Recent Blog Posts
Military Service and Probate: What Florida Survivors of Veterans Should Know
When a veteran passes away, surviving family members often assume that any benefits owed by the Department of Veterans Affairs will simply be added to the estate and handled through probate along with everything else. In reality, VA benefits follow their own rules, and understanding how those rules interact with Florida probate can make… Read More »
When Should a Personal Representative Be Removed From a Probate Case?
When someone is appointed to serve as personal representative of an estate, most people assume that appointment is permanent until the estate closes. But that is not always true. Florida law allows a personal representative to be removed from their role, and it happens more often than people think. Grounds for Removal Florida Statute… Read More »
Can Your Spouse Take More Than Your Will Allows? Florida’s Elective Share Explained
Many people assume that whatever they write in their will is the final word on who gets what. But if you’re married, Florida law gives your spouse a right that can override those wishes, at least in part. It’s called the elective share, and it exists specifically to protect surviving spouses from being left… Read More »
Skipping Probate Court: When Florida Allows Summary Administration
Not every estate in Florida has to go through the full probate process. For smaller or simpler estates, Florida law offers a faster, less expensive alternative called summary administration. Understanding when this option is available can save families significant time and money during an already difficult period. What Qualifies for Summary Administration Summary administration… Read More »
Summary Administration: A Faster Path Through Florida Probate
When someone passes away, families often assume that a lengthy, court supervised probate process is unavoidable. But Florida offers a streamlined alternative for smaller or older estates called summary administration, and it can save both time and money for grieving families working with our Lake Worth probate attorneys. What Makes an Estate Eligible Summary… Read More »
Manufactured and Mobile Homes in Probate Court: Home or Vehicle?
You might know, or at least have some idea, how a car passes to others in probate court. You may also have some idea how real property like a home, passes to beneficiaries in probate court. But what about a manufactured home, or what is sometimes called a “mobile home?” Both cars and homes… Read More »
What Happens When a Beneficiary Doesn’t Respond to the Probate Case?
When someone passes away, and leaves an inheritance, we have this image of all the beneficiaries–the people who stand to inherit something through the probate case or the will–as lining up, fighting for their piece of the pie, anxious to get ahold of whatever has been left for them. When a Beneficiary Doesn’t Respond… Read More »
Will Medicaid Come After Your Inheritance?
Medicaid is a government program that provides medical care, as well as long term elder care, for the elderly. It is not for everybody, as there are strict income limits and requirements, to qualify for Medicaid. But often, families who were once so grateful to have Medicaid for an elderly loved one, end up… Read More »
Exempt Property That Avoids or Passes Without the Need for Probate
When someone passes away, we naturally assume that all of their assets must go through the probate process, in order to ensure that the assets get transferred to whomever is supposed to get them. And that’s generally true–but it’s not true for every single asset. Exempt Assets Some property is considered exempt property. That… Read More »
No-Contest Clause Options to Avoid Will Challenges
Wouldn’t it be great if, when you’re making a will, you could include some kind of language or provisions, that deter anybody from challenging your will? No-Contest Clauses In many states, so-called “no-contest” clauses can be written into wills. This is language that punishes–and often completely disinherits–anybody who unsuccessfully challenges a will in probate… Read More »
