In Panama City, 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 Panama City, 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.

The executor of the estate is frequently named in the will. If not, the probate court in Panama City, Florida will name will appoint a person to serve as executor. This is typically the person who stands to inherit the most under the will.

The executor is the person accountable for initiating the probate proceedings. The person who would inherit the most from the will is appointed, because they have the greatest incentive to move the process along as quickly as possible, so they can get their inheritance.

Duties of the Executor in Panama City, Florida

There are quite a few things that an executor is accountable for. At the outset, they are obligated to file the probate action with the appropriate court. No progress, let alone any final disposition of the estate, can be made until this happens.

Furthermore, the executor has to make sure that the decedent's relatives and other people named in the will have notice of the testator's death, typically through the filing of a copy of the official death certificate.

The executor will also have to collect 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.

Moreover, the executor is obligated to take the lead in establishing the validity of the will, effectively acting as the living embodiment of the decedent's estate. The executor is typically the person who will inherit the most once the will goes through probate, so they have a good reason to put in the work to do this.

How Can A Panama City, Florida Lawyer Help?

Because of the difficulties involved in probate, it would be smart to hire a reliable Panama City, Florida probate lawyer, especially if you are the executor of an estate and unsure how to proceed.