Florida Rules of Probate and Guardianship Procedure, In re, 48503

• Decision Date: 17 December 1975
• Docket Number: No. 48503,48503
• Citation: 324 So.2d 38
• Parties: In re FLORIDA RULES OF PROBATE AND GUARDIANSHIP PROCEDURE.
• Court: Florida Supreme Court

Page 38

324 So.2d 38

In re FLORIDA RULES OF PROBATE AND GUARDIANSHIP PROCEDURE.

No. 48503.

Supreme Court of Florida.

Dec. 17, 1975.

J. Rex Farrior, Jr., Tampa, President of The Florida Bar; and James J. Altman, New Port Richey, Chairman of the Probate and Guardianship Rules Committee, for The Florida Bar.

PER CURIAM.

Appended to this opinion are new Rules of Probate and Guardianship Procedure.

These new rules are necessitated by the new Florida Probate Code and Florida Guardianship Law, as amended, which becomes effective January 1, 1976.

These rules shall govern all proceedings within their scope from and after 12:01 a.m., January 1, 1976. All present Rules of Probate and Guardianship Procedure are hereby superseded as of said date.

Petition was filed in this Court on December 8, 1975. Notice was given of an immediate hearing for temporary adoption of these rules to individuals having an interest in the rules and being representative of both the legislative and judicial branches and the appropriate committees of The Florida Bar. Hearing was held on December 10, 1975. This Court is required to act immediately without the usual notice procedure because of the January 1, 1976 effective date of the new Florida Probate Code.

In adopting these rules, we consider them transitional and temporary in nature, and request the Probate and Guardianship Rules Committee of The Florida Bar and other interested parties to file any appropriate suggestions or objections on or before June 15, 1976.

Copies of these rules will be distributed immediately to judges serving in probate and to the respective law libraries in the state.

It is so ordered.

ADKINS, C.J., and ROBERTS, BOYD, OVERTON, ENGLAND, SUNDBERG and HATCHETT, JJ., concur.

APPENDIX

IN RE: CHANGES IN PROBATE AND GUARDIANSHIP RULES

PETITION OF THE FLORIDA BAR

The Florida Bar respectfully shows:

1. That pursuant to the request for the preparation of new probate and guardianship rules required as a result of the enactment of the Florida Probate Code which becomes effective January 1, 1976, the Probate and Guardianship Rules Committee of The Florida Bar has prepared a complete set of rules which have been heretofore approved by the Committee and also by the Board of Governors of The Florida Bar.

2. The proposed new probate and guardianship rules are attached to this petition and consist of the following rules:

Rule 5.010 Rule 5.175 Rule 5.360 Rule 5.530

Rule 5.015 Rule 5.180 Rule 5.370 Rule 5.540

Rule 5.020 Rule 5.190 Rule 5.380 Rule 5.550

Rule 5.025 Rule 5.200 Rule 5.390 Rule 5.560

Rule 5.030 Rule 5.210 Rule 5.400 Rule 5.570

Rule 5.040 Rule 5.230 Rule 5.410 Rule 5.590

Rule 5.050 Rule 5.240 Rule 5.420 Rule 5.610

Rule 5.060 Rule 5.260 Rule 5.430 Rule 5.620

Rule 5.070 Rule 5.270 Rule 5.440 Rule 5.630

Rule 5.080 Rule 5.280 Rule 5.450 Rule 5.640

Rule 5.090 Rule 5.290 Rule 5.460 Rule 5.650

Rule 5.100 Rule 5.310 Rule 5.470 Rule 5.660

Rule 5.110 Rule 5.320 Rule 5.480 Rule 5.670

Rule 5.120 Rule 5.330 Rule 5.490 Rule 5.680

Rule 5.150 Rule 5.340 Rule 5.500 Rule 5.690

Rule 5.160 Rule 5.345 Rule 5.510 Rule 5.700

Rule 5.170 Rule 5.350 Rule 5.520 Rule 5.600

3. The Florida Bar, through its Board of Governors, urges the prompt consideration of these rules.

Respectfully submitted,

THE FLORIDA BAR

By: (s) J. Rex Farrior, Jr.

J. Rex Farrior, Jr.

President

By: (s) James J. Altman

James J. Altman, Chairman

Probate and Guardianship

Rules Committee

PROBATE AND GUARDIANSHIP RULES

FOREWORD

The reason for the change in the Probate and Guardianship Rules is to conform to the Florida Probate Code and the Florida Guardianship Law, as amended.

In some instances the rules contain the exact wording of a particular statute or sections of it. This was done for clarity and continuity in the rules and to attempt to give the court and the practitioner a more complete coverage of the pertinent provisions of the subject matter in one source.

INDEX

PART I--GENERAL:

                --------------------
                              5.010.  SCOPE
                              5.015.  GENERAL DEFINITIONS
                              5.020.  PLEADINGS; VERIFICATION; COPIES
                              5.025.  ADVERSARY PROCEEDINGS
                              5.030.  ATTORNEYS
                              5.040.  NOTICE; METHOD AND TIME; PROOF
                              5.050.  VENUE
                              5.060.  REQUEST FOR NOTICES AND COPIES OF PLEADINGS
                              5.070.  SUBPOENA
                              5.080.  DEPOSITIONS AND DISCOVERY
                              5.090.  ALLOCATION OF COSTS, EXPENSES, FEES AND COMMISSIONS
                              5.100.  RIGHT OF APPEAL
                              5.110.  RESIDENT AGENT
                              5.120.  ADMINISTRATOR AD LITEM AND GUARDIAN AD LITEM
                              5.150.  ORDER REQUIRING ACCOUNTING
                              5.160.  PRODUCTION OF ASSETS
                              5.170.  EVIDENCE AS TO DEATH OR STATUS
                              5.175.  VIRTUAL AND OTHER REPRESENTATION
                              5.180.  NOTICE; WAIVER
                

PART II--PROBATE:

                --------------------
                              5.190.  DEFINITIONS
                              5.200.  PETITION FOR ADMINISTRATION
                              5.210.  PROOF OF WILLS
                              5.230.  COMMISSION TO PROVE WILL
                              5.240.  NOTICE OF ADMINISTRATION; FILING OF OBJECTIONS AND CLAIMS
                              5.260.  CAVEAT; PROCEEDINGS
                              5.270.  REVOCATION OF PROBATE
                              5.280.  PROBATE OF WILL WRITTEN IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE
                              5.290.  PROBATE OF NOTARIAL WILL
                              5.310.  DISQUALIFICATION OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE; NOTIFICATION
                              5.320.  OATH OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE
                              5.330.  EXECUTION BY PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE
                              5.340.  INVENTORY
                              5.345.  ELECTION OF FISCAL YEAR; INTERIM ACCOUNTINGS; OBJECTIONS
                                        TO INTERIM ACCOUNTINGS
                              5.350.  CONTINUANCE OF BUSINESS OF DECEDENT
                              5.360.  DUTY TO PAY ELECTIVE SHARE
                              5.370.  SALES OF REAL PROPERTY WHERE NO POWER CONFERRED
                              5.380.  PROCEEDINGS FOR COMPULSORY PAYMENT OF DEVISES OR
                                        DISTRIBUTIVE INTEREST
                              5.390.  PARTITION FOR PURPOSE OF DISTRIBUTION
                              5.400.  DISTRIBUTION; FINAL DISCHARGE
                              5.410.  EXEMPT ESTATES
                              5.420.  DISPOSITION WITHOUT ADMINISTRATION
                              5.430.  RESIGNATION OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE
                              5.440.  PROCEEDINGS FOR REMOVAL
                              5.450.  ADMINISTRATION FOLLOWING DEATH; RESIGNATION OR REMOVAL
                              5.460.  SUBSEQUENT ADMINISTRATION
                              5.470.  ANCILLARY ADMINISTRATION
                              5.480.  FORM; FILING; RECORDING AND SERVICE OF DISCLAIMER
                                        INSTRUMENTS
                              5.490.  FORM AND MANNER OF PRESENTING CLAIM
                              5.500.  PROBATE OF WILL OF RESIDENT AFTER FOREIGN PROBATE
                              5.510.  ESTABLISHMENT AND PROBATE OF LOST OR DESTROYED WILL
                              5.520.  PETITION FOR FAMILY ADMINISTRATION
                              5.530.  SUMMARY ADMINISTRATION; PETITION; HEARING AND
                                        DISTRIBUTION
                

PART

III--GUARDIANSHIP:

                --------------------
                              5.540.  DEFINITIONS
                              5.550.  PETITION FOR ADJUDICATION OF INCOMPETENCY
                              5.560.  PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIAN
                              5.570.  NOTICE: ADJUDICATION OF INCOMPETENCY AND APPOINTMENT OF
                                        GUARDIAN
                              5.590.  DISQUALIFICATION OF GUARDIAN: NOTIFICATION
                              5.600.  OATH
                              5.610.  EXECUTION BY GUARDIAN
                              5.620.  INVENTORY; APPRAISALS
                              5.630.  PETITION AND NOTICE FOR APPROVAL OF ACTS
                              5.640.  CONTINUANCE OF BUSINESS OF WARD
                              5.650.  RESIGNATION OF GUARDIAN AND APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR
                              5.660.  PROCEEDINGS FOR REMOVAL OF GUARDIAN
                              5.670.  TERMINATION OF GUARDIANSHIP ON CHANGE OF DOMICILE OF
                                        RESIDENT WARD
                              5.680.  TERMINATION OF GUARDIANSHIP UPON REMOVAL OF WARD'S
                                        INCAPACITY, DEATH OR EXHAUSTION OF ASSETS
                              5.690.  ANNUAL ACCOUNTINGS
                              5.700.  OBJECTIONS TO ANNUAL ACCOUNTINGS
                

PROBATE AND GUARDIANSHIP RULES

PART I--GENERAL

RULE 5.010. SCOPE

These rules govern the procedure in all probate and guardianship proceedings and Rule 5.010. Committee Note:

shall be known and cited as the Rules of Probate and Guardianship Procedure and may be abbreviated as "PGR". Part I of these rules applies to both probate and guardianship procedure. Part II applies to probate alone and Part III to guardianship alone. The Rules of Civil Procedure apply only as provided herein.

These rules shall govern the procedures to be followed in all matters pending on or commenced after January 1, 1976, including procedures for the enforcement of substantive rights that have vested before that date. See FPC 731.011.

PROPOSED RULE

RULE 5.015. GENERAL DEFINITIONS

Words not defined in these rules shall have the meanings as defined in the Florida Probate Code and Florida Guardianship Law, as amended from time to time. (See PGR 5.190 and 5.540.)

Rule 5.015. Committee Note:

This is intended to simplify drafting of these rules and should be liberally construed. See PGR 5.190 and 5.540 and also PFC 731.201 and FGL 744.102.

PROPOSED RULE

RULE 5.020. PLEADINGS; VERIFICATION; COPIES

(a) Forms of Pleading. Pleadings shall be signed by the attorney of record, and by the pleader when required by these rules. All technical forms of pleadings are abolished. No defect of form impairs substantial rights, and no defect in the statement of jurisdictional facts actually existing renders any proceeding void.

(b) Petition. The petition shall contain a short and plain statement of the relief sought, the grounds therefor, and the jurisdiction of the court where the same has not already been shown.

(c) Verification. When verification is required by these rules or the FPC, the document filed shall include an oath, affirmation or the following statement:

"Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have read the foregoing and the facts alleged are...