It is never easy having to work your way through dealing with the death of a loved one in Hernando County. It may seem drawn out even further with the administration of his or her estate. Ideally, you and the others or she was closest to would like to have it wrapped up as quickly as possible. Of course, that is an impossibility given the slow pace of the probate process. Or is it?
An alternative form of dispersing your loved one’s estate exists known as summary administration. Such cases are specifically designed to allow smaller estates that do not require extensive supervision and support pass through probate quickly and easily. This allows you and other parties to the estate to settle any remaining debts your loved one may have had, disperse his or her assets and move on.
According to Section 735.201 of Florida’s Probate Code, your loved one’s estate can qualify for summary administration if its total value does next exceed $75,000 (it should be noted that amount does not include the value of property that is exempt from creditors claims). If the value of the estate is above that amount, you still may be able to go through summary administration, but only if your loved one has been dead for more than 2 years.
The summary administration process can be completed in just a few months. There may be, however, certain scenarios where you and other interested parties might not benefit from this process. These many include cases where there are liens against estate property, questions remain as to the appraisal of estate assets, or you are contemplating legal action due to the circumstances of your loved one’s death. In these situations, it might be best to allow the estate to go through formal administration.