Florida Estate Planning Lawyer Blog
Probate comes from the root word “to prove”. When someone in Florida has passed away leaving assets in his or her name only, a probate proceeding must be initiated. The first step is “proving” to the St. Johns Probate Judge that the Will you are presenting to him or her is the valid Will of the person who has died.
The goals of the Florida Probate process is:
1. To gather and inventory all the estate assets;
2 Pay the legitimate claims of creditors and pay taxes; and
3. Distribute the estate assets and property according to the provisions of the Will.
A probate proceeding may be an abbreviated procedure or a formal, more drawn out probate administration. The circumstances will dictate what type of proceeding you will be required to file. One must have a Ponte Vedra Probate Attorney to file a probate action in court.