In Fruitland Park, Florida, probate is the process through which a Court decides if a will is valid or not.

As part of the probate procedure, the court in Fruitland Park, Florida will decide the validity of the will, inventory the decedent's assets and debts, then, assuming everything is deemed to be in order, distribute the estate according to the will.

Most wills name a particular person as the executor of the estate, but sometimes they don't, or the named executor is deceased, out of the court's jurisdiction, or otherwise inadequate to serve in this capacity. In these situations, a Fruitland Park, Florida probate court has to assign one.

The executor is the person who has to get the ball rolling on the probate process, and basically serves as a living personification of the decedent's estate. It is their job to defend the estate from debtors (if a legitimate defense for the debt exists, of course), and wind up any legal proceedings that the decedent might have been involved in. If an executor needs to be appointed, a court usually chooses the person who will inherit the most if the will is given effect, since that person will have the most inducement to carry out the duties of the executor.

Duties of the Executor in Fruitland Park, Florida

The executor has many duties regarding the will. First, they have to actually initiate the probate proceedings, which must be done before the will is effectuated.

Also, it's the executor's job to notify all concerned parties that the person who made the will has died. "Interested parties" are generally people who are named in the will, or who would inherit the estate if the decedent had died without a will.

The executor will also have to compile and make accessible a list of all of the decedent's debts and assets, as well as a list of those who stand to inherit from the decedent.

Because the executor serves as the living personification of the decedent's estate, they are solely accountable for proving the validity of the will. This is a lot of work, but because executors are usually chosen based on how much they stand to inherit from a will once its validity is confirmed, they have a good incentive to see the process to finalization.

How Can A Fruitland Park, Florida Lawyer Help?

Because of the complexities involved in probate, it would be smart to hire a reputable Fruitland Park, Florida probate lawyer, especially if you are the executor of an estate and unsure how to proceed.