In Hollywood, when someone dies, there is a somber meeting, at a lawyer’s office, around a big traditional conference table in a plushy decorated conference room, the heirs eagerly waiting to hear what they inherited, often including angry family members just to create more drama.
But that only happens in the movies. If there was ever a reading of the will, there certainly is none any longer, certainly not in Florida. I’ve never done it and never seen it. Maybe it happens in very large estates In my world, the family usually comes to my office and we determine who is the personal representative/executor and we go from there. The attorney is required to file the original will with the clerk of the courts within 10 days of death.
So what really happens? The personal representative (executor) retains an attorney and together they determine who the beneficiaries are, collect necessary documents and determine if a probate estate needs to be open in court. The trustee of any trust may also be included in this discussion.
In our office, we try to settle estates as quickly as possible. We gather all the information about the assets, get death certificates and contact the heirs giving them copies of the documents and outlining how the process will work. Depending on the complexities, it should all be wrapped up within 6 months, less if there is no probate.
So because we want anything but drama in our office and for our families, you won’t see the “reading of a will” in our office any time soon. But you will see an estate settled with compassion, speed, and skill.
