Orlando, FL asked in Probate for Florida

Q: Brother died. ins.insurance says to Estate of. For $2,000.00. I am only heir and not beneficiary. Is Probate needed?

I was his Legal Guardian and he lived with me. There was never an estate. Someone must have done it as he needed care all of his life.

Related Topics:
2 Lawyer Answers

A: Very sorry for your loss on the passing of your brother, please accept my condolences. Since the check is made out to the estate of your brother you will need to pursue some version of probate. If this is the only asset then you may be able to get the accomplished by filing yourself for Disposition of Property Without Administration. You can check with the clerk of the court in the county where your brother lived, they will likely have the forms online to access or you can contact the clerk via phone for direction on how to get and submit these forms. If it turns out the estate is more complicated or other asses are found, then you may eventually need a more complicated probate and the help of an attorney. In the meantime, I would encourage you to try to pursue this per above in the manner recommended and see where you can get with things on your own.

Carol Larmond Grant and Terrence H Thorgaard agree with this answer

1 user found this answer helpful

A: I am sorry about your loss. There are ways to get this done with a small administration by the statute. Who paid the funeral expenses? Check with the clerk of court in the county where you live.

Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.

The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.

Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.