Madison County Probate Court Records

Madison County probate court records are maintained by the Madison County Clerk of Courts in the city of Madison, serving a rural north Florida county of approximately 18,000 residents. The 3rd Judicial Circuit handles all estate and guardianship cases here, covering seven counties across a wide stretch of Florida's interior.

Madison County Clerk of Courts

The Clerk of Courts is the official repository for all probate filings in Madison County. The office is in the city of Madison, which also shares its name with the county. This can cause some confusion for first-time filers, so confirm you have the right address before making the trip.

The Florida Court Clerks and Comptrollers statewide Find a Clerk directory lists Madison County with current address and phone details alongside all other Florida county clerks.

Use this directory if you need to verify the physical street address for the Madison County courthouse before filing documents or visiting in person.

How to Search Madison County Probate Records

Madison County is a small court system. Online access to case records may be limited compared to larger Florida counties. Your first step should be to call the clerk at (850) 973-1500 to ask what search tools are currently available.

You can also check the Florida Court Clerks site at www.flclerks.com to see if Madison County has a linked portal for searching cases by name or number. Some smaller counties provide basic online lookups. Others require a written request or in-person visit.

When you contact the clerk, have the decedent's full legal name, approximate date of death, and if possible the case number. The clerk can search by name or number and tell you what records exist. Fees apply for copies, and the clerk will quote you the current rate when you ask.

The Florida Courts website also has general guidance on accessing probate records across the state, including links to statewide databases where available.

The Florida Courts homepage is a good starting point for understanding how probate cases are tracked and accessed in Florida's circuit court system.

Types of Probate in Madison County

Florida law sets out three paths for settling a decedent's estate. Madison County courts handle all three. The correct one depends on the estate's size and age.

Formal Administration

Formal administration is the standard probate process. It applies when an estate's gross value exceeds $75,000, or when full court supervision is needed. A Florida-licensed attorney must represent the personal representative throughout the process. Steps include opening the estate with the court, publishing creditor notices, filing an asset inventory, resolving debts, and distributing assets under court approval. This can take anywhere from six months to over a year. The rules for formal administration come from Florida Statutes Chapter 733.

Summary Administration

Summary administration is available when the estate's non-exempt value is $75,000 or less, or when the decedent has been dead for two or more years. This process is shorter and skips most of the steps required in formal administration. No personal representative is appointed. The court issues a summary order directing asset distribution directly to heirs. Families often find this path faster and less expensive than full administration. The statute is Florida Statutes Chapter 735.

Disposition Without Administration

This is the simplest option and requires no formal court proceeding. It applies when the estate has no real property, all assets are exempt, or non-exempt assets total $6,000 or less. The clerk issues a letter authorizing transfers. There is no judge's hearing required in most cases. Ask the clerk whether the estate qualifies before spending time on a more complex process.

The 3rd Judicial Circuit

Madison County is part of the 3rd Judicial Circuit, which covers Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor counties. This is a rural multi-county circuit spread across a large portion of north Florida.

Circuit judges assigned to probate matters hear cases from all seven counties. Depending on the judge's schedule, hearings may be held at the Madison County courthouse or may require travel to another location in the circuit. Your attorney or the clerk's office can tell you where specific hearings will take place.

The 3rd Circuit's administrative office can help you find general information about case schedules and judicial assignments if the clerk's office cannot answer your question directly.

Applicable Florida Probate Statutes

Florida's probate law is the same in every county. Madison County follows the same statutes as Miami-Dade or Escambia. What changes between counties is the local clerk's procedures, fee schedule, and the circuit court's hearing calendar.

The main statutes to know are Chapter 733 for formal administration and Chapter 735 for summary and simplified procedures. Chapter 731 has definitions and general provisions that apply to all probate matters. Chapter 732 covers the rights of heirs and the treatment of wills.

For Madison County residents who need legal help, Three Rivers Legal Services and North Florida Legal Services both serve this region of the state. The Florida Bar's online referral tool can connect you with a probate attorney who practices in the 3rd Circuit. An initial consultation with an attorney is worth the time even if you plan to handle the estate yourself, because it helps you understand what you are dealing with before you start filing.

Understanding Madison County Probate Records

Probate records in Florida are public documents. The file for a typical estate case includes the petition to open the estate, the decedent's last will and testament (if filed), the appointment of a personal representative, creditor notices, an inventory of assets, and the final order closing the estate. Heirs and beneficiaries are named in these documents.

You can get plain copies or certified copies of any public record from the clerk. Certified copies carry the court seal and are required by banks and other institutions when transferring assets. Plain copies are cheaper and work for personal reference. Call the clerk to find out the current copy fees before requesting a large number of documents.

If you need an old record from Madison County, it may be in paper form and not yet scanned into a digital system. The clerk can tell you about the turnaround time for archived records and whether there is a retrieval fee.

Cities in Madison County

The city of Madison is the county seat and largest community in Madison County. Greenville and Lee are smaller towns in the county. None of these communities meet the population threshold for a dedicated city records page. All probate cases from across Madison County are filed with the single clerk's office in the city of Madison.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Madison County. Jefferson and Leon are to the west in the 2nd Judicial Circuit. Lafayette and Suwannee share the 3rd Judicial Circuit with Madison. Hamilton and Taylor also border the county to the east and south.