Collier County Probate Records Search

Collier County probate court records are the official filings created when an estate goes through the Florida court system, including petitions, wills, inventories, creditor notices, and final orders for residents of this southwest Florida county. The Collier County Clerk of Courts in Naples maintains these records and provides public access online, making it possible to search cases from home before visiting the courthouse.

Collier County Clerk of Courts

Crystal K. Kinzel serves as the Collier County Clerk of Courts. The clerk's office in Naples receives all probate filings, issues letters testamentary and letters of administration, and keeps the official docket for every probate and guardianship case in the county. Staff can confirm whether a case is on file and explain how to get copies of specific documents.

The Collier County Clerk's website provides online case search with access to docket entries and electronically filed documents. If the document you need was filed on paper before the court moved to electronic filing, you may need to contact the clerk's office directly to request a copy. For older records, call ahead to find out whether the file is still at the courthouse or has been sent to off-site storage.

Collier County handles a high volume of probate cases given its large and older demographic. The Naples-area population includes many retirees, and the probate division is active. If you are filing or searching in Collier County, expect thorough procedures and a clerk's office experienced with estate matters of all sizes.

The image below shows the 20th Judicial Circuit case search portal, which serves Collier County along with Charlotte, Glades, Hendry, and Lee counties.

This system allows you to search active and closed probate cases by name or case number and view the full docket of documents on file for each case.

20th Judicial Circuit

Collier County sits in the 20th Judicial Circuit, which spans Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry, and Lee counties. Circuit judges assigned to Collier County hear contested probate matters, formal administration cases, and guardianship petitions. The Naples courthouse is the primary venue for Collier County probate proceedings.

The 20th Circuit's case management system gives attorneys and parties access to docket information across all five counties. If a decedent owned property in both Collier and Lee counties, for example, separate ancillary proceedings might be required in each county depending on the nature of the property and how it was titled. The clerk's office in Naples can advise whether a multi-county filing is needed for your situation.

Contested probate matters in Collier County follow the circuit court's hearing schedule. For straightforward, uncontested filings, the court often handles summary administration petitions without requiring a formal hearing, which speeds up the process considerably. Your attorney can tell you whether your case is likely to require a hearing or can be handled administratively.

Probate Proceeding Types in Collier County

Florida law provides three ways to handle a deceased person's estate through the court system. Collier County follows the same statewide rules, governed primarily by Chapters 731 through 735 and 744 of the Florida Statutes.

Formal Administration is required when the gross probate estate exceeds $75,000. This is the full process under Chapter 733. The court appoints a personal representative, who must then inventory assets, give notice to creditors, pay valid debts and taxes, and file a final accounting before the case can close. Creditors have 90 days from the first publication of the notice to creditors to file claims. Formal administration typically takes six months to over a year. Given Collier County's many high-value estates, formal administration is common here.

Summary Administration is the shorter option. It applies when the total probate estate is $75,000 or less, or when the decedent died two or more years ago. Under Chapter 735, no personal representative is appointed in most summary cases. Beneficiaries file a petition, give creditors notice, and the court issues a summary administration order directing distribution of assets. It is less expensive and faster than formal administration. For estates in the $75,000-and-under range, it is usually the right choice.

Disposition Without Administration handles very small, simple situations. It requires no real property and no assets beyond exempt personal property or amounts owed that do not exceed funeral and medical costs up to $6,000. The clerk issues an authorization letter without opening a formal case. This is the simplest and fastest path when the estate is truly minimal.

Chapter 731 provides general probate definitions and rules. Chapter 732 governs wills and intestate succession, which controls who inherits when no valid will exists. Chapter 744 covers guardianship proceedings, which the Collier County probate division also handles. Together, these statutes define the entire probate framework that applies in Collier County.

Searching Collier County Probate Records

Begin at www.collierclerk.com and open the online case search. Type the decedent's last name to pull up matching probate cases. Check the case type and filing date to confirm you have the right file. Click through to the docket to see every document filed in the case. Most electronically filed documents are viewable at no charge through the online system.

Creditors searching for an open estate case should look for the notice to creditors filing on the docket. The publication date listed in that document starts the 90-day clock for filing creditor claims. Act quickly if the estate is still open. Once the deadline passes, late claims are generally barred by Florida law.

Heirs looking for a will should check the probate case file first. Florida law requires the person holding an original will to file it with the county clerk within ten days of the decedent's death, even if no probate is planned. So even in situations where no formal probate case is opened, the original will may still be on file with the clerk's office as a deposited document.

The statewide Florida Clerks of Court directory lists contact details for all 67 county clerks, which helps when you are searching across multiple counties or need to verify clerk contact information.

Below is a screenshot of the Florida Clerks of Court statewide directory, helpful for locating Collier County and other Florida clerk offices.

This directory is maintained by the Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers association and kept current as clerk office contact details change across Florida's 67 counties.

Filing Probate in Collier County

File your probate petition at the clerk's office at 3315 Tamiami Trail East in Naples. Bring the original will if one exists. Under Florida law, the will must be filed within ten days of the decedent's death even if no immediate probate is planned. Filing late does not invalidate the will, but it can create complications, especially if other parties are also searching for the document.

Florida Supreme Court approved probate forms are available at Florida Courts Self-Help. Always download the current version directly from that site. The clerk will reject filings that use outdated form versions, and that rejection means a delay in the case opening. Check the form version date at the bottom of the document before you file.

Filing fees are set by state statute and collected by the clerk at the time of filing. For formal administration, the fee is based partly on the size of the estate. For summary administration, a flat filing fee applies. Ask the clerk for the current schedule before you go to the courthouse so you know what to bring.

If you are filing a guardianship petition for an incapacitated adult in Collier County, the same probate division handles it. The process involves a medical examination, appointment of a court attorney for the alleged incapacitated person, and a judge's hearing. Chapter 744 governs these proceedings. Self-help resources at Florida Courts cover guardianship as well as probate procedures.

Cities in Collier County

Collier County includes Naples (the county seat), Marco Island, Immokalee, Ave Maria, and portions of Bonita Springs. None of these communities currently meet the threshold for a dedicated city records page. All probate cases for Collier County residents are filed and managed at the clerk's office in Naples, regardless of which part of the county the decedent lived in.

Nearby Counties