Fort Myers Probate & Estate Administration Attorneys

Helping People with Affairs Concerning a Loved One’s Estate Plan

Have you been selected to administer the trust or estate of a late loved one? Serving as a personal administrator or trustee can be a difficult task, especially if you are grieving the loss of a family member. Our estate planning counselors at Dorcey Law Firm are prepared to assist you with your administration duties and can help make the process less stressful. With experience assisting thousands of families, our firm’s knowledgeable Fort Myers probate lawyer is dedicated to our clients’ best interests, understands the Florida probate process, and can walk you through it step by step.

Contact Dorcey Law Firm today for trusted estate administration guidance.

Eligibility for Trust and Estate Administration in Florida

In order to serve as a personal representative, you must be blood-related to the deceased person, referred to as the decedent, or a Florida resident. Additionally, you must be 18 years or older with no felony convictions. If you are administering an estate in Fort Myers as a resident of another state, our Fort Myers probate lawyer can assist you with our out-of-state representation services.

Dorcey Law Firm also assists beneficiaries who believe that the personal representative of a late loved one’s estate is abusing the position for their own benefit or to withhold inheritance. If this applies to you, our probate professionals can help you through the process of removal or appointment of executors.

Understanding the Probate Timeline in Fort Myers

The probate process in the state of Florida usually takes 6-9 months under most circumstances - start to finish. This process includes:

• Appointing a personal representative (i.e., the "executor")
• 90 days creditor's period that must run
• Payment of creditor's claims

One important distinction on probate is that the personal representative, once appointed by the probate court upon petition by an attorney, has the ability to manage and sell the estate assets. This means that while the probate process can take a number of months, the estate assets can be sold and managed effectively. Once the 90 day creditor's period runs (starting at the date of publication in a newspaper), the estate can generally start to be closed down with the personal representative following a strict process to close the estate. Contact our Fort Myers probate lawyer for further information regarding the length of the probate process.