Larry Tolchinsky | September 30, 2015
A will contest is a lawsuit that happens when a beneficiary challenges a Last Will and Testament that has been presented to the probate court for the purpose of administrating a decedent’s estate. Essentially, one will has been offered for probate, and another party contends that the will offered is not valid or otherwise should not […]
Larry Tolchinsky | August 5, 2015
In cases of undue influence, it is alleged that someone (a tortfeasor) has taken advantage of someone else (a testator — one who executes a Will or other estate planning document) to get themselves written into the testator’s estate plan, potentially procuring tremendous sums of money, properties, and other items. It is something that the testator […]
Larry Tolchinsky | July 15, 2015
Usually, people hire lawyers to have their Last Will and Testament prepared and executed as a protection against errors in writing their Will and against anyone challenging their decisions about who should get what after they’ve passed. Parents know their kids: getting a Will written may mean a lot less squabbling when the time comes […]
Larry Tolchinsky | July 8, 2015
When someone passes away, any property titled in their name immediately becomes part of their “estate.” An estate is a legal entity created under the law to help protect both real estate and personal property (things like jewelry, furniture, guns, etc.) as it is transferred to those who stand to inherit it. If the person […]
Larry Tolchinsky | June 24, 2015
As we’ve already covered in our series on removal of Florida Personal Representatives, it doesn’t matter if the beneficiaries of a Florida probate estate don’t like the person who is appointed to oversee the estate’s administration. Under Florida law, the “personal representative”, the person or persons who are appointed by a probate Judge to fulfill […]
Larry Tolchinsky | June 10, 2015
As we recently discussed, under Florida law, there are a dozen reasons for removing a personal representative (See Florida Statute 733.504). Included among this statutory list of causes for removal, is removing the personal representative because they have been “adjudicated to be incapacitated.” What does adjudicated mean and how do you know if a personal […]
Larry Tolchinsky | June 3, 2015
In other states, the person(s) representing the probate estate is sometimes called an “executor” (“executrix,” for females) or “administrator” (“administratix”). However, here in Florida, the person who represents the estate of a decedent and has the job of overseeing the transfer and transition of their property to heirs and beneficiaries, as well as paying creditors and taxes, […]
Larry Tolchinsky | May 27, 2015
Florida probate law protects both the personal property and real estate holdings of anyone who passes away in the State of Florida by immediately creating a legal “estate.” The estate acts as legal owner of all that property immediately upon the individual’s passing, and until another legal action (such as a probate judge’s ruling or […]
Larry Tolchinsky | May 20, 2015
When a mother or father does their estate planning and drafts their Last Will and Testament (along with Trusts, etc.), its understandable that when they think of the person they trust the most to deal with distributing their property after their passing, that mom or dad will consider their children first. After all, who better […]
Larry Tolchinsky | September 9, 2014
In Florida, can you block someone from challenging your will with a No Contest clause? In Florida, as in all other states, there are laws on the books that establish how your property will be distributed should you die without a will, or if you die without a valid one. So, the smart thing […]