Broward County families usually build an estate plan from a will, a revocable living trust, a durable power of attorney, a health care surrogate designation and a homestead review. When a Broward resident dies, probate is filed with the Clerk of Courts' Probate and Guardianship division and heard in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit. We meet clients in Fort Lauderdale.
Broward County is home to long time Floridians, young families and people who have recently moved south. Each brings a different starting point to estate planning. Some have never written a will. Others arrive with documents from another state, or own a home, a condo and a rental property at once. Our goal is the same for all of them: a plan that is signed correctly under Florida law and easy for your family to follow.
Communities we serve in Broward County
We work with families throughout the county, including:
- Fort Lauderdale
- Hollywood
- Pembroke Pines
- Coral Springs
- Plantation
- Davie
- Pompano Beach
- Weston
- Sunrise
Documents most Broward families consider
There is no single template, but most plans are built from the same core documents:
- Will. Names who inherits, who serves as personal representative and who would care for minor children. Florida requires you to sign at the end before two witnesses, who sign in your presence and each other's.
- Revocable living trust. Assets titled in the trust pass without probate. A pour over will usually goes with it to catch anything left outside.
- Durable power of attorney. Lets someone you choose manage your finances. It is signed before two witnesses and a notary, and some powers, such as creating or changing a trust, must be separately initialed.
- Health care surrogate. Names who may make medical decisions if you cannot. It is signed before two adult witnesses, and at least one may not be your spouse or a blood relative.
- Homestead planning. Reviews how your primary residence is titled and how Florida's homestead rules affect who can receive it.
Homestead planning for Broward homeowners
For many Broward families the home is the most valuable thing they own. The Florida Constitution protects a primary residence from most creditors, which is a real benefit. It also restricts how that home can be left by will if you are survived by a spouse or a minor child, and this surprises people who try to leave the house to a child from an earlier marriage. Florida also recognizes enhanced life estate deeds, sometimes called lady bird deeds. Whether one belongs in your plan depends on your family and your other assets, and we walk through that with you.
The homestead property tax exemption is a separate matter. It is applied for through the Broward County Property Appraiser, and section 196.011, Florida Statutes, requires the application on or before March 1 of the tax year. Having the exemption does not by itself decide who may inherit the home.
Probate in Broward County
When someone who lived in Broward County dies, probate is generally filed with the Broward County Clerk of Courts' Probate and Guardianship division and heard in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, which serves Broward County alone. Florida has two main forms of administration. Summary administration is generally available when the non exempt estate is $150,000 or less (raised from $75,000 by chapter 2026-57, effective July 1, 2026), or when the person died more than two years ago. Larger or more involved estates go through formal administration.
A personal representative in Florida generally must be represented by a Florida attorney. Once the notice to creditors is first published, creditors generally have three months to file claims. We guide personal representatives through each step of probate administration so they understand what the court expects and when.
Holding the original will of a Broward resident
If you have the original will of someone who lived in Broward County and has died, section 732.901, Florida Statutes, requires the custodian to deposit it with the clerk within ten days after learning of the death. In Broward that is the Clerk's Probate and Guardianship division. The Clerk does not charge a fee to deposit a will and does not accept wills for filing while the person who made them is living. Attorneys file the will electronically first and then mail the original.
When to review your Broward plan
An estate plan is not a one time project. It should change when your life does. Good reasons to review your documents include:
- Marriage, divorce or remarriage, especially in a blended family.
- The birth or adoption of a child or grandchild.
- Buying or selling a home, condo or rental property in Broward.
- Starting, buying or selling a business.
- Moving to Florida from another state, or making Florida your permanent home.
- A person you named as personal representative, trustee or agent who can no longer serve.
Florida also allows electronic wills under section 732.522. If that option interests you, we can explain how it works and whether it suits your plan.
Taxes, briefly
Florida has no state estate tax and no inheritance tax. Federal estate tax can still apply to large estates, so if your estate is substantial we take that into account as part of the plan.
Meet with us in Fort Lauderdale
Broward clients can meet with an attorney in person at our Fort Lauderdale office at 101 NE 3rd Ave, Suite 1500. Your first consultation is free. Bring any existing wills, trusts, deeds or account information you have, and we will explain how Florida law generally applies before you decide anything. Because the firm limits its caseload, you work directly with an attorney from the first meeting to the signing.
