A revocable trust avoids probate by effecting the transfer of assets during your lifetime to the trustee. This avoids the need to use the probate process to make the transfer after your death. The trustee has immediate authority to manage the trust assets at your death; appointment by the court is not necessary. The “funding” [...]
The decedent’s death has two significant tax consequences: It ends the decedent’s last tax year for purposes of filing the decedent’s federal income tax return, and it establishes a new tax entity, the ‘estate.’ The personal representative may be required to file one or more of the following returns, depending upon the circumstances: The decedent’s [...]
The decedent’s will, if any, and certain other documents required to begin the probate proceeding are filed with the clerk of the circuit court, usually for the county in which the decedent lived at the time of death. The custodian of a will must deposit the will with the clerk of the court having venue [...]
Depending upon the facts of the situation, any of the following may have a role to play in the probate administration of the decedent’s estate: Clerk of the circuit court in the county in which the decedent was domiciled at the time of the decedent’s death. Circuit court judge. Personal representative (or executor). Attorney providing [...]
Probate is necessary to pass ownership of the decedent’s probate assets to the decedent’s beneficiaries. If the decedent left a valid will, unless the will is admitted to probate in the court, it will be ineffective to pass ownership of probate assets to the decedent’s beneficiaries. If the decedent had no will, probate is necessary [...]
Probate is a court-supervised process for identifying and gathering the assets of a deceased person (decedent), paying the decedent’s debts and distributing the decedent’s assets to his or her beneficiaries. In general, the decedent’s assets are used first to pay the cost of the probate proceeding, then are used to pay the decedent’s outstanding debts, [...]
It depends on the facts of each situation; some probate administrations take longer than others. For example, the personal representative may need to sell real estate before settling the probate estate, or to resolve a disputed claim filed by a creditor or a lawsuit filed to challenge the validity of the will. Any of these [...]
The decedent’s surviving spouse and children may be entitled to receive probate assets from the decedent’s probate estate, even if the decedent’s will gives them nothing. Florida law protects the decedent’s surviving spouse and certain surviving children from total disinheritance. For example, a surviving spouse may have rights in the decedent’s homestead real property. [...]
