Setting up your estate in Northeast Florida?
Florida estate planning has unique advantages — no state income tax, no state estate tax, strong homestead protection, and tenancy by the entirety for married couples — and unique pitfalls, including a constitutional homestead-devise restriction that can override a will. The right Jacksonville estate planning attorney will draft documents that take advantage of Florida's protections without tripping over its limitations.
We have shortlisted 10 Jacksonville estate planning firms based on peer rankings (Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, Martindale-Hubbell, Avvo, Chambers USA), client review patterns, board certifications, and bar association recognition. Most offer a free or low-cost initial consultation.
How we picked these 10: We reviewed published verdicts and settlements, peer rankings (Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Chambers and Partners, Avvo, Martindale-Hubbell), client review patterns, and bar association recognition. Firms that appeared consistently across independent sources made the list. We do not accept payment for placement, and we do not write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology →
Practice focus: Estate planning, asset protection, probate, business succession
Jacksonville estate planning firm with broad coverage of Florida estate planning and probate matters. Multiple Super Lawyers honors and a heavy publishing record on Florida-specific estate planning topics.
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, elder law, trust administration
Northeast Florida estate planning attorney covering wills, trusts, probate, and elder-law matters with a focus on family-centered planning.
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, elder law
Jacksonville estate planning and probate boutique listed in Super Lawyers for estate planning. Personal attention and flat-fee planning packages.
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, trust administration
Coastal Northeast Florida estate planning practice serving Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach with a focused estate-planning practice.
Practice focus: Estates & trust litigation, complex estate matters
The oldest law firm in continuous existence in Florida. Heavy practice in estates and trust litigation covering will contests, trust disputes, and fiduciary litigation. Listed in Best Lawyers in America, Chambers USA, and Florida Super Lawyers.
Practice focus: Estate planning, trust administration, business succession, tax planning
One of Florida's largest law firms with 60+ attorneys statewide. Comprehensive estate planning, trust administration, and business succession practice for high-net-worth Jacksonville families.
Practice focus: Trusts and estates, wealth transfer, business succession, tax planning
Full-service Jacksonville business law firm and only North Florida member of Meritas. Sophisticated trusts-and-estates practice covering wealth transfer, charitable giving, and business succession.
Practice focus: Estate planning, business law, real estate, bankruptcy
Jacksonville firm offering estate planning alongside business law and real estate services — convenient for owners who want one team handling their personal and business planning.
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, probate litigation, bankruptcy
25+ years serving Northeast Florida in estate planning, probate, and probate litigation. Family-focused practice with broad community ties.
Practice focus: Estate planning, probate, elder law, family law
Northeast Florida full-service firm with 20+ years of experience and dedicated estate planning and probate practice across four office locations.
Tell us about your situation and we'll match you with vetted estate planning attorneys in Jacksonville. Free, confidential, no obligation.
Request Free Consultation →A basic Florida estate plan (last will and testament, revocable living trust, durable power of attorney, designation of health care surrogate, living will) typically runs $1,500-$3,500 flat fee for an individual and $2,500-$5,000 for a couple in Jacksonville. Advanced planning — irrevocable trusts, gifting strategies, special needs trusts, business succession — moves to scoped flat fees of $5,000-$15,000+ or hourly billing at $300-$500/hour. Florida probate is straightforward but court-supervised, with attorney fees set by Fla. Stat. § 733.6171 as a percentage of estate value.
Most estate planning matters are routine when handled well and expensive when handled badly. The patterns to avoid:
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can guarantee a result. If a firm promises a specific recovery, dismissal, or approval, walk away.
The disappearing partner. You meet a senior partner at intake, then never speak to them again. The case is handled by an unsupervised junior or a paralegal. Ask in writing who will be your day-to-day attorney.
Pressure to sign immediately. Reputable firms give you the retainer in writing, time to read it, and the option to take it home. High-pressure intake is almost always a sign of a volume mill, not a careful practice.
No verifiable track record. The firm should be able to point to verdicts, settlements, peer rankings, or bar association recognition. "We've helped thousands of clients" is marketing copy. Specific numbers, named cases, and third-party rankings are evidence.
Vague fee terms. "Don't worry about cost" is a red flag. Every legitimate Jacksonville lawyer will give you a written engagement letter with the fee structure, what's covered, what triggers extra charges, and what happens if you fire them.
Most Jacksonville estate planning firms offer a free or low-cost initial consultation. Bring your relevant documents, write down your questions, and compare at least two firms before you sign.
Florida homestead has constitutional protections — and limits. Article X, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution gives unlimited creditor protection for primary residences up to 0.5 acre in a city (160 acres elsewhere). It also restricts who you can devise your homestead to if you are survived by a spouse or minor child. A Jacksonville attorney will draft a will and trust that respects both the protection and the restriction.
No state estate tax, but federal still applies above $13.99M. Florida has no state estate or inheritance tax. The federal estate-tax exclusion is $13.99 million per person in 2026 (scheduled to sunset to ~$7 million in 2026 absent congressional action). High-net-worth Jacksonville families should plan with both numbers in mind.
Tenancy by the entirety protects married couples. Florida recognizes tenancy by the entirety, which automatically transfers jointly held property to a surviving spouse and protects it from creditors of either spouse alone. A Jacksonville estate attorney will title accounts and real estate correctly to capture this protection.
Florida probate is straightforward but worth avoiding. Florida summary administration is available for estates under $75,000 (or where decedent has been dead more than 2 years). Formal administration for larger estates takes 6-12 months and requires court supervision. A funded revocable trust avoids probate entirely and is often worth the extra setup cost on any estate over $200,000.
Tell us about your situation and we'll connect you with vetted estate planning firms in Jacksonville. No fee. No pressure.
Depends on your estate. Under about $200,000 and no real estate, a will is often sufficient — Florida summary administration is available for estates under $75,000. Above that, or if you own a Jacksonville home, a funded revocable trust avoids probate entirely and is usually worth the extra setup cost.
Basic individual plan (will, trust, POA, health-care surrogate, living will): $1,500-$3,500 flat fee. Couples: $2,500-$5,000. Advanced planning involving irrevocable trusts, gifting, or business succession: $5,000-$15,000+ or hourly.
Article X, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution gives unlimited creditor protection to your primary residence (up to 0.5 acre in a city, 160 acres outside). It also restricts how you can devise the homestead if you have a surviving spouse or minor child. Your estate planner will structure the plan to respect both.
Generally yes if it was validly executed in the state where you signed it. But Florida-specific issues — homestead devise restrictions, tenancy-by-entirety planning, Florida health-care surrogate forms — make a Florida-prepared plan strongly preferable once you have moved here.
Summary administration (estates under $75,000): 2-4 months. Formal administration (larger estates): 6-12 months in Duval County. A funded revocable trust avoids probate entirely and lets your trustee distribute assets in weeks rather than months.
Florida's version of a health care power of attorney. Under Fla. Stat. § 765, your designated surrogate makes medical decisions if you cannot. Without one, your family may need to seek a court-appointed guardian — slow, expensive, and avoidable with a $50 form properly executed.
Yes. Florida adopted a specific durable-power-of-attorney statute (Fla. Stat. Ch. 709) in 2011, and older out-of-state POAs may not be honored by Jacksonville banks or financial institutions. Your estate planner will draft a current Florida-compliant POA.
Florida allows pet trusts under Fla. Stat. § 736.0408. You can set aside funds to care for your pet after you die, with a named caregiver and a trustee to manage the money. A Jacksonville estate attorney can include this in your plan if you ask.
One last thing. Picking the right estate planning attorney in Jacksonville is mostly about asking direct questions and getting direct answers. Two consultations, a written fee agreement, and a clear plan are usually enough to find the right fit. — The LawFirmSquare team