Administering an Estate in Longwood, FL
Helping You with All Your Estate Administration Needs: (321) 972-2445
Losing a loved one is never easy and the stress of administering an estate can quickly become overwhelming. The Law Offices of Brett D. Bevis can guide you through the complicated probate court system, and we stand ready to do what it takes to settle the estate, whether it involves a simple transfer of property or complex litigation.
Effective estate administration involves many factors, including any potential international implications of a particular plan’s provisions as well as federal and state income and estate tax laws. Time and again, our Longwood estate administration lawyers have been trusted to ensure the efficient and orderly administration of estates of all sizes.
Call our Longwood office today at (321) 972-2445 or contact us online to get started with your estate plan.
Forms of Estate Administration
There are a few different ways to administer an estate, including:
- Disposition without administration—for very small estates where the assets do not exceed funeral expenses and medical expenses incurred shortly before death
- Summary administration—for estates where the value does not exceed $75,000 or it has been greater than 2 years since death
- Formal administration—for estates that exceed $75,000
- Ancillary administration—required when a non-Florida resident owns real property in Florida
Contacting Creditors in Estate Administration
Florida law requires the personal representative of the estate to notify all known creditors of the decedent and publish a notice to creditors in the local newspaper. Florida law also provides a time limit for creditors to come forward and file their claim. At the Law Offices of Brett D. Bevis, we work diligently to notify creditors in a timely manner to ensure their time limit begins as soon as possible.
Under Florida law, some property of the decedent is considered exempt from creditors. Perhaps the most important asset that is exempt from creditors is the person’s homestead. It is important that the beneficiaries file the proper paperwork to protect the homestead and other exempt property. The attorneys at Bevis Law assist families in making sure exempt property is properly protected from creditors and transferred to the intended beneficiaries. If improper estate planning has occurred, the special homestead protections might be lost, so speaking with an attorney before death is critical.
How Long Will Estate Administration Take?
Florida rules require formal administration to be completed within one year, unless extended for a particular reason, such as a pending wrongful death claim. For estates that qualify for summary administration, the process can be much shorter, depending on the county and facts and circumstances of each case. Both formal and summary administration is available to non-Florida residents.
Creditors of the decedent have three months to file a claim after the estate is opened. Therefore, estates that require formal administration must stay open for at least that long.
The time frame for formal administration depends on the facts of each case. The Law Offices of Bertt D. Bevis we work diligently with clients and families to administer the estate as efficiently as possible under Florida Law.
Call our estate administration lawyers in Longwood today at (321) 972-2445 to schedule a consultation.
