When a loved one passes away, there are immediate considerations that must be made to settle the deceased\u2019s affairs. In most cases, an executor or power of attorney will be named in the deceased\u2019s will, but other times a next of kin will be appointed by the courts to be executor. If you\u2019ve recently been named as the executor in someone\u2019s estate, you might be told by an attorney that you need to probate the will. If you\u2019ve never been through the process before, knowing how to probate a will can be challenging. We\u2019ve laid out the beginning steps of what you need to know about probating a will to make the process a little easier on you.<\/p>\n
What is Probate?<\/strong> Probate is when a court supervises the process of finding, gathering, and distributing the assets of a deceased person after making sure that all their debts are satisfied. Assets will first be put towards paying for the probate costs, then the reasonable funeral expenses. After the funeral debts are settled, the remaining assets will go to debtors and then distributed to the beneficiaries named in the will. There are two types of probate in Florida\u2014summary and formal administration. How to probate a will depends on what type of probate you need. Probate assets can be bank accounts, investments, life insurance policies, IRAs, real estate holdings, and property owned by the individual or spouses. Probate is often necessary to legally transfer ownership of the property from the deceased to the beneficiaries.<\/p>\n How to Probate the Will <\/strong><\/p>\n There are a few steps to take to probate a will in Florida. Generally, an estate planning attorney will help you through the process.<\/p>\n