Perhaps you reside in Virginia, but in his will, your Uncle Ned named you as his personal representative, and Uncle Ned was a long-time resident of Florida.
This means you will take charge of administering his estate, but this is a responsibility that may take many months. Can you handle the duties of a personal representative from 800 miles away?
Gathering assets and debts
Among your initial duties will involve gathering the probate assets and debts. You will receive Letters of Administration, which will provide you with the authority to open an estate account at the bank. One way to learn about your uncle’s debts is to have his mail forwarded to you.
Notifying parties
You must file an initial inventory of assets with the court and provide the information to beneficiaries and any other interested parties.
Creditor claims
You must send out a Notice to Creditors, which advises your uncle’s creditors of the probate proceedings. You can also publish this information in a newspaper in the county where the probate process takes place. The “creditor claim period” lasts for 90 days from the first round of publication.
Final accounting
When you wrap up your work as a personal representative, you must provide the court with a final accounting detailing the assets and distributions from your uncle’s estate. The final accounting must also go to all interested parties, giving them the opportunity to raise objections.
Long-distance help
The more organized you are, the easier estate administration will be. Working long-distance should not hinder you. However, you can turn to legal guidance from a Florida firm that can answer your questions and provide the help you need in order to avoid any costly missteps.
