Florida Estate Administration Attorneys
Port Richey lawyers helping you handle your probate duties
An estate must go through probate whenever there are assets in a decedent’s sole or individual name. If you have been nominated personal representative of an estate, Delzer, Coulter & Bell, P.A., can provide skilled assistance in obtaining your appointment as personal representative by the Probate Court and give you the advice and assistance needed to fulfill your administrative duties. The firm offers probate services that other law offices do not typically provide, such as the preparation and filing of estate and income tax returns and the representation in real estate transactions for property sold during probate.
Your duties in probate
If you are named in a decedent’s will as a personal representative, you are responsible for seeing the estate through probate. You need the assistance of an attorney with:
- Filing a Petition for Administration in Probate Court
- Publishing and serving a Notice to Creditors
- Taking inventory of the estate
- Paying the estate’s debts and probate expenses
- Filing U.S. tax returns, if the estate is of substantial size
- Filing decedent’s final income tax return and income tax returns for estate
- Making an accounting of all financial transactions
- Paying creditors and obtaining satisfactions of claims for filing with the Probate Court
- Distributing assets to the beneficiaries
The firm’s attorneys and experienced staff are hands-on, helping you carry out all of your duties with maximum efficiency.
Probate costs
The cost of probate depends on the condition and complexity of the estate. Probate expenses may include:
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Disputes may result in litigation, which can be expensive. There may also be estate taxes, depending on the size of the estate.
Estate tax obligations
Although Florida does not have an estate tax, your estate may still be responsible for paying estate taxes to the federal government. In 2020, there is an asset exemption of $11,580,000. Assets subject to estate tax at the time of death include, in addition to all probate assets, those assets held in:
- Living Trusts
- Transfer on death accounts
- Accounts held in joint ownership with rights of survivorship
- Life Insurance
- 401(k) and other pension plans
It is advisable to reduce your taxable assets during your lifetime through strategic estate planning.
Let a board certified specialist assist with your estate administration duties
The attorneys at Delzer, Coulter & Bell, P.A., provide a free analysis and consultation regarding estate administration requirements. Wayne R. Coulter is a Florida Board Certified Wills, Trusts and Estates Attorney and a former attorney with the Internal Revenue Service Estate Tax Section. His experience and expertise enables him to provide an expeditious and efficient administration of decedents’ estates. Contact the firm online or call 877.815.4218. Your initial consultation is free.