Suwannee County Probate Court Records
Suwannee County probate court records cover estate cases, will filings, and guardianship proceedings handled by the Clerk of Court in Live Oak. The county is part of Florida's 3rd Judicial Circuit, which stretches across seven rural north Florida counties. If you need to find a case, request a document copy, or file a new petition, the Suwannee County Clerk's office in downtown Live Oak is the place to start. Records go back many decades and document how estates have been settled in this part of the state over time. Court staff can point you to the right form or confirm a case number, though they cannot give you legal advice.
Suwannee County Quick Facts
Suwannee County Clerk of Court
Scott Sutton serves as Suwannee County Clerk of Court. His office in Live Oak handles all probate filings for the county, including formal administration cases, summary administration petitions, will deposits, and guardianship matters. The clerk accepts documents in person and can confirm whether a case exists in the system. Staff will not advise you on which type of proceeding to file or whether you need an attorney, but they can tell you what forms are available and what the current filing fees are.
| Clerk of Court | Scott Sutton |
|---|---|
| Address | 200 S Ohio Ave, Live Oak, FL 32064 |
| Phone | (386) 362-0500 |
| Website | suwanneeclerk.org |
| Hours | Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
The courthouse sits in the center of Live Oak, the county seat. Parking is available nearby. If you plan to request certified copies of probate documents, bring payment. The clerk accepts cash and checks; call ahead if you want to confirm current accepted payment methods. Certified copies typically cost a few dollars per page plus a certification fee. Exact amounts can change, so confirm with the clerk before your visit.
The image below shows the Florida Courts statewide clerk directory, which lists Suwannee County along with every other county clerk office in the state.
Visit the Florida Courts Find a Clerk page to confirm current contact details for the Suwannee County Clerk of Court.
This statewide directory is one of the most reliable ways to verify clerk contact information, since phone numbers and addresses can change when a new clerk takes office.
3rd Judicial Circuit and Probate Division
Suwannee County sits in the 3rd Judicial Circuit. This circuit covers seven counties: Columbia, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Madison, Suwannee, and Taylor. That is a large stretch of north Florida, and the circuit's judges handle probate matters for all of them. Contested estate cases and guardianship hearings take place before a circuit judge. Uncontested summary administration cases often move through without a formal hearing, which can save time and money.
The 3rd Circuit is headquartered in Lake City (Columbia County), but judges travel among the county seats to hold hearings. If your probate case requires a court appearance, check with the Suwannee County Clerk's office about the current hearing schedule in Live Oak. They can tell you when the next probate docket is set and whether your case needs a hearing at all.
For broader information about Florida's circuit court system, the Florida Courts website explains how the 20 judicial circuits are organized and what types of cases each division handles. Probate falls under the civil division in most circuits, though some larger circuits have a dedicated probate division.
Guardianship cases are also assigned to the probate division. If a Suwannee County resident becomes incapacitated, a family member can petition for guardianship under Chapter 744 of the Florida Statutes. The process involves a medical or psychological evaluation, a court-appointed examining committee, and a hearing. The clerk's office files and maintains all guardianship records, though some portions of those files are confidential under Florida law.
Types of Probate in Suwannee County
Florida law sets out three main ways to handle a decedent's estate, and the right choice depends on the estate's size and how long the person has been dead. Suwannee County courts apply the same rules as every other Florida county. Here is a plain summary of each option.
Formal Administration is the full probate process. It applies when an estate has assets worth more than $75,000 (not counting exempt property like the homestead). Formal administration requires a personal representative, an attorney, and a series of steps that usually take six months to a year or longer. The personal representative must notify creditors, file an inventory, pay valid claims, and then distribute what is left to beneficiaries. The case stays open until all of those steps are done and the court enters an order of discharge.
Summary Administration is a shorter process. It is available when the estate's non-exempt assets total $75,000 or less, or when the person has been dead for two or more years. There is no personal representative. Instead, the beneficiaries file a petition that describes the assets and debts, and the court issues an order of summary administration directing who gets what. This can wrap up in a matter of weeks rather than months. Attorneys are still common in summary administration, but the process is simpler overall.
Disposition Without Administration is the smallest option. It applies only when the estate has no real property and the only assets are personal property worth less than the funeral and medical bills. The court can authorize payment to whoever paid those final expenses. This is not really a full probate proceeding. It is a way to deal with a very limited estate without opening a full case.
Choosing the wrong type of proceeding wastes time and filing fees. If you are not sure which applies to your situation, talk to a probate attorney before you file. The Suwannee County Bar or the Florida Bar's lawyer referral service can help you find someone with probate experience in the area.
Wills and Will Deposits in Suwannee County
Under Florida law, anyone who has a decedent's original will must file it with the county clerk within 10 days of learning of the death. This rule applies even if the person holding the will has no plans to open a probate case. The requirement comes from Florida Statutes section 732.901. Failing to file a will can expose you to liability.
A deposited will is a public record. Anyone can look it up and get a copy. The clerk logs the deposit and assigns it a file number. This is separate from actually opening a probate case. Depositing a will does not start the probate process. It just preserves the document. If no one opens a case, the will sits in the clerk's files without action.
When probate does open, the personal representative (or petitioner in a summary administration) must file the will as part of the initial petition. The clerk then officially admits it to probate, which means the court has determined it is valid and will be used to guide the distribution of the estate.
If you believe a will exists but cannot find it, start by searching the Suwannee County Clerk's records. A deposited will that was never probated may still be on file. The clerk's office in Live Oak can search by decedent name and approximate date of death.
Confidential Records and Public Access
Most probate records in Suwannee County are public. The case file, the petition, the will, orders from the court, and the final distribution are all open to anyone who wants to review them. You can inspect records at the clerk's office or, for cases that are in the online system, search from home.
Some documents are not public. Under Florida law, probate inventories and accountings filed after October 1, 2006 are confidential. This means the detailed list of a decedent's assets and the accounting of how the estate was managed are not open for public inspection. This rule was put in place to protect the financial privacy of beneficiaries and heirs. If you are a party to the case, you can access these documents. If you are not, you generally cannot.
Guardianship records also have confidential elements. Medical reports, evaluations, and certain financial records in guardianship files are restricted. Only parties to the case and their attorneys can review those portions of the file.
If you are unsure whether a specific document in a Suwannee County probate case is public, ask the clerk's office. They can tell you which parts of the file are available and which require a court order or party status to access.
How to Search Suwannee County Probate Records
The most direct way to search is to contact the Suwannee County Clerk's office at (386) 362-0500 or visit in person at 200 S Ohio Ave in Live Oak. Give them the decedent's full name and approximate year of death, and they can pull up any matching case numbers. From there, you can request copies of specific documents.
The clerk's website at suwanneeclerk.org may also provide an online case search tool. Check the site for a "case search" or "official records" link. Online access varies by county and can change as the clerk updates their systems. Not all older cases are available digitally, so for historical records, a direct call or visit is often necessary.
Florida's statewide court portal, myeclerk, is available for some counties, but availability depends on whether the county has connected to the system. Suwannee County may not be fully integrated, so the clerk's direct search tool is the safer bet.
When you request copies by mail, include the case number if you have it, the name of the decedent, and a check or money order for the copy fees. Call ahead to confirm the current fee schedule and the correct mailing address for record requests.
Cities in Suwannee County
Suwannee County's largest city is Live Oak, the county seat, where all probate filings are handled. No cities in Suwannee County meet the 100,000-population threshold for a dedicated city page on this site. All probate matters for residents throughout the county are handled through the clerk's office in Live Oak regardless of which community the decedent lived in.
Nearby Counties
Suwannee County borders several other 3rd Circuit counties, all of which use the same probate rules under Florida law. If the decedent owned property in more than one county, ancillary probate filings may be needed in each county where real property is located.