Open · taking new casesMon–Fri 8a–6p67 FL countiesFlat fees, published
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← Florida service area
Central FL · Circuit 5

Sumter County probate help.

We serve Sumter County (including Bushnell, The Villages, Wildwood, and surrounding areas) under the 5th Judicial Circuit, with the county seat in Bushnell. Probate, estate planning, and trust administration — all on flat fees, all remote-friendly.

Sumter County is the home of The Villages — the nation's largest 55+ community. About 129,000 residents, dominated by retirees. 5th Judicial Circuit. Bushnell is the seat (small historic town); The Villages drives the population.
— A probate attorney near you

Looking for a probate or estate planning attorney near you in Sumter County?

We serve all of Sumter County — Bushnell, The Villages, Wildwood, Lake Panasoffkee, and the surrounding communities — with flat-fee probate, estate planning, wills, and trusts. Most of it happens by phone, email, and e-signature, so “near me” really means wherever you are in Sumter County. Call 941.352.1006 or book a free 30-minute consult.

— At a glance

Where you'll go. What you'll need.

The courthouse
Sumter County Courthouse
Address215 E McCollum Ave, Bushnell, FL 33513Phone(352) 569-6600HoursMonday–Friday, 8:30am – 5:00pm

Probate Division at the Bushnell courthouse. Small-town single-floor clerk operations; easy parking. E-filing via myflcourtaccess.com.

Death certificates
FL Department of Health in Sumter · Vital Statistics
Address415 E Noble Ave, Bushnell, FL 33513Phone(352) 569-3139HoursMonday–Friday, 8:00am – 4:30pm
Cost · $12 per certified copy · order 8–12 copies for an estate

Order 8–12 certified copies — banks, title companies, the IRS, and the court each need their own. Ordering more upfront saves trips back later.

— Local notes

Probate in Sumter County, as we see it.

Sumter is The Villages county. The vast majority of Sumter's population lives in The Villages or its immediate orbit (Wildwood, Lady Lake spillover into Lake County). The result: Sumter has Florida's highest median age and one of the highest per-capita probate filings in the state. We file here regularly.

Many Villages homes are held in revocable living trusts. Straightforward summary administrations or formal admins of pour-over wills are routine. Most decedents here are out-of-state retirees with Florida homestead — domicile, homestead, and Northern home-state coordination come up constantly.

Probate filings go to the Sumter County Courthouse in Bushnell under the 5th Judicial Circuit. Small clerk's office, single-floor operation — clean filings move quickly. E-filing via myflcourtaccess.com.

— What's different about probate here

Local quirks worth knowing.

— Cities & neighborhoods

Local where you live — Sumter County, top to bottom.

Bushnell
County seat; small historic town.
The Villages (Sumter portion)
~52K residents; massive 55+ retirement community; majority of county population.
Wildwood
Transportation crossroads (I-75/Turnpike/US 301/SR 44); fastest growth.
Lake Panasoffkee
West-county lakefront community.
Center Hill · Webster
Small rural and agricultural towns.
Coleman
Home to FCC Coleman federal prison complex.
— Other helpful local contacts

Save these to your phone.

Sumter County Property Appraiser
Address218 E McCollum Ave, Bushnell, FL 33513Phone(352) 569-6800

Homestead, Save Our Homes, Villages-area valuations

Visit ↗
Sumter County Tax Collector
Address220 E McCollum Ave, Bushnell, FL 33513Phone(352) 569-6740

Vehicle title transfers, property tax. Wildwood/Villages branch at 7375 Powell Rd.

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Florida Unclaimed Property

Search forgotten accounts in the deceased's name

Visit ↗
Lake County Bar — Lawyer Referral
Phone(352) 787-1241

Sumter matters often referred via the Lake bar (5th Circuit-wide)

Visit ↗
UF Health Leesburg Hospital — Records
Address600 E Dixie Ave, Leesburg, FL 34748

Regional hospital serving Sumter and Lake; records release for estate claims

Visit ↗
Florida Bar — Probate FAQ

Public-facing reference for Florida probate basics

Visit ↗
— Take this with you

One-tap kit for Sumter County probate.

Save Sumter probate contacts to your phone (.vcf)
.vcf

Adds the firm + courthouse + vital records + property appraiser + tax collector to your phone contacts in one tap.

Download
Sumter probate quick-reference (PDF kit)
Coming soon

Single-page printable cheatsheet — courthouse address, hours, where to get death certificates, our contact, top 5 first-call resources.

Notify me when ready
What we handle in Sumter County
Summary Administration$1,950Formal Administration$2,950+Ancillary Administration$2,450Disposition w/o Administration$1,200Determination of HomesteadAdd-on · $400
Free 30-minute consult

You're going to get through this.

Tell us what's happening. We'll tell you exactly which path applies, what it'll cost, and how long it'll take. No sales pitch. Most calls end with a 4-step plan and zero stress.

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