Florida Probate Guide · Tenth Judicial Circuit
Polk County probate is filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court. Original wills are accepted at the Polk County Courthouse in Bartow, not at the Lakeland or Lake Alfred offices. Judge Dana Y. Moore is the judge the circuit directory lists for Polk 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 about page says she is serving her fourth term. Probate and guardianship mail uses P.O. Box 9000, Drawer CC-4, Bartow, FL 33831-9000. The published phone is the main clerk line.
Official sourceCircuit Judge
Polk administrative judge for probate, mental health, and public health, Section 14. Judicial assistant Sharon Boggan, sboggan@jud10.flcourts.org, 863-534-5840. Administrative Order 4-17.3, effective October 5, 2026, assigns guardianship and other mental-health cases to other sections. It does not say those sections hear probate estates.
Official sourceLocal procedure
Original wills are brought to the Bartow courthouse. The clerk says that service is not offered in Lakeland or at the Northeast office in Lake Alfred. A will must be deposited within 10 days, with the date of death or Social Security number if available. An attorney is not required just to deposit a will. The wills FAQ still describes summary administration with an older estate-value figure. That figure is not repeated here. Use Florida Statutes § 735.201. The fee table is used below. The clerk’s formal-administration line also names guardianship, trust, curatorship, and conservatorship at the same $400 amount.
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. Administrative Order 4-17.3, effective October 5, 2026, assigns Polk guardianship and mental-health cases away from a single probate section. It does not reassign probate estates. Confirm the section before noticing a hearing that is not an estate proceeding.
An uncontested Polk estate can often be e-filed without a trip to Bartow. An original will still has to be brought to the Bartow courthouse. Proposed orders go through the portal.
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 Polk Clerk’s posted probate lines. The formal-administration amount is the clerk’s combined line, which also names guardianship, trust, curatorship, and conservatorship. This guide does not cover guardianship. The wills FAQ’s older summary-administration figure is not used.
Straight answers
File with Clerk Stacy M. Butterfield at the Polk County Courthouse, 255 N. Broadway Avenue, Bartow. Clerk offices are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The main phone is 863-534-4000. Original wills are accepted in Bartow only, not in Lakeland or Lake Alfred. Probate mail goes to P.O. Box 9000, Drawer CC-4, Bartow, FL 33831-9000.
The circuit directory lists Hon. Dana Y. Moore as the Polk administrative judge for probate, mental health, and public health, Section 14. Her judicial assistant is Sharon Boggan at 863-534-5840. A separate order effective October 5, 2026 assigns guardianship and other mental-health cases to different sections.
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.
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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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