How do I find a probate attorney specialized in foreign wills in florida?
Friday, March 12th, 2010 at
4:46 pm
I need a lawyer that specialize himself in foreign wills legalizing them in the State of Florida the broward count or any county, but that he will legalize this foreign document.
The deceased died in outsied USA in Guatemala and the property it is in Florida, broward county and yes I am inquiring about an ancillary adminsitration of an existing overseas probate and I do have the translated and certifid copies of all the foreign probate papers.
The Broward County Bar Association (954) 764-8040, has a referral service. In general a will must be probated in the jurisdiction where the deceased resided at death; unless s/he had no property there in which case it can be probated anywhere the deceased owned or had an interest in property. You don’t say where your deceased resided or where s/he owned properrty, but if s/he resided outside Florida then the will can only be admitted to probate in a Fla. county (or counties) where there was property. If the will and/or death certificates are in a foreign language they must be accompanied by certified translations. If you are inquiring about an "ancillary" administration of an existing overseas probate, then translations and certified copies of all the foreign probate papers must be submitted. If the estate beneficiaries are foreign residents or if there is property to be sold, it may require opening a US bank account and obtaining a US tax ID number.
You can start by using the Lawyer locator from the American Bar Association. I included a link below for your review. Make sure, however, to check before hiring a lawyer that he or she has not been disciplined or disbarred for misconduct. Good luck…