Articles Posted in probate

Any Devise of Homestead Property That Does Not Grant a Fee Simple Interest to a Surviving Spouse … Fails
James W. Martin, P.A.

Nat Stirberg died leaving his surviving spouse Valerie Stirberg and children to litigate over who owns his homestead apartment. The case was decided on March 15, 2023, when the Florida Fourth District Court of Appeal in Stirberg v. Fein as Co-Trustee of Nat Stirberg Revocable Residence Trust, 48 Fla. L. Weekly D577, decided that the…

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Florida Court Says $2 Million Claim For Elderly Exploitation and Theft Lacks Sufficient Priority In Probate Court
James W. Martin, P.A.

Florida probate lawyers know that when a Florida resident dies owing people money those people need to file claims against the decedent’s estate in a Florida probate court proceeding. The same applies when the decedent dies in an auto accident: anyone claiming that the decedent caused injuries must file a claim in the probate proceeding.…

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Florida Probate Court Says No Fee To North Carolina Lawyer
James W. Martin

Everyone knows you need a license to practice law. Everyone knows it’s a crime to practice law without a license. But what most people don’t know is that services performed by an unlicensed person don’t incur a fee. So even if you agreed to pay a fee for services, you don’t have to pay the…

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Florida Changes Intestacy Law for Certain Spouses
James W. Martin

When a Florida resident dies without a will, the decedent is said to have died intestate, and the Florida Probate Code states who will inherit the estate. If there is a surviving spouse and no descendants, then all goes to the surviving spouse. If there are descendants and no surviving spouse, then all goes to…

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All Original Wills Must Be Filed When Someone Dies
James W. Martin

Everyone knows that it’s the “last” will that someone makes before they die that counts. But it’s really the last “valid” will that counts. So who’s to say what’s the last valid will? The probate court gets to decide that. And for the probate court to decide, it needs to have all the wills that…

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An Alternative To Percentage Probate Fees: Hourly Fees
James W. Martin

One of the reasons people try to avoid probate, besides the obvious one, is to avoid percentage probate fees. Florida, like many states, expressly allows attorneys to charge attorneys fees based on a percentage of the value of the probate estate. But there is an alternative: hourly fees. An hourly fee more directly compensates the…

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Don’t Ignore Formal Notice Of A Florida Probate Proceeding
James W. Martin

Formal notice of a Florida probate proceeding must be served by a means of delivery requiring proof of delivery. Formal notices are sent along with copies of various probate documents in order to legally bind the person being served. The formal notice in a probate proceeding is similar to a summons in a civil proceeding.…

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When Does A Trust Avoid Probate In Florida: Never?
James W. Martin

People often create revocable living trusts in Florida to avoid probate. And some of those people actually transfer assets into the trust to fund it. And it’s true that the trust’s assets are not assets of the probate estate when the person dies. But probate is still required for another reason: clearing possible claims of…

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When Is A Car Not An Asset But A Liability?
James W. Martin

Putting your name on the title to a car, truck or other motor vehicle in Florida makes you personally liable for the negligence of the driver. The dangerous instrumentality doctrine extends liability of the driver to become personal liability of every owner of the vehicle. This should give pause to parents before putting their names…

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Can a Florida Will Be Contested Before Death?
James W. Martin

A question that Florida probate lawyers sometimes hear is, “Can a will be contested before the person dies?” This is usually accompanied by facts suggesting that a mother, father or other family member is the subject of undue influence or has been diagnosed with a medical condition that results in mental incapacity. The answer to…

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