Estate Accounting

Where’s your money? Who’s got your inheritance & what happened to all the property? You need an estate accounting. For a Free Florida Accounting Legal Video on this topic, click that link. Otherwise, keep reading to learn more about your rights and what you can do to claim your inheritance.

Where’s the money?

“They are not telling me anything about my parent’s estate!”

Do you know how many family members complain about the probate process? Many times, adult children are entitled to inherit a big part of the estate. But, there’s no information. Someone is either not communicating something, or maybe hiding something. While this discussion is not about probate fraud, you should know what your rights are and how to exercise them. After all, it’s YOUR inheritance, right?

The truth is that you don’t have to wait. Either to get information or to start the probate process.

If your family member died, you can “open a probate” and find the assets. You don’t have to wait for others to act. Even if there is a will naming someone else as “executor.” Many times, the person named to run the estate sits on their hands. They don’t file the will nor open probate. That’s not fair to beneficiaries or family members. So,……open probate yourself. But, follow the rules !

You have to give notice to certain people.

Whether there is a will or not. (If there’s no will, heirs inherit under an “intestate” estate).

There is a straightforward procedure for that under Florida Probate Law. It’s not terribly new, or difficult.

But what if someone already opened a probate and there’s no information sharing? What can you do?

Get information — get serious + get focussed

There’s a special Florida Probate Rules to get an accounting if one is not given.

Read Rule 5.150. It tells you all about how to ask the Probate Judge for an accounting.

See also Rule 5.160. The executor is supposed to tell you if she has any estate assets or she doesn’t. This is particularly important when someone dies with a house, and it’s homestead. Heirs or family members generally inherit homestead. If you own it, why do you want some personal representative messing with your house? (What is an HEIR under Florida probate law?)

Remember, a Florida Personal Representative, or “executor”, owes estate beneficiaries a LOT OF DUTIES.

This includes providing you with ” relevant information.”

What’s that? tell me where the assets are, how much they are worth, what estate money has been spent and where all the property is.