Pinellas County Probate Court Florida: The JA Assistant Portal and Local Rules

If your spouse or parent lived in St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, Dunedin, or anywhere else in Pinellas County, probate goes through the 6th Judicial Circuit Court. Pinellas County has some of the most specific procedural requirements in Florida — particularly around proposed court orders, which must be submitted through a digital portal in a specific file format. Getting these details wrong means your filing is rejected and the clock keeps running.

Here is what you need to know before filing in Pinellas County probate court.

The 6th Judicial Circuit: The Checklist-First Mandate

The 6th Judicial Circuit in Pinellas County is governed by strict local Administrative Orders. The defining feature of Pinellas County probate is what practitioners call the "checklist-first" mandate: filings are screened against a mandatory checklist before being accepted. If the required documents are not all present and properly formatted, the entire submission is returned.

This is different from counties that might flag deficiencies after initial acceptance. In Pinellas, the checklist is the gatekeeper.

Confirm which checklist applies to your specific proceeding type (disposition without administration, summary administration, or formal administration) before submitting anything.

The JA Assistant Portal for Proposed Orders

This is the most distinctive procedural requirement in Pinellas County probate. Proposed court orders — the documents you want the judge to sign — cannot simply be e-filed through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. In Pinellas County, proposed orders must be:

1. Uploaded through the 6th Circuit's specific JA Assistant digital portal
2. Submitted in Microsoft Word format (.docx), not PDF

The JA Assistant portal routes proposed orders directly to the judicial assistant for the assigned division. Judges in Pinellas County review proposed orders through this system, not through the standard e-filing portal. Submitting a proposed order as a PDF, or uploading it through the main e-filing portal instead of JA Assistant, will result in it being ignored or rejected.

If you are working with a probate attorney, they should be familiar with the JA Assistant portal. If you are attempting a pro se summary administration, locating and accessing the portal is one of the first things to do.

Hearings: Zoom and In-Chambers Disposition

Pinellas County actively manages its probate docket to reduce in-person hearings. Uncontested proceedings are frequently:

• Disposed of in chambers without any hearing (the judge reviews the filings and signs the order)
• Conducted via Zoom rather than in-person

This can be convenient for out-of-state family members settling a Pinellas County estate. But it requires that all filings be in perfect order — if the judge has a question about an in-chambers matter, there is no hearing at which to clarify it. The filing must speak for itself.

Where to File

Pinellas County Justice Center — Civil/Probate Division 14250 49th Street N, Clearwater, FL 33762

Filings are primarily submitted electronically through the Florida Courts E-Filing Portal. Original wills must be deposited with the clerk within 10 days of learning about the death, per Florida Statute §732.901.

Probate Thresholds in Pinellas County

Disposition Without Administration For very small estates with no real estate in the deceased's sole name and total non-exempt personal property not exceeding funeral and final medical expenses. Checklist compliance is required.

Summary Administration (F.S. §735.201) Available when non-exempt assets total $150,000 or less (as of July 1, 2026, under CS/HB 1337 — previously $75,000). The homestead, up to $20,000 in household furnishings, two vehicles, and 529 accounts are excluded from the calculation. If the deceased has been dead for more than two years, summary administration is available regardless of estate value.

In Pinellas County, technically no attorney is required for summary administration. However, the JA Assistant portal requirement for proposed orders and the mandatory checklist format functionally require legal knowledge to navigate without errors. Pro se filers attempting summary administration in Pinellas County should expect a steeper learning curve than in other counties.

Formal Administration (F.S. §733) Required for larger estates. A personal representative must be represented by a Florida-licensed attorney under Probate Rule 5.030.

Filing Fees

• Formal administration: approximately $399–$401
• Summary administration (estate over $1,000): approximately $345
• Disposition without administration: approximately $232

Publication of the Notice to Creditors: Pinellas County fees for newspaper publication are within the statewide range of $150 to $300, depending on the publication.

Notice to Creditors

In summary administrations where the deceased has been dead less than two years, publishing a Notice to Creditors is optional but recommended. Skipping it leaves heirs personally liable to unknown creditors for two years. The publication triggers the three-month claim window under F.S. §735.2063.

In formal administration, publication is mandatory.

Will Deposit

The original Last Will and Testament must be deposited with the Pinellas County clerk within 10 days of learning about the death. The clerk's office issues a receipt. The will is not opened or acted on at the time of deposit — it is simply preserved.

Homestead in Pinellas County

If the estate includes the primary residence, a Petition to Determine Homestead Status must be filed in the probate proceeding. Pinellas title companies require the court's homestead order before insuring any title transfer or sale.

Pinellas County Property Appraiser

The $5,000 Widow/Widower property tax exemption and the 100% first responder/disabled veteran exemption are filed with the Pinellas County Property Appraiser. The application and death certificate must be submitted by March 1 of the year in which you are claiming the exemption.

Resources

• 6th Judicial Circuit: www.jud6.org
• Florida Courts E-Filing Portal: myflcourtaccess.com
• Pinellas County Property Appraiser: pcpao.org

For a complete guide to Florida survivor benefits — including probate process, non-probate asset transfers, pension claims, property tax deadlines, and Medicaid protections — the Florida Survivor Benefits Navigator covers all of it in one structured resource.

See more Florida guides →