Summary administration probate in Florida

Summary administration probate in Florida is available when the value of the probate assets (excluding exempt assets) is under $75,000.

Attorney Tom Olsen: Bob, you're on News 96.5. Go ahead.

Bob: I have a question about an estate. My wife recently passed away and we both had IRA accounts, which were easily transferred over. When we were taking are minimum distributions, we set up trading accounts. Apparently, we never named each other as beneficiaries. I talked to the trading company and they said I need something from the state or the county called the summary of a small estate. I don't know where to get it. I talked to the local courthouse.

Attorney Tom Olsen: Bob, I'm assuming that the value of this account is under $75,000.

Bob: It's about $20,000.

Attorney Tom Olsen: Okay. That would qualify for a type of probate called a summary administration. A summary administration, in Florida, the law does not require that you be represented by an attorney. You can do it yourself, but the probate clerks, they're not going to give you any forms, they're not going to help you do this. If you want to do a summary administration, Bob, you're going to have to go to law library and figure it out, or otherwise retain an attorney to do it for you. If you want to call our office next week, we'd be happy to help you with it. Yes, you need a court order and that's going to be via a probate called a summary administration.

Bob: If I called your office, can I do it over the phone? We live far away.

Attorney Tom Olsen: Yes, absolutely. We can do it all for you via the phone, fax, email. We can handle it for you, Bob.

Bob: Okay. I'll call on Monday morning and try and get this started.

Attorney Tom Olsen: Very good. It's the Olsen Law Group in Orlando, the Olsen Law Group in Orlando. We'd love to take care of you, Bob.