Probate is a court process by which the assets of an individual are distributed after his/her death. There are typically three types of probate administration: ancillary, summary, and formal.
Ancillary administration occurs when a non-Florida resident dies owning real estate in Florida. Ancillary administrations can be conducted as either summary or formal probates.
Summary administration is an abbreviated probate proceeding appropriate for estates that have no claims of creditors and are valued at less than $75,000 or when two years have passed since an individual's death.
Formal administration is the most common type of probate. In a formal administration, a personal representative is appointed to conduct affairs of the estate. Although our goal is to be as streamlined and efficient as possible, a formal probate can be quite lengthy, ranging in duration from a minimum of 4-6 months to several years, depending on the unique circumstances of each case.
During administration of an estate, it is necessary that the flow of communication between an attorney and client remain constant. That is why we always strive to be available to clients via telephone, mail, or email. Legal fees for probate administrations are based on a percentage of the assets being probated plus expenses. Fees are negotiable in all cases.
When confronting the daunting task of handling the probate administration of a loved one's estate, it is important to choose an attorney who is experienced in handling the myriad of issues that can arise during the administration. Since being admitted to the Florida Bar in 1999, Mary has handled hundreds of probate estates and oversees each step personally.
Since the majority of work on every probate our firm handles is performed by an attorney, our clients can feel confident that the work is being done correctly.