lauderhill

Lauderhill is a city in Broward County. The 17th Judicial Circuit serves Broward County exclusively. When a Lauderhill resident dies and their estate needs to go through court, the petition is filed with the Broward County Clerk of Courts. Florida law requires probate to be filed in the county where the deceased person was domiciled at the time of death, which for most Lauderhill residents means Broward County.

There is no separate probate branch in Lauderhill. All filings, hearings, and records are at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, about 7 miles from Lauderhill. The clerk's online tools allow you to search case records and request some documents remotely, which reduces the need to travel in many situations.

For a full overview of Broward County probate procedures, court locations, and local resources, visit the Broward County probate records page.

How to Search Lauderhill Probate Records

The Broward County Clerk operates an online case search at browardclerk.org. You can look up probate cases by the decedent's name, case number, or filing date. The search tool is free and open to the public. Most probate records are public in Florida, though inventories and financial accountings are confidential under state law and are not viewable in public searches.

Start a search with the decedent's last name. Results show the case number, party names, filing date, and current case status. You can drill into a specific case to see what documents have been filed. Some documents are available online. Others require a request to the clerk's office either in person or by mail.

For certified copies of probate documents, contact the clerk directly. Certification adds a per-document fee on top of the standard per-page copy cost. You can request certified copies in person at the Fort Lauderdale courthouse, by mail, or through the clerk's online request portal for certain document types.

The 17th Circuit court website provides judge assignments and hearing schedules for active probate cases in Broward County, including those filed for Lauderhill residents.

The 17th Circuit handles probate exclusively for Broward County and sees a high volume of cases each year given the county's large and growing population.

For older closed cases, some records may be in off-site storage. Ask the clerk's office about the archive retrieval process if you need documents from a case that was closed many years ago. Plan for a longer wait when requesting archived materials.

Types of Probate Cases Filed in Broward County

Florida law sets out several ways to handle an estate. The correct option depends on the estate's value and how long ago the person died. All of the following case types for Lauderhill residents are handled by the Broward County Clerk and the 17th Circuit.

Formal Administration is required when the estate's non-exempt assets are worth more than $75,000. This is the full probate process. The court appoints a personal representative. That person gathers assets, notifies creditors, publishes a notice to creditors in a local newspaper, files an inventory with the court, pays debts, and distributes what is left under court supervision. The inventory is confidential once filed. Creditors get three months from the first publication to submit claims. Formal administration usually takes at least six months to a year, and more complex cases run longer.

Summary Administration is for smaller or older estates. It applies when non-exempt assets total $75,000 or less, or when the decedent has been dead for more than two years. It is much faster and cheaper. The petitioner files a single petition and a proposed distribution order. No personal representative is appointed. If the court approves the plan, assets can transfer to heirs in weeks, not months. This is a common path for Broward County estates given the number of retirees in the area.

Disposition Without Administration is the simplest path. It only works when there is no real property, the only debts are funeral and medical costs, and total assets are under $6,000. It is handled at the clerk's counter without a court hearing. No case is opened in the court system. It is fast and costs very little.

Under Florida Statute 732.901, anyone who holds a will must file it with the clerk within 10 days of the testator's death. This applies even when no probate case will be opened. The clerk keeps the will as a permanent public record.

Lauderhill's location in central Broward County means residents have relatively easy access to the Fort Lauderdale courthouse. Most of what is needed to open and manage a probate case can be handled there or online.

Probate Filing Fees in Broward County

Probate filing fees in Broward County are set by Florida state law, with local surcharges added by the county. Costs depend on the type of case and the size of the estate. Always confirm current fees with the clerk before filing, as amounts can change from year to year.

For formal administration, expect a filing fee of around $400 or more. Additional costs include the publication fee for the notice to creditors, which a local newspaper charges separately and typically runs a few hundred dollars. Certified copies of letters of administration and other documents carry per-page and per-document fees. If a bond is required for the personal representative, that is an additional cost based on estate value.

Summary administration petitions carry lower filing fees, generally in the $235 to $300 range. The total cost of a summary administration is significantly less than formal administration, which is one of the main reasons families choose it when they qualify.

Florida statute governs attorney fees in probate cases. The statutory rate starts at 3% of the first $1 million of the gross estate value. Personal representatives can also receive a statutory fee at the same rate. Both fees are paid from estate assets. Parties can agree to different amounts with court approval.

Visit browardclerk.org or call (954) 831-6565 to get current fee information before you open a probate case in Broward County.

The Broward County Clerk's website lists filing fees, probate forms, and instructions for opening an estate in Broward County, including for Lauderhill residents.

The clerk's site is the main resource for fee schedules, case search, and document requests for all Broward County probate matters.

Legal Resources for Lauderhill Residents

Several organizations serve Lauderhill residents who need help with probate. The Broward County Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service. Call (954) 764-8040 to get connected with a licensed probate attorney who handles Broward County estates. The service can match you with someone based on your case type and budget.

Legal Aid Service of Broward County provides free civil legal help to income-eligible residents. They may be able to assist with some probate matters. Their main office is in Fort Lauderdale. Call (954) 765-8950 for intake information and to ask whether your situation qualifies for free assistance.

The Florida Bar's attorney search tool at floridabar.org lets you find probate lawyers by county. You can filter by Broward County to see licensed Florida attorneys who handle estate cases in this area.

The 17th Judicial Circuit maintains self-help resources at the courthouse for people who want to handle simple probate cases without a lawyer. Summary administration for small, straightforward estates is sometimes manageable without legal help. However, the clerk's staff cannot give legal advice, only procedural information.

Florida's probate statutes are in Chapters 731 through 735 of the Florida Statutes, available free at leg.state.fl.us. Chapter 733 covers formal administration. Chapter 735 covers summary and simplified procedures. Reading the relevant sections gives you a working knowledge of the process before you file anything.

The Probate Process for Lauderhill Estates

When a Lauderhill resident dies with assets that require probate, the process begins at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale. Here is a general walkthrough of how formal administration works in the 17th Circuit.

Any will must be filed with the clerk within 10 days of death. Then a petition for administration is filed. This petition names the decedent, the petitioner, and the proposed personal representative. It is filed along with the original will and a certified copy of the death certificate. The court reviews whether the proposed personal representative is qualified under Florida law. Non-resident non-relatives generally cannot serve.

Once the court appoints the personal representative, they receive letters of administration. These letters grant legal authority to manage estate assets. The representative then notifies all known creditors by mail and publishes a notice to creditors in a local newspaper for two consecutive weeks. Creditors have three months from the first publication date to file claims against the estate.

During the creditor period, the personal representative files an inventory of estate assets with the court. This inventory is confidential. After the creditor window closes, valid debts and taxes are paid from estate funds. Then the representative prepares a final accounting and files a petition for discharge. If the court approves, the estate is closed and the representative is released from duties.

Summary administration is much faster and simpler. A single petition is filed with the court, along with a proposed distribution plan. No personal representative is needed. The court reviews the petition and, if everything is in order, issues an order approving the distribution. Assets then transfer to heirs. The whole process can take a few weeks from filing to distribution in straightforward cases.

Lauderhill families dealing with larger or disputed estates are better served by working with a Broward County probate attorney. For small, clean cases that qualify for summary administration, self-represented filings are more feasible.

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