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Palm Beach County Probate Courthouses: why are there three?

Uncategorized Oct 21, 2013

Why are there three probate courthouses in Palm Beach County, Florida?   If you are a beneficiary of a Florida estate or a Florida trust, or are involved in a probate administration or estate administration in Palm Beach, you might be confused.  It may be more correct to state that there are three courthouses in Palm Beach County, and within those courthouses, there are probate divisions or probate judges who hear cases on Florida wills, trusts, estates and guardianships.   There is the Main Courthouse downtown in West Palm Beach.  There is a South County Courthouse in Delray Beach and there is a North County Courthouse in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.   Typically, the location of the Florida probate lawyer who files a case determines where the case “goes.”  If you are a Florida probate lawyer or Florida trust lawyer who has an office in Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, or North Palm Beach, your cases are generally assigned to the courthouse on PGA Blvd in Palm Beach Gardens.  Probate lawyers in West Palm Beach typically have cases assigned to the Main Courthouse in West Palm Beach, FL.   Probate lawyers in Lake Worth, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton have cases assigned to the Delray Beach Courthouse.   However, many times the residence of the deceased person, in the case of an estate, determines where the case is assigned.  So, if a Florida resident was living in Boca Raton, that estate or that probate may “go” to the South County Courthouse.   If a related case is also filed, such as an inheritance lawsuit or a trust lawsuit, notice of the related case should be provided in the existing case.  Probate lawyers and probate litigators should inform the court of the new or companion case.  A motion to consolidate the lawsuits or the case and the probate may be appropriate.  There is a local administrative rule (order) for all Palm Beach County lawsuits regarding related or companion cases that all beneficiaries and Palm Beach estate lawyers and Palm Beach trust lawyers should know about.  Advocate hard. Litigate smart.