Title: In Re: Amendments To The Florida Probate Rules

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

Supreme Court of Florida 
 
 
____________ 
 
No. SC10-1928 
____________ 
 
 
IN RE:  AMENDMENTS TO THE FLORIDA PROBATE RULES. 
 
[July 7, 2011] 
 
PER CURIAM. 
 
In the December 9, 2010, opinion in this case, the Court amended the 
Florida Probate Rules, in response to recent changes to the Florida Probate Code.  
In re Amendments to the Florida Probate Rules, 51 So. 3d 1146 (Fla. 2010).  The 
opinion gave interested persons sixty days to comment on the amendments.  Id.   
After considering the sole comment filed by the Real Property, Probate and Trust 
Law Section of The Florida Bar and the Probate Rules Committee’s response to 
that comment, we further amend Probate Rule 5.260(b).1   
We amend subdivision (b) (Content) of rule 5.260 (Caveat; Proceedings) to 
reincorporate the deleted requirement that a caveat contain certain personal 
information about the decendent and the caveator.   We deleted from the rule the 
                                         
 
1.  We have jurisdiction.  See art. V, § 2(a), Fla. Const. 
 
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requirement that a caveat contain certain personal information because the 
requirement had been deleted from section 731.110, Florida Statutes by chapter 
2010-132, section 3, Laws of Florida.  See 51 So. 3d at 1146.   In its comment, the 
Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section explained that the Section’s Probate 
Law Committee had urged the deletion of the content requirements from the statute 
because the committee determined the requirements was more properly addressed 
by the rule than by statute.  See Fla. Prob. R. 5.010 comm. note (1988) (providing 
that the Rules Committee, through the Section, will seek repeal of procedural 
portions of the Probate Code that are addressed by rule).  The Rules Committee 
agrees with the Section’s suggested changes to the rule.  Accordingly, we amend 
rule 5.260(b), as reflected in the appendix to this opinion. 
First, as suggested by the Section, we replace the term “decedent” with “the 
person for whom the estate will be, or is being, administered” to account for the 
fact that an interested person other than a creditor may now file a caveat prior to 
the death of the subject of the caveat.  We also replace the deleted requirement that 
a caveat contain the subject of the caveat’s social security number or birth date, 
and a statement of the caveator’s interest in the estate.  However, as amended, 
subdivision (b) now limits the listing of the social security number to the last four 
digits and birth date to the year of birth.  These limitations are consistent with 
amendments intended to minimize personal information filed with the court made 
 
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in In re Implementation of Committee on Privacy & Court Records 
Recommendations, No. SC08-2443 (Fla. June 30, 2011).  
Accordingly, we amend the Florida Probate Rules as reflected in the 
appendix to this opinion.  New language is underscored, and deleted language is 
struck through.   The amendments shall become effective immediately upon the 
release of this opinion.   
 
It is so ordered. 
CANADY, C.J., and PARIENTE, LEWIS, QUINCE, POLSTON, LABARGA, 
and PERRY, JJ., concur. 
 
THE FILING OF A MOTION FOR REHEARING SHALL NOT ALTER THE 
EFFECTIVE DATE OF THESE AMENDMENTS. 
 
Original Proceeding – The Florida Probate Rules Committee 
 
Jeffrey Scott Goethe, Chair, Florida Probate Rules Committee, Bradenton, Florida, 
John F. Harkness, Jr., Executive Director and Krys Godwin, Staff Liaison, The 
Florida Bar, Tallahassee, Florida, 
 
 
for Petitioner 
 
Brian J. Felcoski, Chair, Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of The 
Florida Bar, Coral Gables, Florida, 
 
 
Responding with comments 
 
 
 
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APPENDIX 
 
RULE 5.260. 
CAVEAT; PROCEEDINGS   
 
(a) 
 [No change] 
 
(b) Contents. The caveat shall contain the decedent’s name, of the person for 
whom the estate will be, or is being, administered, the last 4 digits of the person’s 
social security number or year of birth, if known, a statement of the interest of the 
caveator in the estate, and the name and specific mailing address of the caveator.    
 
(c) - (f) [No change] 
 
 
 
Committee Notes 
 
[No Change] 
 
Rule History  
 
1977 Revision – 2010 Out-of-Cycle Report Revision: [No change] 
 
2011 Revision : Subdivision (b) amended to replace language removed in 2010 
out-of-cycle revision, to replace term “decedent” with “person for whom the estate 
will be, or is being, administered,” and to limit listing of a social security number 
to the last four digits and a date of birth to the year of birth. 
 
Statutory Reference  
 
[No Change] 
  
Rule Reference  
 
[No Change]