What Probate Covers in Palm Beach County
Probate is the court process for handling a person's estate after death and for managing the affairs of people who cannot manage their own. In Palm Beach County, the Probate Division is part of the Circuit Court. The Clerk's Main Courthouse directory places Probate and Guardianship services in Room 3.2300, and will deposits are handled at that probate window. eCaseView lists Probate as court type CP and Guardianship as court type GA.
Probate cases include formal administration, summary administration, small estate matters, caveats, notices of trust, petitions to open a safe deposit box, and petitions to admit a foreign will. Guardianship cases cover guardianship of a person or property, guardian advocate appointments, minor guardianship, and incapacity matters. Florida does not use a separate Surrogate's or Orphans' Court, so all of this runs through the Circuit Court and the Clerk.
Probate Terms Defined
Probate filings use specific legal words. A short glossary helps a reader follow a Palm Beach County probate case file.
- Testator
- The person who made the will.
- Executor
- The personal representative named to carry out the will under court supervision.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will, so the estate passes by Florida intestacy rules.
- Formal administration
- The standard probate process for administering an estate.
- Summary administration
- A shorter probate process for qualifying smaller estates.
- Guardianship
- A court appointment to manage the person or property of someone who cannot.
- Caveat
- A filing that alerts the court before a will is admitted or a representative appointed.
How to Search Palm Beach County Probate Records
Probate cases are searched in the Clerk's eCaseView portal. Choose the Probate court type, or search by case number or party name. Case data is public, but probate document images are restricted to registered users or the attorney of record, so a guest may see the docket without being able to open every image.
- Open eCaseView and log in as a guest user.
- Select Court Type "Probate" and then a probate case type if you want to narrow it.
- Enter a case number or the decedent's or ward's name, then review the docket.
Probate access rests on the same public-records framework that governs all Florida court files. Florida Statutes § 119.07 sets the general duty to allow inspection and copying of public records.
The statute page shown above is the open-records rule that makes probate case data searchable while still allowing certain documents to stay restricted.
Probate Division in Palm Beach County
The Probate Division operates inside the Circuit Court at the Main Courthouse. Probate, guardianship, circuit civil, county civil, and tax deed services cluster on the third floor, with probate and guardianship in Room 3.2300. Will deposits are handled at that window. The contact card below carries the Main Courthouse details.
Probate Division, Circuit Court
205 North Dixie Highway, Room 3.2300
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
(561) 355-2996
Mon–Fri, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
Probate Filing and Copy Fees
Filing fees in probate are set by Florida law and vary by the type of administration. The specific probate filing fee schedule was not in the figures gathered, so confirm filing amounts with the Clerk. The copy and certification fees below are the Clerk's published charges that apply to probate records.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Certifying copies, per instrument | $2.00 |
| Copies up to 8.5 x 14, per page | $1.00 |
| Electronic certified document | $8.00 plus 3.5% processing |
| Records search, per year per name | $2.00 |
Note: confirm the current probate and guardianship filing fees with the Clerk, since those specific amounts were not in the published figures gathered.
What Palm Beach County Probate Records Show
A probate case file builds over the life of the estate. Early filings include the petition, the will if any, and a death certificate. As the case moves, the file adds the order appointing a personal representative, the notice to creditors, an inventory of assets, accountings, and the final distribution and discharge. Guardianship files add the petition, the order of appointment, and reports on the ward. The reason some of this stays private is built into Florida's court-records statute. Florida Statutes § 119.0714 addresses court files and the information exempt from inspection.
The court-files statute shown above is why some probate documents are redacted or held back even though the case docket is searchable.
How Probate Works in Palm Beach County
A probate case follows a set path, though the steps differ between formal and summary administration. The outline below shows the typical order for an estate handled through the Circuit Court probate division.
- Decide the probate path: formal administration, summary administration, a small estate, a caveat, a notice of trust, or a safe deposit box petition.
- File the petition with the Clerk and Circuit Court probate division.
- Pay the filing, copy, and certification fees, and attach the death certificate and will if there is one.
- The court reviews appointment of a personal representative or a summary distribution request.
- The personal representative handles notice to creditors, an inventory, administration, and distribution.
- The court enters orders, and the final accounting and discharge documents close the case.
Many probate filings require an attorney under Florida probate rules, especially formal administration. The Clerk's Self-Service Center can point a self-represented person to the right forms, but it cannot give legal advice.
Guardianship Records in Palm Beach County
Guardianship cases run through the same Circuit Court division and show in eCaseView as court type GA. The case types include guardianship of a person, guardianship of property, guardian advocate, minor guardianship, and incapacity matters. A guardianship gives a court-appointed person legal authority over the affairs or person of someone who cannot manage their own, such as a minor or an incapacitated adult.
Guardianship records carry tighter limits than ordinary court files. Document images are restricted to registered users or the attorney of record, and guardianship settlements and pre-need guardian cases are not available in eCaseView. That stricter handling reflects the sensitive financial and personal information inside a guardianship file.
Restricted Probate Records
Probate document images in eCaseView are limited to registered users or the attorney of record. Guardianship settlements and pre-need guardian case data and documents are not available in eCaseView at all. Will deposits are handled at the Main Courthouse probate window rather than online. Sealing and expunction rules that apply to criminal histories, such as Florida Statutes § 943.0585 on expunction, are separate from probate, but they show how Florida limits access to certain court records by statute.
The expunction statute pictured above is one example of how Florida law can shield specific court records from public access.