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The Florida Senate

2024 Florida Statutes

Title XLII ESTATES AND TRUSTS
Chapter 733 PROBATE CODE: ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES Entire Chapter
SECTION 617
Compensation of personal representative.
F.S. 733.617
733.617 Compensation of personal representative.—
(1) A personal representative shall be entitled to a commission payable from the estate assets without court order as compensation for ordinary services. The commission shall be based on the compensable value of the estate, which is the inventory value of the probate estate assets and the income earned by the estate during administration.
(2) A commission computed on the compensable value of the estate is presumed to be reasonable compensation for a personal representative in formal administration as follows:
(a) At the rate of 3 percent for the first $1 million.
(b) At the rate of 2.5 percent for all above $1 million and not exceeding $5 million.
(c) At the rate of 2 percent for all above $5 million and not exceeding $10 million.
(d) At the rate of 1.5 percent for all above $10 million.
(3) In addition to the previously described commission, a personal representative shall be allowed further compensation as is reasonable for any extraordinary services including, but not limited to:
(a) The sale of real or personal property.
(b) The conduct of litigation on behalf of or against the estate.
(c) Involvement in proceedings for the adjustment or payment of any taxes.
(d) The carrying on of the decedent’s business.
(e) Dealing with protected homestead.
(f) Any other special services which may be necessary for the personal representative to perform.
(4) If the will provides that a personal representative’s compensation shall be based upon specific criteria, other than a general reference to commissions allowed by law or words of similar import, including, but not limited to, rates, amounts, commissions, or reference to the personal representative’s regularly published schedule of fees in effect at the decedent’s date of death, or words of similar import, then a personal representative shall be entitled to compensation in accordance with that provision. However, except for references in the will to the personal representative’s regularly published schedule of fees in effect at the decedent’s date of death, or words of similar import, if there is no written contract with the decedent regarding compensation, a personal representative may renounce the provisions contained in the will and be entitled to compensation under this section. A personal representative may also renounce the right to all or any part of the compensation.
(5) If the probate estate’s compensable value is $100,000 or more, and there are two representatives, each personal representative is entitled to the full commission allowed to a sole personal representative. If there are more than two personal representatives and the probate estate’s compensable value is $100,000 or more, the compensation to which two would be entitled must be apportioned among the personal representatives. The basis for apportionment shall be one full commission allowed to the personal representative who has possession of and primary responsibility for administration of the assets and one full commission among the remaining personal representatives according to the services rendered by each of them respectively. If the probate estate’s compensable value is less than $100,000 and there is more than one personal representative, then one full commission must be apportioned among the personal representatives according to the services rendered by each of them respectively.
(6) Except as otherwise provided in this section, if the personal representative is a member of The Florida Bar and has rendered legal services in connection with the administration of the estate, then in addition to a fee as personal representative, there also shall be allowed a fee for the legal services rendered.
(7) Upon petition of any interested person, the court may increase or decrease the compensation for ordinary services of the personal representative or award compensation for extraordinary services if the facts and circumstances of the particular administration warrant. In determining reasonable compensation, the court shall consider all of the following factors, giving weight to each as it determines to be appropriate:
(a) The promptness, efficiency, and skill with which the administration was handled by the personal representative;
(b) The responsibilities assumed by and the potential liabilities of the personal representative;
(c) The nature and value of the assets that are affected by the decedent’s death;
(d) The benefits or detriments resulting to the estate or interested persons from the personal representative’s services;
(e) The complexity or simplicity of the administration and the novelty of the issues presented;
(f) The personal representative’s participation in tax planning for the estate and the estate’s beneficiaries and in tax return preparation, review, or approval;
(g) The nature of the probate, nonprobate, and exempt assets, the expenses of administration, the liabilities of the decedent, and the compensation paid to other professionals and fiduciaries;
(h) Any delay in payment of the compensation after the services were furnished; and
(i) Any other relevant factors.
(8)(a) An attorney serving as a personal representative, or a person related to the attorney, is not entitled to compensation for serving as a personal representative if the attorney prepared or supervised the execution of the will that nominated the attorney or person related to the attorney as personal representative, unless the attorney or person nominated is related to the testator, or the attorney makes the following disclosures to the testator before the will is executed:
1. Subject to certain statutory limitations, most family members, regardless of their residence, and any other persons who are residents of Florida, including friends and corporate fiduciaries, are eligible to serve as a personal representative;
2. Any person, including an attorney, who serves as a personal representative is entitled to receive reasonable compensation for serving as a personal representative; and
3. Compensation payable to the personal representative is in addition to any attorney fees payable to the attorney or the attorney’s firm for legal services rendered to the personal representative.
(b)1. The testator must execute a written statement acknowledging that the disclosures required under paragraph (a) were made prior to the execution of the will. The written statement must be in a separate writing from the will but may be annexed to the will. The written statement may be executed before or after the execution of the will in which the attorney or related person is nominated as the personal representative.
2. The written statement must be in substantially the following form:

I,   (Name)  , declare that:

I have designated my attorney, an attorney employed in the same law firm as my attorney, or a person related to my attorney as a nominated personal representative in my will or codicil dated   (insert date)  .

Before executing the will or codicil, I was informed that:

1. Subject to certain statutory limitations, most family members, regardless of their residence, and any other individuals who are residents of Florida, including friends and corporate fiduciaries, are eligible to serve as a personal representative.

2. Any person, including an attorney, who serves as a personal representative is entitled to receive reasonable compensation for serving as a personal representative.

3. Compensation payable to the personal representative is in addition to any attorney fees payable to the attorney or the attorney’s firm for legal services rendered to the personal representative.

  (Signature)  

  (Testator)  

  (Insert date)  

(c) For purposes of this subsection:
1. An attorney is deemed to have prepared or supervised the execution of a will if the preparation or supervision of the execution of the will was performed by an employee or attorney employed by the same firm as the attorney at the time the will was executed.
2. A person is “related” to an individual if, at the time the attorney prepared or supervised the execution of the will, the person is:
a. A spouse of the individual;
b. A lineal ascendant or descendant of the individual;
c. A sibling of the individual;
d. A relative of the individual or of the individual’s spouse with whom the attorney maintains a close, familial relationship;
e. A spouse of a person described in sub-subparagraphs b.-d.;
f. A person who cohabitates with the individual; or
g. An employee or attorney employed by the same firm as the attorney at the time the will is executed.
3. An attorney or a person related to the attorney is deemed to have been nominated in the will when the will nominates the attorney or the person related to the attorney as personal representative, copersonal representative, successor, or alternate personal representative in the event another person nominated is unable to or unwilling to serve, or provides the attorney or any person related to the attorney with the power to nominate the personal representative and the attorney or person related to the attorney was nominated using that power.
(d) Other than compensation payable to the personal representative, this subsection does not limit any rights or remedies that any interested person may have at law or in equity.
(e) The failure to obtain an acknowledgment from the testator under this subsection does not disqualify a personal representative from serving and does not affect the validity of a will.
(f) This subsection applies to all nominations made pursuant to a will:
1. Executed by a resident of this state on or after October 1, 2020; or
2. Republished by a resident of this state on or after October 1, 2020, if the republished will nominates the attorney who prepared or supervised the execution of the instrument that republished the will, or a person related to such attorney, as personal representative.
History.—s. 1, ch. 74-106; s. 80, ch. 75-220; s. 1, ch. 76-172; s. 5, ch. 88-340; s. 1, ch. 90-129; s. 10, ch. 93-257; s. 1, ch. 95-401; s. 141, ch. 2001-226; s. 109, ch. 2002-1; s. 8, ch. 2020-67.
Note.—Created from former s. 734.01.