Top-rated estate planning lawyers

What does a estate planning lawyer do?

An estate planning lawyer prepares wills, trusts, powers of attorney and health care directives so your property passes as you choose and someone you trust can act if you cannot.

• Wills
• Revocable and irrevocable trusts
• Durable powers of attorney
• Health care surrogates and living wills
• Probate and trust administration
• Planning for a family business

When do you need a estate planning lawyer?

Make an estate plan when you buy a home, marry, have children or own a business, and review it after any major life change.

• You have no will or it is out of date
• You want to avoid probate for your family
• You own property in more than one state
• A loved one died and you are named personal representative

Who are the best estate planning lawyers in Florida?

The statewide ranking lists the top 25 of the 219 estate planning lawyers LexRanked tracks in Florida, in order of their LexRank score. See the best estate planning lawyers in Florida.

Where can I find a estate planning lawyer in Florida?

Estate planning rankings cover 14 Florida cities; Naples has the most lawyers compared (37).

How much does a estate planning lawyer cost in Florida?

Estate planning lawyers often charge flat fees for wills and trust packages and hourly rates for probate. Ask what documents the fee includes and whether funding the trust is extra. Under The Florida Bar's rules, a lawyer who has not represented you before must explain the basis or rate of the fee and costs, preferably in writing, and no fee may be clearly excessive.

Florida estate planning rules to know

A Florida will must be signed in front of two witnesses, and small or older estates can use a simpler probate.

What does Board Certified in Wills, Trusts and Estates Law mean?

It is a credential from The Florida Bar for lawyers with substantial experience in the field who have passed peer review and a written exam. Florida Bar board certification requires at least five years of practice, substantial involvement in the field, peer review by other lawyers and judges, continuing legal education and a written exam, and it must be renewed every five years. About 4.9% of Florida lawyers hold a board certification in any field.

How to choose a estate planning lawyer

Confirm the license in The Florida Bar's directory, then compare experience, certification and how often the lawyer handles cases like yours.

1. Look up the lawyer in The Florida Bar's directory: the license must show as eligible to practice, and public discipline is listed there.
2. Check for Board Certified in Wills, Trusts and Estates Law, which requires peer review and an exam.
3. Ask for the fee agreement in writing before work starts.
4. Ask: Do I need a trust, or is a will enough?
5. Ask: What does the flat fee include?
6. Ask: How do you handle probate if my family needs it?

How LexRanked ranks estate planning lawyers

By the LexRank score: experience, practice-area relevance, awards on record such as board certification, professional credentials, data quality and location, using only facts with a cited source. Client reviews do not affect the LexRank score: neither star ratings nor the number of reviews is scored. Data checked November 2026 against each lawyer's Florida Bar profile. Payment never changes a position. See how we rank.

Guides

Read these before you hire a estate planning lawyer:

• Florida probate: how it works and how long it takes

Sources

• Florida Statutes, section 732.502
• Florida Statutes, section 735.201
• Florida Constitution, Article X, Section 4
• Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, Rule 4-1.5 (fees and costs for legal services)
• The Florida Bar: Find a Lawyer directory