Florida residents may know that when a person dies, his or her estate may need to go through probate. This is the case for the estate of singer Glen Campbell, who died in August 2017. The interim administrator for his estate is asking for additional powers to complete tasks ahead of federal deadlines. Currently, he only has the power to collect money and make mandatory payments.
He would like the ability to hire outside experts to place a value on royalties and other assets within the estate. A judge was also asked to order the singer’s three children to certify their will contest. Those children were excluded from the will and were challenging it in probate court. By filing the certification, the interim administrator believes that he can better determine how long he will need to serve in that role.
There was a May 8 deadline to produce an inventory of the estate’s assets, but a six-month extension was granted. According to the interim executor’s petition, the will contest is making it difficult to perform normal administrative duties. The petition also said that meeting the deadline will make it possible to transfer the deceased’s estate tax exemption to his surviving wife. This statement was based on a prior motion filed by the singer’s spouse.
Although probate isn’t always a lengthy or complicated process, this is not true in all cases. To reduce the possibility of having to go through probate, an individual may want to put assets in a trust. It may also be possible to title assets in a manner that allows them to be passed to a designated person.