Are Florida wills public record? Do you think you have a good reason to seal information in your Florida will? Is it easy to seal the contents of a Florida estate?
A Will is Not Always Public Record.
- In Florida, when a will is filed for probate, it is usually accessible to the public.
- What does this mean?
- It means that you should be able to obtain a copy of the will from the Florida probate court where the will was filed.
- What if the will was never filed for probate with the Florida court?
- It is not public record and restrictions, as indicated by provisions of the Florida Probate Code, apply regarding who can have access to the will.
- What if a person’s will has been filed for probate but they want it to be sealed?
- In some rare cases, predominately cases involving celebrities, Florida probate court files can be sealed.
- However, this is a very difficult task that requires assistance from an estate probate attorney.
- Check out this recent Alabama probate case involving Harper Lee, author of To Kill A Mocking Bird, to learn more.
Author of To Kill A Mocking Bird, Harper Lee, Leaves Her Estate to…
- What type of estate does the writer of one of the most cherished books of all time hold?
- Should the world be entitled to know?
- Earlier this month, a probate judge in Alabama granted a motion to seal the contents of Ms. Lee’s will.
- The court found “by clear and convincing evidence that information contained in the will and associated court filings pertains to wholly private family matters; poses a serious threat of harassment, exploitation, physical intrusion, or other particularized harm to persons identified in those documents or otherwise entitled to notice of this proceeding; and poses potential harm to third persons not entitled to notice of this proceeding.”
Check out the New York Times article about Harper Lee’s case by clicking here.
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