Coral Springs Probate Attorneys

Which Assets Go Through Probate, and Which Skip It

Not every asset a person owns has to go through probate, and knowing the difference early can save your family a lot of stress. In general, probate covers property held in the deceased person’s name alone, while assets with a named beneficiary or a co-owner pass directly to that person.

These assets usually pass outside probate:

• Life insurance and retirement accounts with a named beneficiary
• Bank or investment accounts marked payable on death or transfer on death
• Property owned jointly with a right of survivorship
• Assets already held inside a properly funded living trust

Almost everything else, including a solely owned home, a personal bank account, or a vehicle titled in one name, must go through probate before it can reach the heirs. We sort out which assets fall on each side of that line, so your family knows what to expect from the start.

How Our Coral Springs Probate Lawyers Help Your Family

Our Coral Springs probate lawyers handle every stage of an estate, from the first court petition to the final distribution of assets. We take the legal work off your plate, so you can grieve and heal without a stack of deadlines hanging over you.

Because we focus only on probate and estate administration, we regularly see the unusual situations that catch general practitioners off guard. We often compare it to health care: a family doctor is wonderful for everyday needs, but for something specific, you want the physician who does that one thing all day.

The services we provide for Coral Springs families include:

• Filing the petition for administration and getting the personal representative appointed
• Publishing notice to creditors and handling the three-month claims period
• Preparing the asset inventory and coordinating appraisals
• Reviewing creditor claims and objecting to improper ones
• Transferring real estate, bank accounts, and other property to heirs
• Filing the final accounting and closing the estate with the court

Every one of these steps has its own rules and timing, and a small mistake can delay the whole estate. We manage the details, so nothing falls through the cracks, and we explain each move before we make it.

Florida Homestead, Creditor Claims, and Estate Taxes

Some parts of Florida probate surprise families more than others, and homestead protection sits at the top of the list. Florida’s constitutional homestead rules can change who inherits a primary residence, no matter what the will says.

A homestead cannot be left by will if the person is survived by a spouse or minor children, so it passes by law instead. That often gives the surviving spouse a life estate and the children the remainder. You can read the framework in Florida Statutes Chapter 732, which also covers a spouse’s elective share.

The elective share lets a surviving spouse claim 30% of the estate, even if the will leaves them nothing. This right carries strict deadlines, so timing matters a great deal when a spouse feels left out of a will.

Creditor claims are another common worry, and here we bring good news to many families. Adult children are generally not personally responsible for a deceased parent’s debts, and we make sure clients do not pay bills they never owed. Instead, valid claims are paid from the estate itself during the three-month claims period, and we object to any claim that is improper or filed too late.

Larger estates may also face federal estate tax, though most never do. The federal estate tax applies only to estates above $15 million in 2026, and Florida has no separate state estate tax. We coordinate any required filings, so the estate stays compliant while protecting what your family is entitled to keep.