Probate Administration Attorney in West Palm Beach Protecting Your Assets

Fighting for the legal rights of your beneficiaries

It’s hard enough for your family members to lose a loved one without also having your estate contested or disputed. Such disputes originate in probate, the legal process of settling an estate in court after death. In Florida, state law requires you to hire legal representation for probate administration. For such a complex series of actions, it is vital to have experienced counsel. Adam Bankier is well known and highly respected for the many years he’s spent handling probate cases and acquiring a thorough knowledge of Palm Beach County, Florida, Colorado, and New York probate laws. He can guide you through these complicated matters and help with any questions you may have.

What is probate administration?

Probate administration is a legal process that applies only to probate assets, or assets the deceased owned at the time of death or that were owned with other people but for which they hadn’t named a successor. Some examples of probate assets are:

• A bank account or an investment account that was in the name of the deceased
• A life insurance policy, annuity or IRA that was payable to the estate
• Real estate whose title was solely in the name of the deceased, or in the name of the deceased and another person as tenants in common

Florida is known as a “UPC” state. That means along with 17 other states, it has adopted the Uniform Probate Code in part or in full. The UPC standardizes those states’ laws and regulations of probate. Adam Bankier has a comprehensive knowledge of those laws and regulations.

How long does probate take?

It depends on how complicated your estate is, and whether it has multiple properties, considerable investments and several heirs. There are two kinds of probate administration in Florida:

• Formal probate administration — This type of administration usually involves larger, high-asset estates. A petition must be filed in court to open the estate to an executor, and a notice must be published in a local newspaper to notify any creditors. Those creditors have up to three months to file a claim.
• Summary probate — The process of summary probate is simpler and faster than formal probate administration. In Florida, it is usually used for estates with nonexempt property of less than $75,000, and usually takes much less than three months.

Because probate administration is based on contested wills, it is often an emotional  undertaking that involves a number of complex legal areas. The probate administration attorneys at Bankier & Arlen Law Group, PLLC offer a high level of personalized service along with an in-depth familiarity with the law.

Get the representation you need from our Palm Beach County probate administration law firm

If you are facing probate regarding a loved one’s estate or want to safeguard your own estate from probate, call Bankier, Arlen & Snelling Law Group, PLLC at 561-278-3110 or contact us online. We are always accessible, and we return your calls promptly.