Florida Probate Guide · Tenth Judicial Circuit
Hardee County probate is filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the courthouse in Wauchula. Judge Susan L. Barber is the circuit judge whose published assignment includes Hardee probate.
Court details last reviewed October 29, 2026
Court information
Probate filings go through the county Clerk of Court and are assigned within the Tenth Judicial Circuit. Check the Clerk’s current instructions before mailing documents or visiting in person.
Check the official court sourceCurrent assignments
Judicial assignments and staff contacts can change. These names were checked against official court sources on October 29, 2026.
Clerk of the Circuit Court and Comptroller
The meet-the-clerk page checked on October 29, 2026 does not give the clerk’s personal name. Probate mail goes to 417 West Main Street, Suite 202.
Official sourceCircuit Judge
Hardee administrative judge, Section 03. The directory lists civil, family, felony, juvenile, mental health, and probate. Judicial assistant Kyndal Witt, kwitt@jud10.flcourts.org, 863-773-6547. The clerk’s contact page lists her chambers at Suite 327. That phone is the judge’s office, not the clerk counter.
Official sourceLocal procedure
The clerk’s probate page says a will must be deposited within ten days, and that an attorney is not required just to deposit it. The same page still says summary administration may be filed when the entire estate does not exceed an older dollar figure. That figure is not repeated here. Use Florida Statutes § 735.201. The fee table is used below. Its summary lines are labeled “less than $1,000” and “greater than $1,000,” so an estate of exactly $1,000 is not labeled.
Administrative Order 1-61.1, effective April 17, 2023, is the order the circuit still posts for proposed orders. Submit the proposed order through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal in Word format. If it relates to a written motion, e-file the motion first and include a portal-stamped courtesy copy. Do not also send a duplicate proposed order by mail, fax, or email.
An uncontested Hardee estate can often be e-filed without a trip to Wauchula. Proposed orders go through the portal. Hearing format still depends on the assigned judge.
Process overview
The exact path depends on the estate and the court’s orders. This overview shows the common sequence for a matter filed in the Tenth Judicial Circuit; it is not a filing checklist or a promise of timing.
File the petition, original will when applicable, death certificate, and required supporting documents.
The Clerk processes the filing and the assigned division reviews petitions, checklists, and proposed orders.
Address notices, creditors, inventory, taxes, property, and distributions required for the selected process.
After court requirements are met, distribute the remaining assets and complete the steps needed to close.
Florida Summary Administration may be available when the estate subject to administration, less exempt property, does not exceed $150,000 or the decedent has been dead for more than two years, subject to the other requirements of Florida Statute § 735.201.
Court costs
Court filing fees are separate from attorney fees. Lauren reviews the estate before confirming the legal scope and whether flat-fee representation is available.
These are the Hardee Clerk’s posted probate totals. The summary lines do not say which amount applies to an estate of exactly $1,000. Confirm that line before filing.
Straight answers
File at the Hardee County Courthouse, 417 West Main Street, Suite 202, Wauchula. The clerk lists hours as Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The phone is 863-773-4174.
The circuit directory lists Hon. Susan L. Barber as the Hardee administrative judge for Section 03, including probate. Her judicial assistant is Kyndal Witt at 863-773-6547. The clerk’s personal name was not on the meet-the-clerk page.
Under Florida Statutes § 735.201, summary administration is available when the decedent has been dead for more than two years, or when the value of the estate subject to administration in Florida, less the value of property exempt from the claims of creditors, does not exceed $150,000. A clerk page that still describes an older dollar figure is not the current test.
Clear next steps after a difficult loss.
Call for a free 15-minute consultation about a Hardee County probate. Lauren Richardson Law serves families throughout Florida, including people managing an estate from another state.
Verification record
Last checked October 29, 2026
This guide provides general information, not legal advice. Court assignments, procedures, fees, and hearing formats can change. Confirm current requirements with the Clerk and assigned division before acting.
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