Broward County Probate Smart Forms: What Executors Must Know

Florida probate is already complex at the state level. In Broward County, it adds another layer: a proprietary filing system that rejects standard state-approved forms entirely. If you or your attorney attempt to file a regular Word-document petition in Broward's probate division, it will be returned. No exceptions.

What Are Broward's Smart Forms?

In December 2025, Broward County's 17th Judicial Circuit rolled out auto-populating PDF "Smart Forms" for all probate filings. These forms replace the standard Florida Supreme Court-approved probate forms that attorneys use in every other Florida circuit.

The Smart Forms auto-populate certain fields, enforce required formatting, and are designed to align with Broward's mandatory CC-series checklists (CC-01 through CC-07). When a practitioner tries to file a standard state-form Petition for Summary Administration in Broward, the clerk will reject it because it doesn't match the expected Smart Form format.

This is not a minor procedural preference — it is a strict system-level requirement. Attorneys who practice in multiple Florida counties have to maintain Broward-specific document sets.

The CC-Series Checklists

Alongside the Smart Forms, Broward County enforces mandatory pre-filing checklists:

• CC-01: Intestate Summary Administration
• CC-03: Formal Administration (with or without will)
• Additional CC-form checklists for specific petition types

These checklists are effectively pre-audit documents. Before the clerk will docket a probate petition, the attorney certifies that every item on the applicable checklist has been addressed. Missing a signature, an exhibit, or a required attachment triggers an automatic rejection that pushes the filing back by days or weeks.

For executors working with counsel from outside Broward County, confirming that your attorney is familiar with the Smart Form system and CC-checklist requirements before engagement is worth asking explicitly. A non-Broward attorney who handles Broward probate cases routinely will know the system. One who occasionally handles them may not.

UMC Zoom Hearings

Broward County's probate division also uses UMC (Uniform Motion Calendar) Zoom hearings for standard uncontested probate matters. This is actually beneficial for out-of-state executors — hearings that would otherwise require travel to Fort Lauderdale can be handled remotely.

The Zoom hearing system means that for uncomplicated summary administrations and formal administration orders that don't require evidentiary testimony, the entire proceeding can be handled without the executor setting foot in Florida. This matters significantly if the estate's heirs are scattered across multiple states.

How Broward Compares to Other Florida Counties

Each of Florida's 20 judicial circuits has its own local administrative orders layered on top of the Florida Probate Rules. The variation is substantial:

• Miami-Dade (11th Circuit): Uses its own CC-101 mandatory checklist series; applies a $0.45 documentary stamp surtax on commercial/multi-family real estate that doesn't apply elsewhere
• Orange County (9th Circuit): Judge Higbee requires proposed orders emailed directly to chambers in Microsoft Word format, with the E-Portal docket index number visible on the document
• Hillsborough County (13th Circuit): Division A prohibits direct email to judicial assistants entirely; all proposed orders go through the state E-Portal only
• Collier County (20th Circuit): A legacy holdout — still requires physical, in-person delivery of the original Last Will and Testament to the Naples courthouse within 10 days of death
• Sarasota County (12th Circuit): Uses "Probate Coordinators" who pre-audit every file before it reaches a judge; a missing signature blocks the entire docket

These county-by-county differences mean that a standard Florida probate checklist is insufficient if you're dealing with a specific circuit. The procedural requirements are genuinely different enough to affect timelines, costs, and filing strategy.

Filing Fees in Broward County

Broward County's filing fees for probate proceedings in 2026:

• Formal Administration: $401.00
• Summary Administration (estate over $1,000): $346.00
• Summary Administration (estate under $1,000): $236.00
• Disposition Without Administration: $232.00

These fees are set by the Clerk of Courts and are consistent with Miami-Dade and Palm Beach (which all follow the 11th, 15th, and 17th Circuit fee schedules). They are slightly higher than the central and Gulf Coast circuits (Orange, Hillsborough, and Lee counties charge $400.00 and $345.00 for the equivalent proceedings).

How the 2026 CS/SB 1500 Reform Affects Broward Probate

Effective July 1, 2026, Florida's CS/SB 1500 probate reform law changed two thresholds that affect which cases come through Broward's probate division:

Summary Administration expanded: The cap for non-exempt probate assets eligible for summary administration doubled from $75,000 to $150,000. More estates now qualify for the expedited route. Broward's CC-01 and CC-03 Smart Forms are the required filings for both routes — the expanded threshold does not change the mandatory form requirements.

Disposition Without Administration expanded: The non-exempt personal property cap for this simplified no-probate mechanism increased from $10,000 to $20,000. For the smallest estates where someone is seeking reimbursement of funeral or final medical expenses, this threshold expansion means more estates qualify to skip the probate docket entirely.

Bank enforcement: CS/SB 1500 also authorizes personal representatives to pursue legal action against financial institutions that unlawfully delay releasing estate assets. For Broward executors who encounter banks refusing to honor court-issued Letters of Administration, this provides statutory authority to escalate — and recover attorney fees from the bank.

What Out-of-State Executors Need to Know

Broward County has a large population of retirees whose estates are administered by adult children living elsewhere in the United States or internationally. Several practical notes for non-Florida executors:

The Zoom hearing system helps: Broward's UMC hearings can be attended remotely, which eliminates one of the main costs of out-of-state administration — flying to Fort Lauderdale for a routine 15-minute hearing. Most uncomplicated matters in summary and formal administration resolve through the Zoom calendar without requiring physical presence.

Physical documents still matter: Even with electronic filings through the state E-Portal, Broward requires original documents in specific situations. The original Last Will and Testament must be filed with the Clerk of Courts. Death certificates must be certified copies, not scanned documents. Original signatures are required on certain petitions. Out-of-state executors need a reliable Florida contact for physical logistics.

Attorney admission requirement: Broward, like every other Florida circuit, requires the personal representative's attorney to be admitted to practice in Florida. An out-of-state executor cannot use their own state's attorney for the probate proceeding without that attorney also being admitted in Florida or arranging co-counsel.

If you are dealing with a Broward County estate and want to understand the full procedural landscape — Smart Forms, CC-checklists, documentary stamp tax calculations, and the 2026 probate reform thresholds — the Florida Final Tax & Estate Tax Guide covers Broward and nine other major Florida counties in a county-specific matrix built for executors.

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