Wood, Atter & Associates, a Florida Law firm provides individuals located in the areas around Duval, St. Johns, and other areas of North East Florida with Lawyers who are experienced in Estate Planning, Elder Law, and the administration of Probate.

In Florida, Probate courts oversee the administration of an individuals property after death, set up guardianships of minors, and conservatorships of incapacitated adults. Our firm's lawyers are experienced in all areas of probate law, and we encourage you to contact us to discuss any questions on probate issues or that you may have. If you are unsure whether you have a probate issue, read the information below and do not hesitate to contact us.

When someone dies, either with or without leaving a will, there are often estate matters that need to be handled, such as changing title to property and completing tax forms. Probate is the process courts use to transfer the legal title of property that was owned by the decedent (the person who died) to his or her heirs or beneficiaries.

The legal process of transferring property when someone dies can be complicated. If someone close to you has died, we strongly encourage you to have one of our probate lawyers handle the outstanding legal matters on your behalf, so that you can focus on taking care of your family during this time of loss.

If your loved one owned property out of state, it may be necessary to open an ancillary administration to distribute that property. An ancillary administration is a separate legal proceeding that is required to be opened in the state where the property is located. Our firm can review the property documents including deeds and wills to help determine what is necessary to complete the probate process.

If someone who owes you money has died recently, you may have to file a creditor's claim in Probate Court in order to collect your money from the estate. It is important to file your claim in the correct court and county so that proper notice will be given to your claim. There are very strict time limits on doing this, so you should contact a probate attorney right away if you have a claim against a decedent's estate.

Other matters handled by probate courts are guardianships and conservatorships. If someone close to you is unable to care for him/herself or their property, our probate lawyers can help you establish a conservatorship to ensure the individual is cared for and his or her property is handled competently. Often a child may need a guardianship established over their property even if one of the parents is the natural guardian of the child. There is a difference between a natural guardian and a guardian at law.  For more articles see Jacksonville Florida Probate Lawyers articles

If you believe a guardianship or conservatorship of an individual should be established, or if you have will or estate administration questions, do not hesitate to contact our experienced probate lawyers to discuss the situation and available options for handling it.

TO SET UP A FREE CONSULTATION ABOUT GUARDIANSHIP, PROBATE OR ANY MATTER INVOLVING ESTATE PLANNING BY CALLING US AT (904) 355-8888, OR CONTACTING US ONLINE.