In Safety Harbor, Florida, probate is the process through which a Court determines if a will is valid or not.

As part of the probate procedure, the court in Safety Harbor, Florida will determine the validity of the will, inventory the decedent's assets and debts, then, assuming everything is found to be in order, distribute the estate according to the will.

The executor of the estate is often named in the will. If not, the probate court in Safety Harbor, Florida will name will appoint a person to serve as executor. This is normally the person who stands to inherit the most under the will.

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

Duties of the Executor in Safety Harbor, Florida

The executor has many duties concerning the will. First of all, they have to actually initiate the probate proceedings with the court, and this procedure has to be completed before the will takes effect.

They further are required to provide notice to the people with a direct interest in the estate that the decedent has died, normally by filing a death certificate.

The executor will also have to gather and make available 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 embodiment of the decedent's estate, they are solely responsible for proving the validity of the will. This is a lot of work, but because executors are normally 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 completion.

How Can A Safety Harbor, Florida Lawyer Help?

Because of the intricacies involved in probate, it would be smart to hire a brilliant Safety Harbor, Florida probate lawyer, especially if you are the executor of an estate and unsure how to proceed.