What Is The Family Allowance And What Is Its Purpose?
What happens when the person you were dependant on for every day support passes away? Will you be left without any assets? In Florida, the family allowance, discussed in Florida statute 732.403, comes to your rescue. When your spouse passes away and their estate goes through the probate process, the law allows the surviving spouse and any dependent lineal heirs to claim a family allowance. The maximum amount that is allowed to be claimed under the family allowance is $18,000.
The purpose of the allowance to ensure that a surviving spouse and any dependant lineal heirs, meaning parents, children and grandchildren, are not left without any resources during the probate process. The probate process is a long process and the family allowance enables the family to have some money to live off of until the probate is closed.<
If you have any questions about the probate process, please contact our probate attorney at Wood, Atter & Wolf, P.A. located in Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
