Gov. Ron DeSantis signed HB 1337 on April 29, 2026, it became law, subject to its effective date- July 1, 2026.
Key changes include:
1. Summary administration threshold doubled- Florida’s “small estate” threshold for summary administration increases from $75,000 to $150,000.
That is probably the biggest practical change.
Under prior law, many middle-class estates were forced into formal administration simply because a homestead plus modest accounts exceeded $75k. Now substantially more estates can use summary administration, which is:
- faster,
- cheaper,
- less court-supervised,
- and often does not require appointment of a personal representative.
For probate practitioners, this likely means:
- fewer formal administrations,
- fewer inventories/accountings,
- and reduced judicial involvement in uncontested matters.
2. Expanded authority for personal representatives- The bill clarifies and expands powers of personal representatives (“PRs”), including expressly authorizing a PR to bring proceedings to enforce their authority.
This appears aimed at recurring practical problems where banks, financial institutions, or third parties refuse to honor PR authority without unnecessary court orders.
The legislation also revises:
- §733.603,
- §733.612,
- and creates/revises §733.6125.
The overall theme is: PRs should be able to act without constantly returning to court for permission in uncontested administrations.
3. Easier access to safe-deposit boxes and safeguarded property- The bill revises multiple banking statutes:
- §655.933,
- §655.936,
- §655.937.
This streamlines PR access to: safe-deposit boxes, safeguarded property, and jointly leased boxes after death.
The workgroup apparently identified this as a frequent source of delay and unnecessary hearings.
4. Reduced need for court involvement- This is the overarching policy goal.
The legislation was based on recommendations from the Florida Supreme Court’s Workgroup on Uncontested Probate Proceedings, created in 2024.
The reform effort is essentially trying to shift uncontested probate toward:
- administrative handling,
- less judicial micromanagement,
- fewer hearings,
- and fewer orders required for routine tasks.
5. Attorney’s fees and enforcement proceedings- The bill also revises attorney-fee provisions and recognizes certain enforcement actions as “extraordinary services.”
Practically, this matters where:
- a bank,
- custodian,
- or third party improperly refuses to recognize PR authority,
forcing estate counsel to litigate access or compliance issues.
The reforms appear intended to allow fee recovery in those circumstances.
6. Other “small estate” procedural expansions
The bill also amends statutes involving:
- payment to successors without court proceedings,
- income tax refunds,
- disposition without administration,
- and administration of intestate small estates.
The cumulative effect is broader use of simplified procedures outside formal probate.
From a practical probate-litigation perspective, the legislation is trying to acknowledge reality:
- most probate matters are uncontested,
- judges are spending time on administrative approvals,
- and clerical/court friction often delays distributions unnecessarily.
So this is less a “major doctrinal overhaul” and more a substantial procedural efficiency reform.
The official Florida Senate summary is here: Florida Senate Bill Summary for HB 1337
And the enrolled bill/statutory amendment listing is here: Florida Senate HB 1337 Bill Page
