The Florida Probate Process Explained for Sellers

Probate is a court-supervised process for identifying and gathering the assets of a deceased person, paying their debts, and distributing their assets to beneficiaries. In Florida, selling a property often requires going through either Formal Administration or Summary Administration, depending on the estate's value and how long it has been since the property owner passed away.

Florida offers different types of probate. Summary Administration is generally a shorter process available if the deceased has been dead for more than two years or the estate's value subject to probate is low. Formal Administration is the traditional probate process where a personal representative is appointed.

You can sell a house while it is in probate, but specific court approvals are often required before closing. A buyer must understand that timelines can shift based on court schedules. Working with buyers familiar with the Florida probate process can prevent contracts from falling through due to delays.