Summary Probate Services for Clients in Pasco & Hernando Counties
The estate administration attorneys at The Lyons Law Group, P.A., are pleased to represent clients in summary probate proceedings. Our firm has been assisting clients with a variety of estate planning and administration matters since our founding in 2008, and we proudly serve clients from across Pasco and Hernando Counties.
What Is Summary Probate?
Summary probate (sometimes referred to as summary administration) is a simplified alternative to formal probate that can be used when either of the following two requirements is met:
- The decedent’s estate (not including exempt assets) is less than $75,000.
- The decedent has been dead for more than two years.
The two-year limit is in place because Florida prohibits creditors from bringing claims against an estate more than two years after the person passed away. So, if someone has been dead for more than two years, creditors will not need to be notified of the estate proceedings, and the court will not need to hear claims from creditors before determining how the decedent’s assets will be distributed, as creditors’ claims are barred two years after the date of death.
Notably, only one of the above requirements needs to be met (with some exceptions). So, if the estate is valued at less than $75,000, summary probate may be used even if the decedent died less than two years prior. Likewise, summary probate can be used whenever the decedent has been dead for at least two years, even if the estate totals more than $75,000.
What Are the Benefits of Summary Probate?
Summary probate is intended to make the probate process more efficient. While formal probate typically takes at least six months, summary probate can often be completed in as little as one or two months. This shortened timeline generally means that attorney fees will be lower than they would with formal probate. Plus, because there’s no requirement to appoint a personal representative or executor, the beneficiaries can avoid having to pay personal representative fees.
Schedule a Free Consultation
If you’d like to discuss your case with one of the estate administration lawyers at our firm, contact The Lyons Law Group, P.A., today and request an initial consultation. We’ll be happy to tell you more about the probate process and help determine whether summary probate or formal probate is best suited to the circumstances of your case. We have offices in New Port Richey and Spring Hill, so be sure to let us know which location is most convenient for you.
