Florida Statute Section 733.702 directs that to file a claim against an estate, a creditor shall file a written statement of the claim in the probate proceeding. When filing a claim, it is advisable to attach supporting documentation to substantiate the amounts owed by the decedent, or his/her estate, such as executed contracts or invoices. If a decedent owed you money, it is important that you consult with a Florida attorney to make sure you follow the correct steps to get your claim paid. There is a limited amount of time to file claims against an estate, so itís pivotal you donít miss the deadline. With any formal probate administration in Florida, the court requires a 90-day (3 month) creditor period to be initiated by publishing a ìNotice to Creditorsî in a local newspaper. During that 90-day period, any known or unknown creditors of the decedent will be able to file claims, and often times itís a collections agency working for a creditor that ends up searching for these publications and files the necessary claims. If the personal representative receives statements in the mail regarding unpaid bills or debts, then the attorney for the personal representative will mail those identified entities directly with the ìNotice to Creditorsî. Any party that is mailed a Notice to Creditors, will need to file their claim within 30 days of receiving the notice, or within the 90-day creditor window, whichever expires later. Once you file your claim, the personal representative of the estate will either pay the claim, object to the claim, or attempt to settle the claim for some reduced amount. Other interested persons, such as beneficiaries, may also file objections to your claim. If the personal representative or another interested party files an objection to your claim, you have only 30 days to make your next move, although the court may extend that time for good cause. In order to preserve your claim after an objection, you will need to file an independent civil suit against the estate, which is an independent lawsuit in the civil division rather than in the probate court. Filing an independent civil suit includes paying a filing fee for initiating the lawsuit.