When a Florida estate is built on real estate, probate is rarely a paperwork formality. A condo on the Intracoastal, a homestead in Coral Gables, a rental duplex in Hollywood, or raw acreage in the western suburbs each carries its own title, mortgage, lien, and tax history. Our firm focuses on probate estates where the dominant asset is land and buildings, and we guide South Florida families through administration with title clarity as the goal.
Why Real-Property Probate Is Different
An estate full of bank accounts can often pass through a simplified process. An estate centered on Florida real property cannot ignore questions of marketable title. Heirs may want to sell, refinance, or hold the property, and each path requires that probate produce a clean chain of ownership. We coordinate with title underwriters early so that the eventual deed out of the estate is insurable rather than clouded.
Florida Homestead at the Center
Florida’s homestead protection under Article X, Section 4 of the state constitution shapes nearly every real-property estate we handle. Homestead generally passes outside the probate estate to heirs, is shielded from most creditors, and is subject to strict devise restrictions when a surviving spouse or minor child exists. Mischaracterizing a home as a probate asset, or overlooking the devise limits, can derail a sale months later. We file the petition to determine homestead status so the record reflects the property’s true treatment.
Choosing the Right Administration
Florida offers summary administration when the probate estate is valued at $75,000 or less, or when the decedent has been dead more than two years, and formal administration for larger or more contested estates. With a high-value South Florida home, summary administration is sometimes still available because homestead and other exempt property may not count toward that threshold. We analyze which procedure under Chapters 731 through 735 fits your facts.
Services Built Around Land
We handle formal and summary administration, petitions to determine homestead, clearing title to inherited real estate, and ancillary administration for out-of-state owners holding Florida property. Each engagement is scoped to move the real estate toward a sale-ready or hold-ready position.
Serving South Florida Counties
We assist families across Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, appearing in the probate divisions of the circuit courts that govern those properties. Local knowledge of county recording practices and judicial expectations keeps real-property estates moving.
Consult a Florida Attorney
This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Florida probate and homestead law turn on specific facts. Consult a licensed Florida attorney about your particular estate before acting.
