A Guide To Help You Do Your Work As A Personal Representative

Being named the personal representative in a loved one’s Will can feel like an honor. However, being a personal representative is no small role. If you’ve been named as the personal representative in a loved one’s Will, it is important for you to understand that you have an important job ahead of you. The role of a personal representative has a variety of impactful tasks associated with it. If these tasks are not done correctly, things can go wrong. Therefore, it is crucial that you are sure you are up to the job if you have been named as the personal representative in a loved one’s Will. The following is a simple guide aimed at helping you do your work as a personal representative.

Things You Need to Do Your Work as a Personal Representative

If you’ve been named as the personal representative in a loved one’s Will, the following are some of the things you need to be able to effectively do your job as a personal representative.

• Help – Navigating Florida probate laws can be overwhelming. Complex legal issues can arise even if you are administering a small estate. An attorney can be an invaluable asset during this process. An experienced probate attorney can help you prepare the initially required filings and throughout the remaining probate process. An attorney can also guide you through complex legal issues as they arise.
• Time – Depending on the specifics of the case, it can take a considerable amount of time to administer an estate in Florida. In fact, being a personal representative usually feels like a “second job.” Therefore, you need to be ready to spend a good amount of time serving as a personal representative.
• Organizational and Financial Skills – It can be hard for you to do your job as a personal representative if you do not have good organizational and financial skills. This is because, as a personal representative, you will be required to maintain meticulous records and provide an accounting to the probate court for all expenditures. However, even if you do not possess these skills, you can hire professionals to help.
• Communication Skills – To do your job as a personal representative, you must also possess good communication skills. This is because you will need to communicate with accountants, bankers, the estate owner’s relatives, and beneficiaries.
• Integrity – It can be tempting to misuse your role as a personal representative for personal gain. Apart from being morally and ethically wrong, this can have severe legal, even criminal, consequences. That is why you need to have strong integrity.

You need many more things to be able to do your work as a personal representative. If you have been named a personal representative in a loved one’s Will, allow your probate attorney to help you understand everything you need to carry out your role as a personal representative.

Qualities To Look for When Hiring a Probate Attorney

An attorney can help you to do your work as a personal representative. However, this is only possible if you hire the right attorney. The following are some of the qualities to look for when hiring a probate attorney;

• Knowledge and expertise in this unique field of law.
• Effective communication skills.
• Perseverance.
• Empathy.
• Integrity.

Contact a Fort Lauderdale Probate Attorney

Have you been named as the personal representative in a loved one’s Will? Contact a Fort Lauderdale probate attorney at Joyce A. Julian, P.A., to get help with the Florida probate process.

Source:

leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0700-0799/0733/Sections/0733.602.html#:~:text=A%20personal%20representative%20is%20under,best%20interests%20of%20the%20estate