Florida Probate Guide · Tenth Judicial Circuit
Highlands County probate is filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at the courthouse in Sebring. Judge Peter F. Estrada is the circuit judge whose published assignment includes Highlands probate.
Court details last reviewed October 29, 2026
Court information
Probate filings go through the county Clerk of Court and are assigned within the Tenth 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 Comptroller
Elected in August 2020. His first day in office was October 1, 2020. Probate email is probate@highlandsclerkfl.gov. Mail goes to 590 S. Commerce Avenue, Sebring, FL 33870-3867.
Official sourceCircuit Judge
Highlands, Section JR. The directory lists juvenile, probate, guardianship, mental health, and risk protection. Judicial assistant Sierra Aguilera, saguilera@jud10.flcourts.org, 863-402-6994. That number is the judge’s office, not the clerk counter.
Official sourceLocal procedure
The clerk’s probate page says a personal representative must be represented by a Florida attorney unless the personal representative remains the sole interested person, citing Florida Probate Rule 5.030. A will must be deposited within ten days, with the date of death and Social Security number. There is no fee to deposit a will. The disposition page says probate-division services are in Room 5 and describes disposition without administration by the statutory test rather than a dollar cap. The fee table below is the civil and probate schedule revised January 23, 2023, which is still the file linked from the clerk site. Its summary lines are “less than $1,000” and “$1,001 or more.”
Administrative Order 1-61.1, effective April 17, 2023, is the order the circuit still posts for proposed orders. Submit the proposed order through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal in Word format. If it relates to a written motion, e-file the motion first and include a portal-stamped courtesy copy. Do not also send a duplicate proposed order by mail, fax, or email.
An uncontested Highlands estate can often be e-filed without a trip to Sebring. Proposed orders go through the portal. Hearing format still depends on the assigned judge.
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 Tenth 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 Highlands Clerk civil and probate fee schedule revised January 23, 2023, still linked from the clerk site. Confirm it is the current table. An estate of exactly $1,000 is not labeled. Guardianship audit lines on that schedule are not listed here.
Straight answers
File with Clerk Jerome N. Kaszubowski at the Highlands County Courthouse, 430 S. Commerce Avenue, Sebring. The clerk lists hours as 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and lists probate-division services in Room 5. The phone is 863-402-6565. Mail goes to 590 S. Commerce Avenue, Sebring, FL 33870-3867.
The circuit directory lists Hon. Peter F. Estrada for Highlands Section JR, including probate. His judicial assistant is Sierra Aguilera at 863-402-6994.
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. A clerk page that still describes an older dollar figure is not the current test.
Clear next steps after a difficult loss.
Call for a free 15-minute consultation about a Highlands County probate. Lauren Richardson Law serves families throughout Florida, including people managing an estate from another state.
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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