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Practice Area

Florida Probate Administration

Guiding families through the Florida probate process with clarity, care, and steady hands - from the first filing to the final distribution.
Support When It Matters Most

Handling the Legal Details So You Can Focus on Your Family

Losing someone you love is hard enough. Sorting out their accounts, property, and paperwork on top of grief can feel overwhelming – especially when the court has its own deadlines and its own language.

Our firm manages the entire Florida probate process on your behalf. We prepare and file the petitions, notify creditors and beneficiaries, inventory the assets, and see the estate through to distribution and closing, keeping you informed at every step without burying you in legal jargon.

Because Maylene Abad has spent more than 25 years working in Florida real estate, estates that include a homestead, a rental property, or a jointly owned parcel are handled in-house rather than handed off – often the part of probate where families get stuck the longest.

The Process

What We Handle

Formal & Summary Administration

We determine which form of Florida probate your estate qualifies for, then prepare and file the petition, oath, and supporting documents with the county court.

Personal Representative Appointment

We petition for your appointment, obtain Letters of Administration, and advise you on your duties so you can act with confidence - and without personal exposure.

Creditor Notices & Claims

We publish and serve the required notices, review claims filed against the estate, and object to those that are untimely or improper.

Asset Inventory, Distribution & Closing

We inventory and value estate assets, handle homestead determinations and property transfers, distribute to beneficiaries, and file to formally close the estate.
The Advantage

Why Families Choose Our Firm

Real Property Handled In-House

Homestead petitions, deed transfers, and title issues on inherited property are resolved by the same attorney handling your probate - no outside referrals, no delays.

Mediation Before Litigation

As a Florida Supreme Court-certified Circuit Court Mediator, Maylene works to resolve disagreements among heirs at the table rather than in a contested proceeding.

Responsive, Bilingual Communication

Probate raises questions at every stage. Your calls and emails are returned promptly, in English or Spanish.
Common Queries

Frequently Asked Questions

A straightforward formal administration generally takes six months to a year. The timeline is driven largely by the creditor claim period and how quickly assets can be located, valued, and, where necessary, sold. Contested matters or estates with real property in multiple counties take longer.

In most formal administrations, yes – Florida court rules require the personal representative to be represented by an attorney, unless the representative is the sole interested person in the estate.

No. Assets with a named beneficiary – life insurance, retirement accounts, payable-on-death accounts – and property held in a trust or with survivorship rights typically pass outside probate. Florida homestead property also receives special treatment. We identify what actually falls into the estate at the outset.

Summary administration is a shortened process available to smaller estates and to estates where the decedent passed away more than two years ago. Formal administration is the full court-supervised process and involves appointing a personal representative to manage the estate. We review the assets and determine which applies before filing.