The administration of an estate is never as simple as it seems, even when there is a will. Often, issues arise with the Personal Representative of the estate, such as a dispute over who the Personal Representative should be or a question of the Personal Representative’s actions or ability to…
When probating an estate (i.e., distributing a deceased person’s assets), a personal representative is responsible for seeing that the process is carried out in accordance with the deceased person’s wishes and state law. Some very common questions often arise in this context: What exactly are the duties of a personal…
Many questions may arise when a person passes away and the person’s professional association holds some assets. The professional association may be a corporation, which is a separate legal entity from the person. In this case the personal representative will not have automatic entitlement to the business assets. This remains…
The appointed personal representative of a Florida resident’s estate, i.e. the individual placed in charge of distributing the assets of the estate, must abide by certain fiduciary duties that he or she owes to the beneficiaries (the individuals named to receive assets) of the estate. Suppose you are named a…
Personal representatives in Florida are typically responsible for administering estates. While administering the estate, they have a duty to act solely for the benefit of the estate beneficiaries. If the personal representative fails in their duty to properly administer the estate, they can be personally liable to the other beneficiaries…
For his or her services, a personal representative of an estate is entitled to compensation from the estate assets, without a court order. Florida Statute §733.617 provides the general rule in Florida for the commission of a personal representative. The Statute provides that the commission will be presumed reasonable for…
If you or someone you know has been appointed a personal representative of an estate then it is important to realize that Florida law imposes certain duties on a personal representative to act in the best interest of all interested persons. One of those duties includes determining all possible identities…
When is a personal representative subject to personal liability? As a general rule, a personal representative is not personally liable for liabilities that arise out of the personal representative’s actions pursuant to administration of the estate. A personal representative may nevertheless subject themselves to personal liability. In Florida, unless otherwise…
How can one determine whether a personal representative is qualified to be the personal representative? Generally, in the State of Florida any person who is sui juris and is a resident of Florida at the time of the death of the decedent is qualified to act as personal representative. A…