(1) The court may award taxable costs as in chancery actions, including attorney fees, in any proceeding under this part in which there is an objection to or dispute over:
(a) The entitlement to or the amount of the elective share;
(b) The property interests included in the elective estate, or its value; or
(c) The satisfaction of the elective share.
(2) When awarding taxable costs or attorney fees, the court may do one or more of the following:
(a) Direct payment from the estate.
(b) Direct payment from a party’s interest in the elective share or the elective estate.
(c) Enter a judgment that can be satisfied from other property of the party.
(3) In addition to any of the fees that may be awarded under subsections (1) and (2), if the personal representative does not file a petition to determine the amount of the elective share as required by the Florida Probate Rules, the electing spouse or the attorney in fact, guardian of the property, or personal representative of the electing spouse may be awarded from the estate reasonable costs, including attorney fees, incurred in connection with the preparation and filing of the petition.
(4) This section applies to all proceedings commenced on or after July 1, 2017, without regard to the date of the decedent’s death.
History.—s. 11, ch. 2017-121.
Structure Florida Statutes
Title XLII - Estates and Trusts
Chapter 732 - Probate Code: Intestate Succession and Wills
Part II - Elective Share of Surviving Spouse; Rights in Community Property (Ss. 732.201-732.228)
732.201 - Right to elective share.
732.2035 - Property entering into elective estate.
732.2045 - Exclusions and overlapping application.
732.2055 - Valuation of the elective estate.
732.2065 - Amount of the elective share.
732.2075 - Sources from which elective share payable; abatement.
732.2085 - Liability of direct recipients and beneficiaries.
732.2095 - Valuation of property used to satisfy elective share.
732.2105 - Effect of election on other interests.
732.2115 - Protection of payors and other third parties.
732.2125 - Right of election; by whom exercisable.
732.2135 - Time of election; extensions; withdrawal.
732.2145 - Order of contribution; personal representative’s duty to collect contribution.
732.2151 - Award of fees and costs in elective share proceedings.
732.2155 - Effective date; effect of prior waivers; transition rules.
732.218 - Rebuttable presumptions.
732.219 - Disposition upon death.
732.221 - Perfection of title of personal representative or beneficiary.
732.222 - Purchaser for value or lender.
732.223 - Perfection of title of surviving spouse.
732.225 - Acts of married persons.