Pasco County Probate - Probate in Florida
When an estate goes through probate, all debts or taxes owed by the estate are paid, and following this, the remaining assets are distributed to the beneficiaries of the estate according to the terms of the will (or according to Florida inheritance laws if no valid will existed). In cases where the will names a personal representative of the estate, he or she is responsible for managing the estate during probate.
The personal representative does not have to take on the dozens of duties associated with probate alone, however. Florida law requires that the representative hire a probate lawyer to assist them in managing the estate and completing probate. This requirement is made mainly because Florida probate law is complicated, and managing probate effectively requires specialized legal knowledge.
In situations where the personal representative of the estate is the sole beneficiary of the decedent, the requirement for a probate lawyer is waived, due to the relative simplicity of managing such an estate. It is still possible to hire a lawyer, of course, and because Florida probate courts do not provide any legal advice, this is often a prudent option.
If the decedent lived in Pasco, a Pasco probate lawyer will best serve the estate, as tasks must be carried out locally. These include filing documents with the Circuit Court, attending probate hearings, and publishing public notices to inform creditors when they may make claims on the estate. In addition, the Pasco probate lawyer can arrange the liquidation of assets, for an accountant to prepare tax returns, for the estate's assets to be appraised, and will also file petitions to begin and end probate. They can help the personal representative manage the estate while probate is in progress, which is particularly important if probate is in progress for a long time, and if the estate contains any investment assets. However, you may choose any probate attorney in the state of Florida who is of convenience to you;, if there are no issues in your probate being contested and that would require court appearances.
Probate can usually be finished in less than a year. However if the estate owes Federal taxes, probate may take up to two years to complete. Formal probate usually takes at least six months, because certain tasks are carried out according to a schedule. The Pasco probate lawyer can ensure that everything happens according to schedule, so that probate can be completed as quickly as possible.
Contact a Pasco County Probate Lawyer today!
