HSCO Data

Probate filings data: Pinellas & Hillsborough

New estate cases each week, formal vs. summary administration, and how long after a death the estate is opened.

Last updated October 16, 2026 · refreshed weekly

The short answer

Pinellas County opened 758 new estate administrations in the 13 full weeks from July 13, 2026 to October 11, 2026 — about 58 a week, 58% of them formal administration and 42% summary administration. Hillsborough County opened 157 new estate administrations in the 3 full weeks from September 21, 2026 to October 11, 2026 — about 52 a week, 54% of them formal administration and 45% summary administration. In Pinellas, 58% of new estates with a recorded date of death were opened within six months of the death — and 19% more than two years after it.

Pinellas County: new estates per week

Week	Formal	Summary	Total
Oct 5, 2026 – Oct 11, 2026	41	27	68
Sep 28, 2026 – Oct 4, 2026	40	17	57
Sep 21, 2026 – Sep 27, 2026	29	25	54
Sep 14, 2026 – Sep 20, 2026	39	41	80
Sep 7, 2026 – Sep 13, 2026	27	13	40
Aug 31, 2026 – Sep 6, 2026	42	26	68
Aug 24, 2026 – Aug 30, 2026	40	19	59
Aug 17, 2026 – Aug 23, 2026	30	29	59
Aug 10, 2026 – Aug 16, 2026	30	18	48
Aug 3, 2026 – Aug 9, 2026	32	40	72
Jul 27, 2026 – Aug 2, 2026	34	18	52
Jul 20, 2026 – Jul 26, 2026	31	22	53
Jul 13, 2026 – Jul 19, 2026	28	20	48

* Ancillary administration is the Florida estate of someone who lived in another state but owned property here.

Hillsborough County: new estates per week

Week	Formal	Summary	Ancillary*	Total
Oct 5, 2026 – Oct 11, 2026	28	22	1	51
Sep 28, 2026 – Oct 4, 2026	26	26	2	54
Sep 21, 2026 – Sep 27, 2026	30	22	0	52

* Ancillary administration is the Florida estate of someone who lived in another state but owned property here.

Hillsborough’s file also shows filings around a death that aren’t administrations. In the same 3 weeks: Wills deposited with the Clerk: 163; Notices of trust: 11; Dispositions without administration: 11. A will deposit is the original will filed with the Clerk after a death; a notice of trust says the person’s property is held in a trust; a disposition without administration is a small estate settled without a full court case.

How long after a death the estate is opened

Time from the date of death to the filing date, for new estate administrations where the Clerk’s file lists a date of death — Pinellas cases filed July 9, 2026 to October 15, 2026; Hillsborough cases filed September 16, 2026 to October 15, 2026.

County	0-3 months	3-6 months	6-12 months	1-2 years	Over 2 years	Estates
Pinellas	40%	18%	15%	8%	19%	600
Hillsborough	35%	21%	14%	8%	22%	218

A property can sit for months between the death and the court case — and taxes, insurance and code issues don’t wait. See inherited houses in St. Petersburg and inherited houses in Tampa.

Formal or summary: what the split means

Summary administration is Florida’s shorter process. It may be used when a will doesn’t direct formal administration and either the estate subject to administration, less property exempt from creditors, is $150,000 or less, or the person died more than two years ago (Florida Statutes §735.201; the $150,000 limit took effect July 1, 2026, and the old $75,000 limit may still apply to earlier deaths).
Formal administration appoints a personal representative, who receives Letters of Administration and can sell estate property — without a separate court order if the will gives a power of sale (§733.613). More: selling an inherited house in probate.

How we collect this data

Source: the Clerks’ own daily new-case files — Pinellas’s Estate New Case Filings Daily file and Hillsborough’s daily probate filings data file — downloaded once a day by our system.
What we count: each case number once, on its filing date. A week is shown only when we have every day’s file for it. Guardianships and other cases about living people are left out.
Coverage: Pinellas from July 9, 2026, Hillsborough from September 16, 2026; both through October 15, 2026.
Privacy: counts only — no names, addresses or case numbers.
Download: weekly counts (CSV). Last updated October 16, 2026; refreshed weekly.

Questions about this data

How many probate estates are filed each week in Pinellas County?

About 58 new estate administrations a week: 758 in the 13 full weeks from July 13, 2026 to October 11, 2026, counted from the Clerk’s daily new-case files.

How many probate estates are filed each week in Hillsborough County?

About 52 new estate administrations a week: 157 in the 3 full weeks from September 21, 2026 to October 11, 2026, counted from the Clerk’s daily new-case files.

What share of new estates in Pinellas and Hillsborough use summary administration?

In Pinellas, 42% of new estate administrations from July 13, 2026 to October 11, 2026 were summary administrations and 58% formal. In Hillsborough, 45% of new estate administrations from September 21, 2026 to October 11, 2026 were summary administrations and 54% formal.

How long after a death is probate usually opened?

In Pinellas, 58% of new estates with a recorded date of death were opened within six months of the death, and 19% more than two years after it. In Hillsborough the figures were 56% and 22%. Old estates are often opened to clear title to a house.

Where does this data come from?

From the Pinellas and Hillsborough Clerks’ daily new-case files. HomeSellerCashOffer publishes counts only — never names, addresses or case numbers.

Related guides

Cite as: HomeSellerCashOffer (Tampete Homes LLC), Tampa Bay housing data, homesellercashoffer.com/data. HomeSellerCashOffer is a direct cash home buyer, not a real estate agent or broker; this page is general information, not legal advice.