Florida Probate Guide · Nineteenth Judicial Circuit
Indian River County probate is filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court in Vero Beach. Amended Administrative Order 2026-03, effective January 12, 2026, assigns all Indian River probate to Judge Rebecca White.
Court details last reviewed October 29, 2026
Court information
Probate filings go through the county Clerk of Court and are assigned within the Nineteenth 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
Appointed July 1, 2023, after Jeffrey R. Smith retired. The clerk site says he was then elected to a four-year term that began in 2025. Brandon Young is the public-records liaison, not the clerk.
Official sourceCircuit Judge
The assignment order gives her all Indian River probate and guardianship, effective January 12, 2026. The order prints the name Rebecca White. It does not name a judicial assistant.
Official sourceLocal procedure
The circuit probate page says formal administration is required if the estate exceeds $150,000 or includes real property, and that summary administration is for estates under $150,000 or if the person died more than two years ago. Section 735.201 is the test to use. It looks at the estate subject to administration in Florida, less exempt property, and it uses “does not exceed $150,000.” Original wills, codicils, and death certificates are filed in paper. A miscellaneous will has a $1 index fee, and a prepared receipt is $7 if requested. Court paperwork may be mailed to P.O. Box 1028, Vero Beach, FL 32961-1028. After the case is open, the circuit asks that proposed orders go by email in Microsoft Word, with a copy of the filed pleading, the completed opening or closing checklist, and a description of the requested action. The subject line should include the case number, the estate name, and the document type. The circuit says it will not forward ex parte communications to the judge. The Indian River address is probateirc@circuit19.org.
Proposed orders for an Indian River probate go by email to probateirc@circuit19.org, in Word, after the case is open. No Indian River hearing-format sheet was verified, so this guide does not describe how to set a hearing.
An uncontested Indian River estate can often be e-filed without a trip to Vero Beach. The original will and death certificate are still paper filings. Hearing format was not verified.
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 Nineteenth 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 are the Indian River Clerk’s posted probate lines. Guardianship-only lines on the same table are not listed. The formal line also covers ancillary administration, curatorship, conservatorship, and trusts. Confirm the total before filing.
Straight answers
The clerk’s probate page lists Probate and Guardianship at the Indian River County Courthouse, 2000 16th Avenue, Room 158, Vero Beach. The probate phone is 772-226-3164. The contact page lists 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for other courthouse divisions and does not label a separate probate hour. Confirm that those hours cover Room 158.
Amended Administrative Order 2026-03, effective January 12, 2026, assigns all Indian River probate and guardianship to Hon. Rebecca White. The circuit probate page prints the name Rebecca I. White. The order does not name a judicial assistant.
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.
Clear next steps after a difficult loss.
Call for a free 15-minute consultation about a Indian River 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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