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What is Probate in Florida? What you can do to plan for the future and protect the best interest of both you and your loved ones   Many people are vaguely familiar with the term probate but don’t really have a full understanding of exactly what the process entails. It is extremely important to takeRead more

After completing the probate process for a deceased relative’s estate, Florida residents will finally receive their inheritance dollars. They will also have to decide whether they will spend all of it, spend part of it, save it, give some or all of it away to a needy person or give some or all of itRead more

At the Law Offices of Mitchell I. Kitroser, we help families navigate the difficult process of probate and estate administration. Our highly individualized services approach can be divided into three important components. First, we offer our clients full service trust and probate administration. Probate and trust proceedings are not very different from each other. However,Read more

Estate planning is essential for every Florida resident, and now that same-sex marriage is legal in our state, it is important for same-sex couples to consider several elements when it comes to their estate planning needs. First, couples should know that with the downfall of the Defense of Marriage Act, couples in states that haveRead more

During probate proceedings, the first thing that a Florida court must determine is which assets are probate assets and which are not probate assets. Next, the estate will be administered according to one of three different ways: — By affidavit or summary administration — Informally — Supervised or formally If the value of the estateRead more

Facebook recently announced a new feature called its “Legacy Contact.” The feature allows Facebook users to designate someone who will have the power to manage their Facebook accounts after they have died. Considering that most social media users upload information, videos and pictures that may have sentimental values to those they leave behind, this newRead more

Not every estate has to go through probate proceedings. A skilled estate planning attorney can analyze a Florida resident’s financial and family situation to determine if a suitable probate avoidance strategy will work for the person’s situation. The most frequent ways to avoid probate include: — The creation of revocable living trusts — The useRead more

Last Monday, a probate judge advised attorneys representing Robin Williams’ heirs to take an eight-week break to try and settle their differences. The comedian’s widow and three adult children have been arguing in probate court over the deceased actor’s money and property. Williams’ widow, Susan Schneider Williams, wants her late husband’s tuxedo, which he woreRead more

When disagreements arise over who gets what following a death in Florida, the issues will be addressed during probate proceedings. Even if no disagreement exists, an estate must go through the probate process before it can be legally distributed to heirs. Interestingly enough, though, probate can be avoided altogether if an individual creates a trustRead more

Estate planning is nothing more than planning for the future and not something to fear. Nevertheless, many Florida residents find it difficult to initiate their estate plan. In cases that involve the death of a loved one without a finalized estate plan in place, the probate process can be costly and nerve-wracking for the heirs.Read more