Estate Planning Attorney Addresses New Florida Probate Changes
October 07, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - Recent changes to Florida probate law are creating a timely reason for families to
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October 07, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
Recent changes to Florida probate law are creating a timely reason for families to review how their estate plans may work when assets eventually pass to beneficiaries. E.P.P.G. Law of St. Johns provides estate planning services for individuals and families navigating those decisions, including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, and other documents that can affect the administration of an estate.
Florida’s CS/HB 1337 took effect July 1, 2026, after being signed into law in April. Among its provisions, the legislation increased the value of estates eligible for summary administration from $75,000 to $150,000. It also raised several other monetary thresholds and revised procedures affecting personal representatives and uncontested probate matters. The changes grew out of recommendations from the Florida Supreme Court’s Workgroup on Uncontested Probate Proceedings, which was established to identify ways to reduce unnecessary court involvement and delays.
Although the legislation focuses on probate administration rather than rewriting the fundamentals of estate planning, it provides a useful prompt for reviewing existing plans. The way property is titled, which beneficiaries are named, and whether assets pass through a will, trust, beneficiary designation, or other arrangement can influence what happens after death.
An estate planning attorney can help individuals examine those details alongside current Florida law. A last will and testament can establish instructions for distributing certain assets and identify a personal representative. Trusts may provide another method for holding and managing property, while beneficiary designations and ownership arrangements can determine whether particular assets become part of a probate estate.
Planning also addresses circumstances that can arise during life. Powers of attorney can authorize another person to handle financial or legal matters if an individual becomes unable to do so independently. Health care surrogate designations identify someone to make medical decisions during incapacity, while living wills provide instructions concerning certain forms of medical treatment.
E.P.P.G. Law of St. Johns also assists with planning tools such as HIPAA releases and Ladybird deeds. In appropriate circumstances, a Ladybird deed may allow a property owner to retain control of real estate during life while directing the property to a named beneficiary at death.
Changes in the law are only one reason estate documents may warrant another look. Marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, a death in the family, a relocation, the acquisition or sale of property, or changes in financial circumstances can leave older documents out of step with present intentions. Even plans created relatively recently may contain beneficiary choices or decision-maker appointments that no longer reflect current relationships.
A review from an estate planning attorney can also help identify inconsistencies among separate documents. A will may appoint one person to handle an estate, while a power of attorney, health care designation, or trust assigns responsibilities to others. Property ownership and beneficiary designations may operate independently of the instructions contained in a will, making coordination an important part of the planning process.
The 2026 probate changes reinforce the distinction between preparing an estate plan and administering an estate after death. Updated probate procedures may simplify certain uncontested cases, but clear planning documents still establish instructions, identify decision-makers, and document individual preferences before those procedures become relevant.
E.P.P.G. Law of St. Johns provides estate planning, probate, and trust administration services to clients in St. Augustine and throughout Northeast Florida. The firm assists with wills, trusts, powers of attorney, health care directives, Ladybird deeds, and related estate matters. For more information, visit https://eppglaw.com/estate-planning/.
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For more information about E.P.P.G. Law of St. Johns, contact the company here:
E.P.P.G. Law of St. Johns
E.P.P.G. Law of St. Johns
(904) 875-3774
eppglaw@gmail.com
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