Florida Probate Guide · Twelfth Judicial Circuit
Sarasota County probate is filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The January 1, 2026 archive of the clerk site lists probate at the historic courthouse in Sarasota and at the South County Courthouse in Venice. Judge Charles E. Williams is the assigned probate judge. The live clerk site was blocked on October 29, 2026.
Court details last reviewed October 29, 2026
Court information
Probate filings go through the county Clerk of Court and are assigned within the Twelfth 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 County Comptroller
The January 1, 2026 archive says her current term runs from 2025 to 2029. The live site was blocked on October 29, 2026. Mail goes to P.O. Box 3079, Sarasota, FL 34230-3079.
Official sourceCircuit Judge
Assigned to Sarasota probate, South County probate, and Manatee probate. The judge phone list places him at the Judge Lynn N. Silvertooth Judicial Center, Courtroom 8B, 2002 Ringling Boulevard. Judicial assistant Lisa Fudge-Schustik, 941-861-7942. That is not the clerk counter.
Official sourceLocal procedure
The archived clerk locations page lists probate, wills, guardianship, and mental health at the historic courthouse, 2000 Main Street, and probate, wills, and guardianship at the South County Courthouse, 4004 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice. Both use 941-861-7400. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Administrative Order 2026-12.2, effective August 27, 2026, tells the clerk to accept a South County probate filing at the Venice courthouse when the order’s geographic criteria are met. Administrative Order 2014-5.2 is still listed as effective. It says initiating documents are e-filed, the will is e-filed before the original paper will is submitted, and an ex parte hearing is requested through the judicial assistant by 3:00 p.m. the business day before. Confirm that 2014 order has not been replaced. The fee lines below are from the January 1, 2026 archive.
Administrative Order 2014-5.2, still listed as effective, says an ex parte probate hearing is requested from the division judicial assistant no later than 3:00 p.m. on the business day before the hearing, after the initiating documents and the will have been e-filed. Administrative Order 2019-4.5 says South County Division H hears its own adversary probate trials. In the rest of Sarasota County, an adversary trial expected to last more than half a day moves to the civil division when it is ready for a trial calendar, and pretrial motions stay with probate. Staff should confirm the 2014 ex parte steps are still current.
An uncontested Sarasota estate can often be e-filed without a trip to Sarasota or Venice. An original will still has to reach the clerk. The archived ex parte rule requires notice to the judicial assistant by 3:00 p.m. the business day before.
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 Twelfth 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 lines are from the Sarasota Clerk fee schedule as archived January 1, 2026. The live site was blocked on October 29, 2026. The formal-administration amount is the clerk’s combined line, which also names guardianship. This guide does not cover guardianship. Confirm the table before filing.
Straight answers
The January 1, 2026 clerk archive lists probate at the Sarasota County Historic Courthouse, 2000 Main Street, Sarasota, and at the South County Courthouse, 4004 S. Tamiami Trail, Venice. Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The phone on that page is 941-861-7400. The live clerk site was blocked on October 29, 2026. Judge Williams sits at 2002 Ringling Boulevard, which is not the filing counter.
Administrative Order 2026-05b.4, effective September 3, 2026, assigns Sarasota probate, South County probate, and Manatee probate to Hon. Charles E. Williams. His judicial assistant is Lisa Fudge-Schustik at 941-861-7942. The 2027 assignment order does not take effect until January 4, 2027.
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.
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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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