Probate and Probate Litigation

Most probate cases involve submitting the will and assigning assets to relatives based on statutory requirements if the decedent died intestate – without a will. However, in some cases, a relative or another person might contest the will or other estate documents. When that happens, that person files a lawsuit in the probate court requesting […]

Probate and How to Avoid It

Florida probate is a lengthy process and is expensive. When you plan ahead of time, you can avoid probate in many cases. Planning ahead means creating an estate plan. While you might think it is expensive to retain an attorney to help you create the estate plan, it is not as expensive as going through […]

Understanding Probate and Probate Litigation

You’ve seen those types of cases where families battle over a deceased loved one’s will on courtroom TV but when it happens in real life, it can be an incredibly painful and stressful ordeal. Not only are families trying to grieve and rebuild their lives after a loss but they must now have those wounds […]

Probate Litigation: Part Two

Here is the continued part in our series regarding probate litigation. We hope you enjoy, and contact France Law Firm with any questions if you’re seeking assistance.

Dysfunctional Families

The term dysfunctional family is often used by lawyers who handle probate litigation (one of my former law partners liked to explain his practice by saying he represents “dysfunctional […]

Probate Litigation: Part One

The terms “contested matters” and “litigation” are often used interchangeably. Both refer to situations that may require court action to resolve a dispute or fix a problem. Some contested matters do not involve animosity between the parties, while others definitely do. If the matter surfaces because of a person’s death or mental incapacity, then any […]

The Role of a Personal Representative in Florida Probate Administration

There are many important matters addressed by a will, and this valuable legal document can provide peace of mind when planning for the future. One important consideration that you may not have thought about is nominating a personal representative to administer your estate.

Who Can Be a Personal Representative?

The judge overseeing probate proceedings will appoint a […]

Probate Primer: Part Two

Last week, we defined the concept of probate. Essentially, probate is administration of assets. This administration takes two forms in the state of Florida – formal administration and summary administration.

Summary administration of assets is available under certain conditions, such as when the estate’s value is less than $75,000 or if the deceased has been dead […]

Probate Primer: Part One

What do you know about probate? For many Americans, probate is more of an afterthought than a legal subject to be well versed in. But probate determines the final destination of each piece of an estate, so it definitely merits consideration.

At France Law, we believe in planning ahead for life’s inevitable moments. Learn more about […]