Eviction Lawyer Near Florida, 2026 Directory
Three free, official channels in Florida: bar-sanctioned lawyer referral, LSC-funded legal aid, and court self-help. No paid placement, no referral kickbacks.
Hiring an eviction attorney in Florida typically costs $750 to $3,500, on top of court filing fees that run $185 to $400 depending on the county and the claims you attach. Where your case lands in that range comes down almost entirely to one question: does the tenant fight back? An uncontested Florida eviction wraps up in roughly 20 to 30 days and sits at the bottom of the fee range. A contested one stretches to 45 to 110 days, and every additional hearing, motion, and discovery request pushes the bill toward the top.
Not every Florida landlord needs a lawyer for every filing. Individual owners can and do self-file straightforward nonpayment cases under Fla. Stat. § 83 Part II (Residential Tenancies). But if you hold the property in an LLC or corporation, if your tenant shows up with counsel, or if the tenant raises a defense beyond "I couldn't pay," the calculus changes fast. A procedural mistake that gets your case dismissed costs more in lost rent than the attorney would have - at Florida's average rent of $1,572, a dismissed-and-refiled case can burn two to three months of income. This guide covers what drives the fee, when counsel is genuinely necessary, and how to find one through the official channels.
- Bar referral: The Florida Bar, screened, bar-sanctioned. Low-cost initial consult ($0–$50).
- Legal aid (low-income): Florida Law Help, LSC-funded; eviction defense is a top-priority case type.
- Court self-help: Florida Administrative Office of the Courts publishes free eviction forms and instructions.
Channel 1, Florida Bar Lawyer-Referral Service
Who to call
The Florida Bar →The state bar’s lawyer-referral service screens attorneys by practice area (look for “landlord-tenant” or “real estate”), checks discipline history, and quotes a low fixed fee for the initial consult. Many state bar LRS programs are certified under ABA Model Supreme Court Rules for Lawyer Referral and Information Service.
What to ask in the first 30 minutes: (1) flat-fee quote for the case through judgment; (2) experience in Florida housing/magistrate court; (3) realistic timeline; (4) settlement vs. trial posture.
Channel 2, LSC-Funded Legal Aid (Income-Tested)
Who to call
Florida Law Help →The Legal Services Corporation (lsc.gov) funds a statewide legal-aid program in every state. Eviction defense is one of the highest-priority case types nationally. Eligibility is generally 125–200% of federal poverty, the program decides, and intake is by phone or online portal.
Channel 3, Florida Court Self-Help
Who to use
Florida Court Self-Help Portal →Every state Administrative Office of the Courts publishes a free self-help portal with eviction-specific forms, deadlines, and instructions. There’s no income test, landlords and tenants both qualify. Many Florida courthouses also run a same-day self-help clinic where a court attorney (not your lawyer, but a neutral resource) walks you through the forms.
Why Florida eviction fees swing from $750 to $3,500
The spread is not about which lawyer you pick - it is about which case you have. At the low end, a tenant who does not respond to the complaint lets the case run its uncontested course, roughly 20 to 30 days from filing to completion. The attorney's work is mostly paperwork: the complaint, the filing (with a court fee of $185 to $400), and the follow-through. Flat-fee pricing near $750 is common for exactly this scenario.
A contested case is a different animal. Once a tenant answers and raises defenses, the timeline stretches to 45 to 110 days and the attorney is now preparing for hearings, responding to motions, and possibly conducting discovery. That is where bills climb toward $3,500. When you interview attorneys, ask how they price the two scenarios separately - a quote that assumes an uncontested case can double if the tenant lawyers up, so get the contested-case number in writing before you sign an engagement letter.
When you can self-file in Florida - and when you cannot
Individual landlords who own property in their own name can represent themselves in a residential eviction under Fla. Stat. § 83 Part II (Residential Tenancies), and the Florida court system publishes self-help resources for exactly that purpose. For a simple nonpayment case against a tenant who is unlikely to respond, self-filing saves the entire $750-plus attorney fee.
The picture changes in three situations:
- Your property is in an LLC or corporation. A business entity generally cannot represent itself in court the way an individual can - if you hold title in an entity, plan on hiring counsel rather than appearing on the entity's behalf yourself.
- The tenant has a lawyer. A represented tenant can exploit every procedural misstep in your notice and complaint, and self-represented landlords make those missteps often.
- The tenant raises discrimination, retaliation, or habitability defenses. These convert a rent dispute into a case that can generate liability flowing back at you. That is not territory for a first-timer.
How to actually find a Florida eviction attorney
Skip the search-engine roulette and start with The Florida Bar, which operates a lawyer referral service that connects you with attorneys screened for the relevant practice area. It is the official channel, it costs nothing to use, and it filters out the directories that are really just advertising.
When you get an attorney on the phone, ask five things: Do you charge flat-fee or hourly for evictions? What does the fee become if the tenant contests? Are the $185 to $400 court filing fees included or billed separately? How many residential evictions have you handled in my county? And what is your realistic timeline estimate given the 20-to-30-day uncontested and 45-to-110-day contested ranges? An attorney who answers those crisply, with county-specific knowledge, is worth more than one who quotes the lowest number and gets vague on the follow-ups.
Free legal help exists - but it serves your tenant, not you
Florida Law Help is the state's legal-aid gateway, and landlords should understand what it is: a resource for income-qualified tenants, not for property owners. There is no equivalent free service on the landlord side of a Florida eviction.
Strategically, that matters. A tenant who looked judgment-proof and unlikely to respond can connect with legal-aid counsel and file a substantive answer - and the moment that happens, your case moves from the 20-to-30-day track to the 45-to-110-day track, and your attorney budget moves from the $750 end toward $3,500. If you filed without a lawyer expecting a default, a legal-aid answer is your signal to hire counsel immediately rather than face a trained housing attorney alone. Budget for the contested scenario from day one; if the case resolves uncontested, the savings are a pleasant surprise instead of the shortfall running the other way.
Largest Florida Cities
Pull the same three-channel directory scoped to a specific Florida city:
Sources & Methodology
- Bar referral: The Florida Bar
- Legal aid: Florida Law Help, LSC-funded statewide program (lsc.gov/find-legal-aid).
- Court self-help: Florida Administrative Office of the Courts.
- City data: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates (B25064 median gross rent, B01003 population) where available; landlord risk score is computed in-house from tenant-law profile, eviction filing rates, and rent burden.
- No paid placement, no referral fees.
Related Guides for Florida
This guide was researched and written by the Eviction Risk Map research team using published fee ranges and timelines for residential eviction cases filed under Fla. Stat. § 83 Part II (Residential Tenancies). Attorney referrals in Florida run through The Florida Bar's lawyer referral service; income-qualified tenants can seek free help through Florida Law Help. Last reviewed July 2026. This page is general information for landlords, not legal advice - consult a licensed Florida attorney about your specific case.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an eviction lawyer cost in Florida?
Typical Florida eviction attorney fees run $750 to $3,500. Uncontested nonpayment cases sit near the bottom, often at a flat fee; contested cases with hearings and motions climb toward the top. Court filing fees of $185 to $400 are usually billed on top of the attorney's fee, so confirm whether a quote includes them.
Do I need a lawyer to evict a tenant in Florida?
Not always. An individual owner can self-file a straightforward nonpayment case under Fla. Stat. § 83 Part II (Residential Tenancies) using the court system's self-help resources. You should hire counsel if the property is held in an LLC or corporation, if the tenant is represented, or if the tenant raises discrimination, retaliation, or habitability defenses.
Can my tenant get a free lawyer in Florida?
Possibly. Florida Law Help connects income-qualified tenants with legal-aid resources at no cost. If your tenant obtains counsel through that route, expect the case to become contested - which typically means a 45-to-110-day timeline instead of 20 to 30 days, and a strong reason to have your own attorney rather than facing a housing lawyer alone.
How long does an eviction take in Florida?
An uncontested Florida eviction generally takes about 20 to 30 days from filing. If the tenant answers and contests the case, plan on 45 to 110 days. At Florida's average rent of $1,572, that difference of two to three months of lost income is often the real cost driver - more than the attorney fee itself.
State authorities: The Florida Bar; Florida Law Help; Florida Administrative Office of the Courts. Last updated August 28, 2026. For informational purposes only, not legal advice. Linked third-party sites are operated independently; we do not endorse any specific attorney or firm.