Letters Of Administration

There are all sorts of forms executors, beneficiaries, and probate court clerks have to fill out and correspond with during probate and estate settlement, including affidavits, letters, petitions, summons, orders, and notices.

Letters Of Administration is a commonly used form within Florida. Here’s an overview of what the form is and means, including a breakdown of the situations when (or why) you may need to use it:

Atticus Fast Facts About Letters Of Administration

Sometimes it’s tough to find a quick summary— here’s the important details you should know about Letters Of Administration:

• This form pertains to the State of Florida

Government forms are not typically updated often, though when they are, it often happens rather quietly. While Atticus works hard to keep this information about Florida’s Form E4-A - Letters Of Administration up to date, certain details can change from time-to-time with little or no communication.

Step 1 - Download the correct Florida form based on the name and ID if applicable

Double check that you have both the correct form name and the correct form ID. Some Florida probate forms can look remarkably similar, so it’s best to double, even triple-check that you’re using the right one! Keep in mind that not all States have a standardized Form ID system for their probate forms.

Step 2 - Complete the Document

Fill out all relevant fields in Form E4-A, take a break, and then review. Probate and estate settlement processes in FL are long enough to begin with, and making a silly error can push your timeline even farther back. No thank you!

Note: If you don’t currently know all of the answers and are accessing Form E4-A online, be sure to avoid closing the browser tab and potentially losing all your progress (or use a platform like Atticus to help avoid making mistakes).

Step 3 - Have Form E4-A witnessed or notarized (if required)

Some States and situations require particular forms to be notarized. If you have been instructed to get the document notarized or see it in writing on the document, then make sure to hire a local notary. There are max notary fees in the United States that are defined and set by local law. Take a look at our full guide to notary fees to make sure you aren’t overpaying or getting ripped off.

Step 4 - Submit Letters Of Administration to the relevant office

This is most often the local probate court where the decedent (person who passed away) is domiciled (permanently resides) or the institution involved with this particular form (e.g. a bank). Some offices allow you to submit forms online, other’s don’t, and we while we generally recommend going in-person to expedite the process, sometimes that simply isn’t an option.

It’s also a generally good idea to establish a positive working relationship with any probate clerk (unfortunately there’s enough people & process out there making things more difficult and unnecessarily confusing for them), so a best practice is to simply ask the probate clerk proactively exactly how and where they’d prefer you to submit all forms.

Need help getting in touch with a local probate court or identifying a domicile probate jurisdiction?

👉 Find and Contact your Local Probate Court

👉 What is a Domicile Jurisdiction?

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Different probate forms or processes can require different deadlines or response times for completing the appropriate form.

While some steps in the process are bound to specific deadlines (like petitioning for probate, having to submit an inventory of assets, or filing applicable notices to creditors and beneficiaries), many probate forms or processes are not tied to a specific deadline since the scope of work can vary based on situational factors or requirements involved.

Either way, there are a bunch of practical reasons why personal representatives should work to complete each step as thoroughly and quickly as possible when completing probate in Florida.

5 reasons you should submit E4-A as quickly as possible:

1. The sooner you begin, the faster Florida can allow heirs and beneficiaries to get their share of assets subject to probate. Acting promptly can also decrease the costs & overall mental fatigue through an otherwise burdensome process.
   
   Helpful Context: What’s the Difference Between Probate and Non-Probate Assets?

2. In general, creditors of an estate usually have around 3-6 months from the time you file notice to creditors to file any claims for debt against the deceased’s assets. If they don’t, then that debt is forfeited (and more importantly, the executor won’t be held personally responsible). So doing this sooner means you have a better idea of who is owed what and ensures you won’t get a surprise collector months later.

3. Not filing a will within 30 days (on average) could mean that the probate process proceeds according to intestate laws (laws that govern what happens to someone's stuff without a will) or is subject to unnecessary supervision by the probate court. And if you aren't directly related to the deceased (a.k.a. next of kin), this could also mean you lose your inheritance.

4. It’s important to file any necessary state tax returns on behalf of the deceased or estate by the following tax season in Florida. If you don’t, you could owe penalties and interest. This also includes any necessary federal tax returns such as Forms 1040, 1041, or even a Form 706 estate tax return.

5. If a house in the State of Florida is left empty (or abandoned) for a while, insurance can get dicey. For example, if the house burns down and no one has been there for a year, an insurance company may get out of paying your claim.

If you’re not using Atticus to get specific forms, deadlines, and timelines for Florida probate, then try and stay as organized as possible, pay close attention to the dates mentioned in any correspondence you have with the State’s government officials, call the local Florida probate clerk or court for exact answers regarding Form E4-A, and when in doubt— consult a qualified trust & estates lawyer for that area.

Letters Of Administration is one of the many probate court forms available for download through Atticus.

It may also be available through some Florida probate court sites, such as . In order to access the latest version, be updated with any revisions, and get full instructions on how to complete each form, check out the Atticus Probate & Estate Settlement software or consider hiring a qualified legal expert locally within Florida.

While Atticus automatically provides the latest forms, be sure to choose the correct version of Form E4-A - Letters Of Administration f using any other site or resource in order to avoid having to re-complete the form process and/or make another trip to the Florida probate court office.

Letters Of Administration is a .pdf, so opening it should be as simple as clicking “View Form” from within the Atticus app or by clicking the appropriate link found on any Florida-provided government platform. Once you’ve opened the form, you should be able to directly edit the form before saving or printing.

Here’s the text, verbatim, that is found on Florida Form E4-A - Letters Of Administration. You can use this to get an idea of the context of the form and what type of information is needed.

IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE ELEVENTH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT, IN AND FOR MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA PROBATE DIVISION IN RE: ESTATE OF ________________________________________________, Deceased. Case No. __________________ Section __ ___ E-4A LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION (Bond) TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: WHEREAS, ___________________________________ a resident of ____________________, died on ______________________ (“Decedent”), owning assets in the State of Florida, and WHEREAS, ________________________________________________________ has/have been appointed personal representative(s) (“Personal Representative(s)”) of the Decedent’s estate (“Decedent’s Estate”) and has/have performed all acts prerequisite to issuance of Letters of Administration in the estate, NOW, THEREFORE, I, the undersigned circuit judge, declare ____________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ duly qualified under the laws of the State of Florida to act as Personal Representative(s) of Decedent’s Estate, with full power to administer the Estate according to law; to ask, demand, sue for, recover and receive the property of the Decedent; to pay the debts of the Decedent as far as the assets of the Estate will permit and the law directs; and to make distribution of the Estate according to law. These Letters of Administration are subject to the following restrictions: This Estate must be closed within 12 months, unless it is contested or its closing date is extended by court order. Entry into any safe deposit box requires further court order. Inventory shall be filed within 60 days. ORDERED on the ______day of ___________, 20_____. __________________________________________ Circuit Judge