Updated September 7, 2026. Quick answer: In Florida, you have 3 months to contest a will that has already been admitted to probate, running from service of the Notice of Administration on that specific person (capped at 1 year after service, or the personal representative’s final discharge, whichever comes first).
How long do you have to contest a will in Florida?
| Deadline to contest an admitted will | 3 months |
| What starts the clock | service of the Notice of Administration on that specific person (capped at 1 year after service, or the personal representative’s final discharge, whichever comes first) |
| Dedicated will-contest statute? | Yes |
“must object to the validity of the will, the venue, or the jurisdiction of the court by filing a petition or other pleading requesting relief…on or before the date that is 3 months after the date of service of a copy of the notice of administration on the objecting person…all objections to the validity of a will…must be filed no later than the earlier of the entry of an order of final discharge of the personal representative or 1 year after service of the notice of administration.”
Source: Fla. Stat. § 733.212
What makes Florida different
Florida has no single flat deadline for the whole estate; the 3-month clock is individualized to each interested person’s own date of service of the Notice of Administration, capped by an absolute 1-year/final-discharge outer limit. The controlling authority is Fla. Stat. § 733.212, and the window runs from service of the Notice of Administration on that specific person (capped at 1 year after service, or the personal representative’s final discharge, whichever comes first).
What happens once this deadline passes?
Once the window above closes, Florida’s probate of the will generally becomes final and binding on everyone who had the chance to object, subject only to the tolling or discovery exceptions described above; a separate objection Florida allowed at the original probate hearing does not reopen or extend it.
Sources
| Statute / rule | Fla. Stat. § 733.212 |
| Florida courts (general reference) | Florida judicial branch |
| Confidence | High |
Every statute or rule quoted on this Florida page was read directly from the state’s own legislature/court/code site this session, or, where that site blocked automated access, from a reputable legal-citation mirror quoting the same official text with its official citation (disclosed below). General information, not legal advice; whether a specific contest is still timely can turn on facts (exactly when notice was given, how the will was probated, whether a disability applies) that only your own Florida probate court file can confirm.