The death of a loved one can be overwhelming for many family members. In addition to grieving, there are services that must be arranged and papers to be filed—and it could be years before property is able to be passed onto living relatives.

My Pink Lawyer® Can Make a Referral for Your Florida Probate Matters and Trust Administrations

The process of wrapping up an individual’s personal, legal, and financial affairs is known as probate. Probate allows taxes to be paid, debts to be settled, and property to be retitled in beneficiary’s names. During Florida probate administration, a qualified person is appointed as personal representative (called an executor in other states) of the deceased person's estate. The personal representative ensures that all eligible debts are paid, distributes assets appropriately and legally to the correct individuals, and provides proof of all actions to the court in order to close the estate.

My Pink Lawyer® can make a referral for your Florida probate and administration matters, including:

  • Florida Summary Administrations. Summary administrations are shortened versions of probate, and are usually used when a person who has died held less than $75,000 in assets, did not owe any debt, or passed away more than two years ago. 

  • Florida Formal Administrations. If a family member dies owning assets that exceed $75,000 and/or has outstanding debts, a "full-blown" probate known as formal administration is required. Formal administration involves the preparation and filing of legal documents, estimating the value of special properties, notifying heirs and beneficiaries of the estate, settling estate taxes or outstanding loans, and other legal matters. Many steps must be completed before the court will allow family members to receive their assets, and even uncontested formal administrations can last nine months or even years. We can advise you on how to proceed in a formal administration and move the process along to get the estate closed as quickly as possible. While we do not handle contested probate matters, we can refer you to an attorney to help you with these cases.

  • Florida Ancillary Administrations. It is common for residents in other states to purchase property in Florida, causing confusion for relatives when the owner passes away. In order to transfer Florida real estate to a beneficiary, the property must go through ancillary administration in a Florida probate court. 

  • Florida Trust Administration. If your loved one placed his or her assets in a living revocable trust, you should know that these assets are not subject to the probate court. Although assets held in trust may be passed to family members without Florida probate court intervention, you may still need an advisor to see to the administrative affairs involved in a trust (called trust administration or trust termination). We can oversee the administration and termination matters of the trust, including retitling assets to the intended beneficiaries and advising on the finalizing of bills and outstanding taxes owed, etc. While we do not handle any contested trust administrations, we will be happy to make a referral to you.

Need Legal Advice on Opening a Florida Probate or Trust Administration?

We are no longer accepting new Florida probate or trust administration matters. However, we are happy to make a referral for you by completing the form below.