Sumter County Probate and Estate Planning Attorney | Yergey & Yergey, P.A.
Local Practice
Sumter County's estate landscape is dominated by one fact: The Villages, the largest active-adult retirement community in the United States, straddles the Sumter/Lake/Marion county lines. The portion of The Villages in Sumter County alone produces an enormous volume of probate, estate planning, and guardianship work — and the demographic profile (active retirees, multi-state property holdings, frequent out-of-state heirs) shapes nearly every aspect of how those matters proceed.
Yergey & Yergey, P.A. represents Sumter County clients in probate administration, estate planning, guardianship proceedings, trust administration, and litigation matters. The firm has appeared in the Sumter County Probate Division in Bushnell.
Sumter sits in the Fifth Judicial Circuit alongside Lake, Marion, Citrus, and Hernando counties. Many Villages estates span the Sumter/Lake county line — properties on one side, principal residence on the other — and the single-circuit context makes coordination across both noticeably easier than cross-circuit work.
Probate Court Information
Sumter County probate matters are filed in the Sumter County Circuit Court — Probate Division at the courthouse in Bushnell.
Sumter County is in the Fifth Judicial Circuit of Florida. The Sumter Probate Division handles a substantial caseload driven heavily by The Villages — accordingly with its own scheduling conventions and procedural rhythms shaped by that volume.
- Summary Administration (Fla. Stat. § 735.201)
- Formal Administration (Fla. Stat. Ch. 733)
- Guardianship under Fla. Stat. Ch. 744 — high caseload given Sumter's demographic profile
- Trust proceedings under Fla. Stat. Ch. 736
- Ancillary Administration (Fla. Stat. § 734.102) — extremely common given Sumter's out-of-state-resident population
Approximately 50 miles from our Orlando office at 910 N. Fern Creek Avenue — typically 60–75 minutes via the Florida Turnpike. This is one of the closer outlying counties; many matters can be handled with single-day appearances when court presence is needed.
Sumter-specific note on Villages-spanning estates: a substantial portion of The Villages straddles the Sumter/Lake county line and a smaller portion extends into Marion. Determining venue for a Villages decedent under Fla. Stat. § 733.101 is not always straightforward — primary residence, voting registration, vehicle registration, and the actual location of the homestead all factor in. We routinely work this analysis at the outset of Villages-area matters to file in the correct county the first time.
How We Serve Sumter County Clients
Probate for The Villages and Beyond
Sumter County Summary and Formal Administration, including contested matters. Particular attention to venue analysis for Villages-area decedents whose residence may span the Sumter/Lake line.
Estate Planning for Active Retirees
Wills, revocable trusts, special needs trusts, durable powers of attorney, living wills, and healthcare surrogate designations — drafted with attention to out-of-state heirs, multi-state property considerations, and the practical scenarios that recur in active-adult retirement communities.
Guardianship
Emergency Temporary Guardianship petitions, plenary and limited guardianship, contested guardianship, guardian advocacy, and annual accountings. Sumter sees substantial guardianship volume given its demographic profile.
Trust Administration
Successor-trustee guidance for Sumter County trusts and beneficiary representation under Fla. Stat. § 736.0802 and § 736.0813.
Mediation
Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Court Mediation for Sumter County probate, trust, and guardianship disputes.
What to Bring to Your First Consultation
For a probate matter (Sumter County)
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Original will and any trust documents
- Decedent's Sumter (or Villages-area) residence address at death — and any evidence of which county the homestead actually sits in
- Preliminary asset inventory, including Sumter County real property and any out-of-state property
- Names and contact information for all beneficiaries and intestate heirs, with state of residence for each
For an estate planning consultation
- Existing estate planning documents, including any documents from your prior state of residence
- Property inventory, including any out-of-state holdings
- Names of intended fiduciaries
- Family structure, including geographic distribution of children and grandchildren
Ready to speak with a Sumter County probate attorney?
Call (407) 843-0430 or book a consultation online.
Or text PROBATE to (407) 906-9507 for a faster response.
Yergey & Yergey, P.A. | 910 N. Fern Creek Avenue, Orlando, FL 32803
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