Dawn Ellis

More About Dawn Ellis

As a lawyer I understand the confusion you can face when contemplating the probate process. There can be far more questions than answers, especially when trying to understand the intricacies of Florida probate law.

In our initial consultation, my goal is to gather enough information to determine whether probate is even necessary. Whenever possible the first objective is to avoid probate altogether. Second, if probate is required, my goal is to provide you with the information and answers you need to deal with the current estate issues or problems, to evaluate the types of probate that may be available to the estate, and to provide a flat-fee quote for the related attorney’s fees and costs. I can practice probate in every county in the state of Florida, and over nearly the last 20 years have handled cases in 54 of Florida’s 67 counties.

I can do this because I represent only uncontested cases. I do not take cases where it appears there are serious disputes between parties at the outset. If during an initial interview it appears a case may have contested issues, I can recommend a Florida probate lawyer that handles these matters. Otherwise, as long as the case does not have any potential litigation issues, neither you nor I will probably ever need appear in court. Uncontested probate can be handled entirely through the mail and I work with my clients primarily through phone, email and mail. This is a significant benefit to clients who are not located in Florida or in the county where the probate is being opened. I've been a resident of Florida since 1974 and received my bachelor's degree in psychology in 1990 (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of South Florida and my law degree from Stetson University in 1996.

I am a past-president of the Citrus County Bar Association and a member of The Florida Bar's Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section. I began practicing in the area of estate planning in 1996 and then in 1998 I joined with another attorney and handled both estate planning and probate cases until 2004 when I opened My Florida Probate, P.A. From the outset, My Florida Probate, P.A., was designed to enable me to practice primarily as a Florida probate attorney and to focus my practice on uncontested cases throughout the entire state. The rest of my time and focus is on my family, which includes my husband and three children. We live in a small community on the west coast of Florida.