Search Dixie County Probate Court Records

Dixie County probate court records are the legal documents filed with the court when an estate is opened, a will is validated, or a guardianship is established for a resident of this rural north Florida county. The Dixie County Clerk of Courts in Cross City maintains these case files and can help residents and researchers locate records, understand the filing process, and access documents that are part of the public record.

Dixie County Clerk of Courts

The Dixie County Clerk of Courts in Cross City handles all probate filings for the county. The clerk's office receives petitions, deposits original wills, issues letters of administration, and maintains the official case docket. For a small rural county like Dixie, the clerk's office is often the most direct source of information about local probate cases. Staff can confirm whether a case exists and explain how to get copies of documents.

Dixie County is one of Florida's smaller, more rural counties. The clerk's office in Cross City handles a smaller volume of probate cases than urban counties, which means staff often have time to help you understand the process. Call before visiting to confirm office hours and ask whether the records you need are available without an in-person trip.

If you are mailing documents or correspondence to the clerk's office, use the P.O. Box address listed above. For in-person visits, call first to confirm the physical location in Cross City, since the mailing address is a P.O. Box.

The Florida Clerks of Court directory provides current contact information for Dixie County and all other Florida counties. It is a reliable starting point when you are unsure which county to contact or need to verify details before calling.

The image below shows the Florida Clerks of Court directory page, a statewide tool for locating any county clerk's office in Florida.

This directory is maintained by the Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers and is updated as clerk office information changes across all 67 Florida counties.

3rd Judicial Circuit Court

Dixie County is part of the 3rd Judicial Circuit, which also covers Columbia, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor counties. The 3rd Circuit spans a large swath of rural north Florida. Circuit judges assigned to the probate division handle contested estate matters, formal administration petitions, and guardianship hearings for all seven counties in the circuit, including Dixie County cases.

Given the rural nature of the circuit, in-person court appearances in contested probate matters may require travel to Cross City or to another 3rd Circuit courthouse depending on where the case is assigned. Uncontested summary administration petitions in Dixie County can often be handled without a formal hearing, which makes the process faster and easier for families dealing with smaller estates.

The 3rd Judicial Circuit website provides contact information and general guidance for cases across the circuit. If you have a pending Dixie County probate case and need information about hearing schedules or judge assignments, start with the clerk's office in Cross City or the circuit court's main contact page.

Guardianship proceedings in Dixie County also go through the 3rd Circuit probate division. Under Chapter 744 of the Florida Statutes, a guardianship petition can be filed when a Dixie County resident loses the capacity to manage their own personal or financial affairs. The process involves a medical examination, a court-appointed attorney, and a circuit judge's hearing. It is more involved than most probate proceedings but follows a clear statutory framework.

Probate Proceeding Types in Dixie County

Florida's probate statutes apply statewide, and Dixie County follows the same framework as every other Florida county. Three types of proceedings cover the full range of estate situations.

Formal Administration is the complete court process, required when the gross probate estate exceeds $75,000. Under Chapter 733 of the Florida Statutes, the court appoints a personal representative who then inventories estate assets, publishes a notice to creditors in a local newspaper, pays valid claims and applicable taxes, and files a final accounting before the judge closes the case. Creditors have 90 days from the first publication of the notice to file their claims. This process typically runs six months to a year, and longer when there are disputes or complex asset situations.

Summary Administration is available for smaller estates. It applies when total probate assets are $75,000 or less, or when the decedent died two or more years ago. Chapter 735 governs this process. No personal representative is appointed in most cases. Beneficiaries file a petition, notify creditors, and the court issues an order directing how assets are distributed. It is faster, simpler, and less expensive than formal administration. For Dixie County's smaller, rural estates, summary administration is the most common route through the court system.

Disposition Without Administration is the simplest path. It requires no real property and applies only when the remaining estate assets are either exempt personal property or amounts owed to the decedent that do not exceed the cost of final expenses, specifically funeral and medical bills up to $6,000. The clerk's office issues an authorization letter directly, with no formal case opened and no judge required. For very small, uncomplicated situations, this is often the right answer.

Chapter 731 provides the general definitions and procedures that apply across all three types of proceedings. Chapter 732 sets out who inherits when a person dies without a valid will, which is intestate succession. Chapter 744 covers guardianship proceedings. Together, these chapters form the core of Florida probate law and apply equally in Dixie County as in any other part of the state.

How to Search Dixie County Probate Records

Call the Dixie County Clerk of Courts at (352) 498-1200 to start your search. The clerk's staff can tell you whether a probate case exists for a specific person and what documents are on file. For a small county like Dixie, direct contact with the clerk's office is often the most efficient approach, especially for older records that may not be in an online system.

If an online case search portal is available for Dixie County, you can typically search by the decedent's name or case number. Look through the docket for specific documents. The notice to creditors filing will show you the publication date and the deadline for filing claims if you are a creditor. Most docket items are viewable online at no cost, but certified copies require a per-page fee.

Keep in mind that a missing court record does not always mean no estate was settled. In Florida, many assets pass outside the court system entirely. Joint bank accounts, life insurance policies with named beneficiaries, payable-on-death designations, and assets held in a trust all bypass probate. An estate can be fully settled without any court involvement if it was structured that way in advance.

The Florida Courts Self-Help page has free resources for understanding the probate process and finding the right forms. The Florida Courts website also provides general information about how the court system is organized and how to navigate it.

Below is a screenshot of the Florida Courts homepage, which serves as a central resource for court system information across all Florida counties including Dixie County.

The Florida Courts website links to individual circuit court pages, self-help resources, and form libraries that cover all types of probate proceedings handled in Dixie County.

Filing Probate in Dixie County

To open a probate case in Dixie County, contact the clerk's office at (352) 498-1200 first to confirm the physical filing address and any current requirements. Bring the original will if one exists. Under Florida law, the person holding the original will must file it with the county clerk within ten days of the decedent's death. This is true even if no probate case will be opened right away.

Florida Supreme Court approved forms for probate petitions are available at Florida Courts Self-Help. Always download the most current version directly from that official site. Using an outdated form version can result in a rejected filing. The clerk can tell you which forms your specific case type requires, but they cannot fill out the forms for you or tell you which type of proceeding to choose. That decision involves your specific circumstances and may benefit from legal guidance.

Filing fees in Dixie County are set by Florida statute. Call the clerk's office to get the current fee schedule before you go. For families facing financial hardship, the court has a process for requesting a fee waiver. Ask the clerk how to apply if that is a concern.

For summary administration, the process is simpler. File the petition, give notice to creditors, and wait for the court's order. In many uncontested cases, the court issues the order without requiring a formal hearing, which saves time. Even so, get the petition right the first time. Errors or missing documents mean the clerk's office will return the filing, and resubmitting adds delay.

Self-help resources at Florida Courts are free and can walk you through both summary and formal administration step by step. For complex estates with multiple heirs, significant assets, or potential disputes, consulting a Florida probate attorney before filing is worth the cost. Attorney fees in formal administration are regulated by the Florida Statutes, giving you a framework for what to expect.

Cities in Dixie County

Dixie County's main communities include Cross City (the county seat), Horseshoe Beach, and Old Town. None of these communities meet the population threshold for a dedicated city records page. All probate filings for Dixie County residents are handled at the clerk's office in Cross City, regardless of which community the decedent lived in.

Nearby Counties