How much does a revocable living trust cost in Florida?

A complete trust-based plan — the trust itself, a pour-over will, durable power of attorney, and health care directives — typically runs more than a simple will because there's more drafting involved and assets need to be formally retitled. Most families find that cost is offset by what a $500,000+ estate would otherwise pay in probate fees and delays.

Does a revocable trust protect my assets from creditors or lawsuits?

No. Because you keep full control over a revocable trust during your lifetime — you can amend it, revoke it, or take assets back out — the law treats those assets as still belonging to you. Creditors and judgment holders can generally still reach them. Asset protection requires different planning tools.

What happens if I never fund my trust?

An unfunded trust avoids nothing. If real estate, bank accounts, and investment accounts are never retitled into the trust's name, those assets are still individually owned by you when you die — which means they still have to go through probate, trust or no trust. Funding is not an optional last step; it's what makes the trust work.

Can I be the trustee of my own revocable trust?

Yes. Most people name themselves as the initial trustee, which means day-to-day life doesn't change — you keep managing your own accounts and property. You also name a successor trustee who steps in automatically if you become incapacitated or when you die, without a court proceeding.

How long does it take to set up and fund a trust in Florida?

Drafting the trust documents themselves is usually the fast part. Funding — deeding real estate into the trust, retitling bank and investment accounts, updating beneficiary designations where appropriate — takes longer and is easy to leave half-finished, which is why it's worth confirming every asset has actually been moved before considering the plan complete.

Probate Guide

Florida Summary Administration: The Fast Track for Smaller Estates

Not every Florida estate needs a full year in probate court. If the estate qualifies, summary administration can distribute assets in weeks instead of months — here's how the 2026 rules work.

What Is Summary Administration?

Summary administration is Florida's shortcut through probate. Instead of appointing a personal representative and supervising months of estate administration, the court reviews a petition and, if everything checks out, signs an order distributing the assets directly to the beneficiaries — often within a matter of weeks.

It's governed by Florida Statutes §§ 735.201–735.2063, and it's available for a meaningful share of the estates that come through our office, particularly where the decedent kept things simple.

Who Qualifies in 2026

An estate is eligible for summary administration if either of the following is true:

The value of the non-exempt probate assets is $150,000 or less (this threshold was doubled from $75,000 under the 2026 reform, CS/SB 1500), or
The decedent has been dead for more than two years — regardless of how much the estate is worth.

Homestead property and certain exempt assets generally don't count toward that $150,000 cap, which is why estates that look larger on paper can still qualify. All beneficiaries and any surviving spouse must agree to proceed this way and sign consents; if even one heir objects, the estate typically has to go through formal administration instead.

How It's Different from Formal Administration

Formal administration appoints a personal representative who has to publish a notice to creditors, wait out a claims period, inventory the estate, and get court approval before closing — usually six months to a year, sometimes longer if there's a dispute. Summary administration skips the personal representative step entirely. The court's order itself is what transfers title to the beneficiaries (or to whoever paid final expenses, if that's part of the petition).

The tradeoff is that summary administration offers less protection against unknown creditors. It's the right tool for a clean, low-conflict, modest estate — not for one with disputed debts or family disagreements.

The Process and Timeline

A typical summary administration in Broward County runs 30–60 days from filing to final order, though it can move faster if the paperwork is clean and slower if a judge has questions or a beneficiary is hard to track down. The general steps:

Prepare and file the Petition for Summary Administration, along with the death certificate and the original will (if there is one).
Every beneficiary and any surviving spouse signs a consent, or is otherwise properly noticed.
The court reviews the petition — no personal representative is appointed, and there's typically no hearing required if the paperwork is in order.
The judge signs an Order of Summary Administration distributing the assets and, for real property, vesting title in the beneficiaries.

What It Costs

Filing fees are set by the Clerk of Court: $236 if the estate's assets are valued under $1,000, and $346 for everything above that. Attorney's fees for summary administration are typically a fraction of what formal administration costs, since there's far less work involved — we quote these flat where we can, so you know the number going in.

When You Still Need an Attorney

Summary administration looks simple on paper, and often it is. But a few things trip people up: real estate with a mortgage or a title issue, a beneficiary who can't be located, disagreement over what's actually exempt from the $150,000 cap, or a will that doesn't clearly name who inherits what. An attorney also makes sure the order you get actually does what you need it to do — particularly for real property, where a defective order can create title problems years later when the property is sold.

Common Questions

Summary Administration FAQ

Do I still need to go to probate court in person?

Usually not. Most summary administrations in Broward County are handled entirely on the papers, without a hearing, as long as the petition and consents are complete and no one objects.

What if one heir won't sign the consent?

Then the estate generally can't use summary administration and has to proceed through formal administration instead, with a personal representative appointed to manage it.

Does the home count toward the $150,000 limit?

Florida homestead property is generally treated as exempt and doesn't count against the cap, which is why many estates with a house still qualify for summary administration.

Can summary administration be used if there's no will?

Yes. Summary administration is available whether or not the decedent left a will, as long as the estate meets the value or two-year threshold and the heirs agree on how it should be divided under Florida's intestacy rules.

How is this different from a small estate affidavit?

Florida doesn't have a small estate affidavit process the way some states do. Summary administration and the separate "disposition without administration" procedure (for very small, mostly-spent estates) are the closest equivalents here.

Not Sure If Your Estate Qualifies?

Send over the basics and we'll tell you plainly whether summary administration is on the table — and what it would cost to get it done.

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