Pompano Beach Probate Court Records

Probate records for Pompano Beach residents are filed and maintained by Broward County. The Broward County Clerk of Courts handles all probate cases under the 17th Judicial Circuit, covering estates, guardianships, and will filings for the more than 111,000 people who call Pompano Beach home. This page covers where to search those records, what they contain, and what to expect when you file or request documents.

Broward County Handles Pompano Beach Probate

If someone lived in Pompano Beach at the time of death, their estate goes through Broward County probate court. There is no separate probate court in Pompano Beach itself. All filings go to the Broward County Clerk of Courts, and cases are heard by judges in the 17th Judicial Circuit. The clerk's main office is in Fort Lauderdale, which is about 10 miles south of Pompano Beach.

See the full Broward County probate records page for more detail on the county system, branch locations, and local rules that apply to all Broward cases including those from Pompano Beach.

The 17th Circuit serves Broward County exclusively. That means every probate petition, inventory, and final accounting tied to a Pompano Beach address goes through this one court system. The clerk's office has a Records Center that handles public requests. You can go in person, use their online search portal, or mail a written request depending on what you need.

The lead-in to the 17th Circuit's case search portal is available on the Broward Clerk site. The system lets you search by name, case number, or date range. Most open probate cases are visible. Sealed portions, such as inventories and accountings, are not public under Florida law.

The Broward County Clerk's main probate portal is shown below.

The portal lists case types, division information, and links to the clerk's online search tools for Broward County probate matters.

How to Search Pompano Beach Probate Records

The Broward County Clerk runs an online case search at browardclerk.org. You can search probate records by the name of the deceased, case number, or date range. The system is free to use. Most case information is available without creating an account.

What you can find online includes case status, parties to the case, hearing dates, and document filing dates. However, not every document is available to view in full. Florida law under Chapter 733 makes inventories and accountings confidential. You will see that a document was filed, but you may not be able to read the contents without going in person and showing you have a legal right to the record.

To get certified copies or full documents, contact the clerk's office directly. You can request records by phone, mail, or in person at 201 SE 6th St in Fort Lauderdale. If you mail a request, include the case number if you have it, the name of the deceased, an approximate year of death, and a check or money order for the applicable fees. The clerk will confirm the cost before processing if the total is unclear.

The Broward Clerk's website and online records portal are shown below.

The clerk site provides direct access to online case search, fee schedules, forms, and contact information for Broward probate divisions.

Types of Probate Cases Filed in Broward County

Not every estate goes through the same process. Florida law sets up several tracks depending on how much the estate is worth and how long ago the person died. Pompano Beach residents qualify for the same options as anyone else in Broward County.

Formal Administration is the full probate process. It applies when the estate is worth more than $75,000 in non-exempt assets, or when the family chooses it even if the estate is smaller. A personal representative is appointed. Notice goes to creditors. Inventories and accountings are filed. The process typically takes six months to over a year. An attorney is required under Florida law for formal administration unless the person is handling their own estate as a pro se petitioner, which is rare and not generally recommended.

Summary Administration is a shorter process for estates worth $75,000 or less, or for any size estate if the person died more than two years ago. There is no personal representative appointed. The petition asks the court to distribute assets directly. It still requires a court order, but the timeline is much faster. Many families in Pompano Beach use this route for modest estates.

Disposition Without Administration is the simplest option. It applies when the estate has no real property, and the only assets are worth less than the amount needed to cover funeral and final medical expenses. The clerk issues a letter rather than a court order. This is typically used to release a small bank account to pay a funeral home.

Wills must be deposited with the clerk within 10 days of learning of a death under Florida Statute 732.901. Depositing a will does not open a probate case. It simply places the document in the court's custody. Anyone with a legal interest can petition to have the will admitted to probate at a later time.

Guardianship cases are also filed in the same division. These cover situations where a Pompano Beach resident is declared incapacitated and needs a court-appointed guardian to manage their affairs. Guardianship records are generally public except for certain medical records filed with the case.

Fees for Broward County Probate Filings

Filing fees are set by the State of Florida and collected by the Broward County Clerk. The fee to open a probate case depends on the estimated value of the estate. As a general reference, estates valued under $1,000 pay around $235 to open. Larger estates pay more on a sliding scale set by statute. The clerk's office can give you the exact figure before you file.

Certified copies cost $1.00 per page plus $2.00 per document for certification. If you need copies mailed, add a reasonable envelope and postage fee. Exemplified copies, which carry the court seal and are needed for some out-of-state transactions, cost slightly more. Call the clerk at (954) 831-6565 to confirm current prices before sending payment.

There is no fee to search records online. Viewing documents through the clerk's portal is free for the public. Printing or downloading documents may carry a small per-page fee depending on the system settings at the time of access.

If you need a waiver of fees due to financial hardship, you can file an Application for Determination of Civil Indigent Status at the clerk's office. A judge reviews the application and decides whether fees are waived or deferred. This applies to guardianship and formal administration cases.

Legal Resources in Pompano Beach and Broward County

Broward County has several resources for people who need help with probate but cannot afford an attorney. Legal Aid Service of Broward County provides free civil legal help to low-income residents. Probate and guardianship matters are among the areas they assist with. Income guidelines apply, so call ahead to see if you qualify.

The Broward County Bar Association runs a lawyer referral service that can connect you with a probate attorney for an initial consultation. Many probate attorneys offer a free or low-cost first meeting. You can reach the referral service through the bar association's main website.

The Florida Bar also maintains a Find a Lawyer directory where you can search by practice area and county. Filtering for Broward County and selecting probate or estate law will return a list of licensed attorneys who handle these cases.

The Pompano Beach city site has some general local government contact information, though it does not handle probate directly.

The city site provides contact information for local government services and can help you confirm addresses or locate city-run programs that may assist residents navigating legal processes.

For self-help legal information, the Florida Courts Self-Help Center at flcourts.gov has forms and plain-language guides for summary administration and other probate processes. These are approved by the Florida Supreme Court and are the same forms used statewide.

The Pompano Beach Probate Process Step by Step

The process starts when someone files a petition with the Broward County Clerk. The petition goes to the probate division of the 17th Judicial Circuit. A judge is assigned. The court issues letters of administration or letters of administration with will annexed, which give the personal representative legal authority to act on behalf of the estate.

After appointment, the personal representative must notify creditors by publishing a notice in a local newspaper for two consecutive weeks. Creditors then have 90 days to file claims, or 30 days from when they received direct notice. Claims filed after the deadline are generally barred unless the court grants an extension.

The personal representative gathers assets, pays valid debts and taxes, then files a final accounting with the court. If everyone with an interest approves, the court issues a final order of discharge. This closes the case. For summary administration, the process is shorter because there is no personal representative and no formal creditor notice period beyond what the petition requires.

Florida probate law is found in Chapters 731 through 735 of the Florida Statutes. These chapters cover everything from definitions and jurisdiction to the rights of surviving spouses and rules for small estates. If you are dealing with a Pompano Beach estate, reading the relevant sections of Chapter 733 (formal administration) or Chapter 735 (summary administration) can help you understand what to expect at each step.

Keep in mind that real property located in Florida must go through Florida probate even if the deceased lived in another state. So if someone from out of state owned a condo in Pompano Beach, a Florida ancillary probate proceeding may be needed in Broward County to transfer or sell that property.

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