Search Citrus County Probate Court Records

Citrus County probate court records are the official documents created when a deceased resident's estate passes through the Florida court system, covering everything from the initial petition and will filing to the final order closing the case. The Citrus County Clerk of Courts in Inverness maintains these records and provides public access both online and in person, so heirs, creditors, and researchers can find the information they need.

Citrus County Clerk of Courts

Traci Perry is the Citrus County Clerk of Courts. The clerk's office receives and files all probate petitions, issues letters of administration and letters of guardianship, and keeps the official case docket. Staff at the Inverness courthouse can tell you what documents are on file and explain the steps to open a new case, though they cannot provide legal advice.

The Citrus County Clerk's website offers online case search. You can look up probate cases by the decedent's name, a party's name, or case number. Documents filed electronically are viewable online. Older records that were filed on paper may need to be retrieved from storage and viewed in person, so call ahead if you are researching cases from more than ten or fifteen years ago.

Certified copies of court documents carry a fee per page set by Florida statute. The clerk can tell you the current rates when you call. Many financial institutions require certified copies of letters of administration before releasing funds, so budget for that cost when planning the estate administration process.

The image below shows the Citrus County Clerk's homepage, where you can access the online case search and find probate filing instructions.

This portal lets you search active and closed probate cases, view docket entries, and download electronically filed documents at no charge.

5th Judicial Circuit

Citrus County is part of the 5th Judicial Circuit, which covers Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Marion, and Sumter counties. Circuit judges assigned to the probate division in Citrus County handle contested estate matters, formal administration petitions, and guardianship hearings. Routine, uncontested matters move through more quickly, but contested cases can take a year or longer depending on complexity.

The 5th Circuit's online system allows you to search case information across all five counties. If a Citrus County resident owned property or had accounts in another county in the circuit, you may find related filings in more than one county. Each county has its own clerk, though, so document retrieval requires contacting each county separately.

The circuit court also handles guardianship matters under Chapter 744 of the Florida Statutes. Guardianship cases arise when a person cannot manage their own finances or personal care due to incapacity. These cases are filed in the probate division and follow a separate process from estate administration, though both types of cases appear in the same clerk's index.

Types of Probate Available in Citrus County

Florida provides three main routes through the probate system. Which one applies depends on the size of the estate and how long the person has been deceased. Understanding the differences saves time and money.

Formal Administration is required when probate assets total more than $75,000. Under Chapter 733 of the Florida Statutes, this process involves appointing a personal representative, publishing a notice to creditors, preparing an asset inventory, and filing a final accounting with the court. Creditors have 90 days from the first publication date to file claims. The whole process typically takes six to twelve months for a straightforward estate, and longer if there are disputes or complicated assets.

Summary Administration is a shorter, less expensive option. It is available when the gross probate estate is $75,000 or less, or when the decedent has been dead for two or more years. Chapter 735 governs this process. There is no personal representative appointment required in most cases. The beneficiaries file a petition, give notice to creditors, and the court issues an order directing who gets what. It is faster and cheaper than formal administration. Many Citrus County families use this route when the estate is modest.

Disposition Without Administration is the simplest option of all. It applies when the decedent left no real property and the only remaining assets are exempt personal property or amounts owed to the estate that do not exceed the cost of final expenses, such as funeral and medical bills up to $6,000. No case is formally opened. The clerk issues an authorization letter. This option is available at the clerk's office and does not require a judge's involvement.

Chapter 731 provides the general rules and definitions that apply to all Florida probate proceedings. Chapter 732 covers wills and intestate succession, which is what happens when someone dies without a valid will. These statutes all work together to define what must happen when an estate comes before the court.

How to Search Citrus County Probate Records

Start with the online case search at www.citrusclerk.org. Enter the name of the deceased person in the search field. You will see a list of matching cases with the filing date, case type, and assigned judge. Click on a case to see the full docket of documents filed. You can view most documents at no charge. If you need paper copies, contact the clerk's office for the current copy fee schedule.

Know what you are looking for before you search. Probate cases are indexed under the decedent's name, but the case file also lists the personal representative and attorneys involved. If you are a creditor trying to find out whether a case is open, look for the notice to creditors document on the docket. That notice sets the deadline for filing your claim.

Not every estate goes through probate. Many assets pass outside the court system through beneficiary designations, payable-on-death accounts, joint ownership, or trusts. A missing court record does not always mean the estate was not handled. It may mean assets passed in a different way.

For statewide searches or when you are unsure which county to check, the Florida Clerks of Court directory gives you contact details for all 67 county clerks. It is a good starting point when you do not know where records were filed.

The screenshot below shows the Florida Clerks statewide directory page, which helps you locate the correct clerk's office for any county in Florida.

This directory is maintained by the Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association and is updated when clerk contact information changes.

Filing a Probate Case in Citrus County

To open probate in Citrus County, bring your completed petition and the original will (if one exists) to the clerk's office at 110 North Apopka Avenue in Inverness. The will must be filed within ten days of the person's death under Florida law. The clerk will assign a case number, collect the filing fee, and set up the official case file.

Florida Supreme Court approved forms are available through Florida Courts Self-Help. These forms are updated periodically, so always download the current version from the official site rather than using an old printed copy. Using the wrong form version can result in a rejected filing, which wastes time.

If the estate qualifies for summary administration, the process is more straightforward. You file a petition listing the estate's assets and how they should be distributed, give notice to creditors, and wait for the court's order. If no one objects and the paperwork is correct, the court can issue the order without a hearing in many cases.

Guardianship petitions are filed at the same clerk's office. If you are seeking to become guardian for an incapacitated adult, the process includes a medical examination of the alleged incapacitated person, appointment of an attorney to represent that person, and a hearing before the circuit judge. The Florida Courts website has additional information on the guardianship process statewide.

Cities in Citrus County

Citrus County's main communities include Inverness (the county seat), Crystal River, Beverly Hills, Lecanto, and Homosassa. None currently meet the population threshold for a dedicated city records page. Probate cases for residents of all Citrus County communities are filed at the clerk's office in Inverness.

Nearby Counties