Probate is the court process that transfers a deceased person’s assets to their heirs. Florida offers formal administration and a faster summary administration for smaller estates or where the person died more than two years ago. Most formal administrations take several months to about a year.
What this covers
- Formal administration
- Summary administration
- Selling an inherited home
- Creditor claims and notices
- Homestead determinations
- Out-of-state heirs
When someone passes away, their property usually cannot be sold or transferred until the estate has been administered. Florida offers two main paths. Formal administration appoints a personal representative and runs through creditor notice, inventory and distribution — commonly six months to a year. Summary administration is faster and cheaper: it is available where the non-exempt estate falls under the statutory limit, which the Legislature raised from $75,000 to $150,000 effective July 1, 2026, or where the person has been deceased for more than two years, regardless of size.
We handle both, and we handle the parts families do not expect: creditor claims, homestead determinations, out-of-state heirs, and the paperwork the title company will demand before an inherited house can be sold. Because we do real estate and title in-house, an estate with property in it does not require a second firm.