United States
Executor Checklist Florida: A Personal Representative's Guide
A plain guide for a Florida personal representative: the three probate routes, statutory deadlines, the main steps and the lawyer requirement.
Read guideUnited States · Florida
Florida Personal Representative Kit
Being named personal representative in Florida means deadlines that start running from the date of death, letters to write and every amount to account for. This kit gives you the Florida rules in one place, each linked to its official source, and the files to do the work.
$39
Plus applicable sales tax, calculated at checkout.
- Instant download after payment
- Word and Excel files
- Checked against official sources
Available to customers outside the European Union and the European Economic Area.
What's inside
US_Florida_User_Guide.docxUser guide: your role, route check, legal deadlines, step-by-step order of work, taxes and fees, official forms and a final checklist for Florida.
US_Florida_Executor_Workbook_TRACKER.xlsxExecutor workbook: deadlines calculated from the dates you enter, assets, debts, estate account with running balance, distributions, contacts and letters, fees and taxes.
US_Florida_Financial_Letters_TEMPLATE.docxFive letters: bank or credit union, life insurer, retirement plan or pension, creditor, investment account.
US_Florida_Services_Agencies_Letters_TEMPLATE.docxSix letters: utilities, credit reporting agency, landlord, employer, subscriptions, government organizations.
US_Florida_Beneficiary_Letters_TEMPLATE.docxThree letters to beneficiaries (first letter, progress update, distribution) and a receipt form.
Who it's for
- You are named personal representative in a will, or you are applying to be appointed, for someone who lived in Florida.
- You are doing this for the first time and want the legal deadlines and the order of the work in one place.
- You want to keep clear records for the beneficiaries and, where required, for the Probate division of the circuit court in the county where the deceased lived.
- You may also be working with an attorney and want to stay organized and keep costs under control.
How the documents work together
- Read the user guide first: it explains the role, the route and the deadlines, and tells you which file to use at each step.
- Enter the date of death in the workbook. Each legal deadline then appears with its due date, legal basis and official link.
- Send the notification letters from the three template files and log each one in the Contacts and Letters tab.
- Record every asset, debt, receipt and payment in the workbook. The estate account balance is checked against your bank balance.
- When the waiting periods have passed and debts are dealt with, the Distributions tab works out each beneficiary's entitlement and the receipt form closes the loop.
Route check
Not every estate in Florida needs the full court process. These are the routes the guide explains:
| Route | When it may apply |
|---|---|
| Disposition without administration | The deceased left only personal property that is exempt (under § 732.402 or the Florida Constitution), or non exempt personal property worth no more than the preferred funeral expenses plus reasonable medical and hospital expenses of the last 60 days of the last illness. |
| Summary administration | The value of the entire estate subject to administration in Florida, less property exempt from creditors, does not exceed $75,000, or the deceased has been dead for more than 2 years; and, if there is a will, the will does not direct formal administration. |
| Formal administration | The estate does not qualify for summary administration or disposition without administration, or the will directs formal administration, or the family needs a personal representative to act. |
Check the current threshold on the official source before relying on a simplified route.
What's not included
- Legal advice on your situation, or answers to questions about a specific estate.
- Official court or tax forms: they are free on the official websites, and the guide links to them.
- Filing, submitting or checking documents for you.
- Tax calculations for your estate: the workbook records the amounts you obtain from the tax authority or your adviser.
Format and delivery
You receive a private download link by email as soon as your payment is confirmed. The link works 5 times within 30 days. Files: one Word user guide, one Excel workbook (works in Microsoft Excel 2016 or later, LibreOffice and Google Sheets), and three Word letter templates. Each file is licensed to you for your personal use; your name or email and order number appear in the footer.
Questions about this kit
Do I need a lawyer to act as personal representative in Florida?
Yes, in most cases. Florida Probate Rule 5.030 requires every personal representative to be represented by an attorney admitted to practice in Florida, unless the personal representative remains the sole interested person in the estate. A personal representative who is a Florida lawyer may represent themselves. The Florida Bar also advises that a personal representative should always engage a qualified attorney, and that the attorney represents the personal representative, not the beneficiaries. The guide's section on professional help lists situations where speaking to an attorney is wise.
Is there a simpler process for small estates in Florida?
Summary administration: The value of the entire estate subject to administration in Florida, less property exempt from creditors, does not exceed $75,000, or the deceased has been dead for more than 2 years; and, if there is a will, the will does not direct formal administration. The court orders distribution of the assets without appointing a personal representative, once debts are paid or provided for. People who receive assets can remain liable for the deceased's valid debts for 2 years after death. The route check in the guide compares every route, with its legal basis and official source.
Which deadlines does the Florida workbook calculate?
The workbook calculates every statutory deadline in the guide from the dates you enter, including: Deposit the original will with the clerk of the circuit court (10 days from the date of death); File the verified inventory and serve it on the surviving spouse, heirs or residuary beneficiaries and anyone who requests it (60 days from the appointment or grant); Creditor claim deadline: creditors must file claims within 3 months after the first publication of the notice to creditors (or, for a creditor who must be served, 30 days after service if later) (3 months from the first notice to creditors); Serve a copy of the death certificate on the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) (3 months from the first notice to creditors). Federal deadlines are included too.
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