Probate inventory stands as a pivotal document in the probate process within Florida. It delineates the comprehensive record of assets held by the deceased individual at the time of their passing. It serves as the official declaration for the court and pertinent...
Probate
What is a health care surrogate in Florida?
Planning for future health care needs involves understanding the role of a “health care surrogate.” In Florida, a health care surrogate is a designated individual entrusted to make medical decisions on your behalf if you become incapacitated. It is categorized under...
What’s included in an inventory for Florida probate?
If you are the personal representative of a Florida estate, one of your duties is to file an inventory of the estate with the court. This inventory is a list of all the assets that belong to the probate estate. But, what exactly should you include in the inventory?...
A living will and how it could complete your estate plan
With each life event, you plan and prepare. You plan for a wedding when you get engaged, prepare a resume when you graduate college, create a retirement plan while in your career, research neighborhoods and schools when you have children and plan for retirement as you...
Four factors when administering an estate with foreign assets
Administering an estate is often more complicated than people realize. You have to inventory the estate, contact creditors, pay debts, handle final expenses, complete accountings, and ensure that assets are properly distributed. Yet, matters can be even more complex...
What is a living will?
When it comes to setting up an estate plan in Florida, you are probably familiar with some of the more common documents, such as a will or power of attorney. However, you may have heard of something called a living will and wonder what it is and if it is different...
Challenging the validity of a will in Florida
Most Floridians regard a will as the last word on how the assets of a particular family member will be divided among survivors. This assumption is true in most cases, but in some cases, a family member will be disappointed, if not enraged, at the manner in which the...
An overview of ancillary probate
When a person passes away with a will, it must go through probate. Probate is the process where a deceased person’s assets are distributed and their debts are paid. For property owners, there is a lesser-known process called ancillary probate that is helpful to...
Probate: can I name a non-resident as my personal representative?
Selecting a personal representative for your estate is an important decision. The role carries a great deal of responsibility and you want someone you can trust in that role. But what if the person you want to name as your representative doesn’t live in Florida?...
The ABCs of a successful will contest in Florida
A will contest is a lawsuit brought by a person who feels that he or she was wrongly excluded from the beneficiaries named in the will. The lawsuit must be started and tried in probate court. A will contest can be based upon a number of grounds. The persons contesting...