(1) A personal representative’s fiduciary duty is the same as the fiduciary duty of a trustee of an express trust, and a personal representative is liable to interested persons for damage or loss resulting from the breach of this duty. In all actions for breach of fiduciary duty or challenging the exercise of or failure to exercise a personal representative’s powers, the court shall award taxable costs as in chancery actions, including attorney’s fees.
(2) When awarding taxable costs, including attorney’s fees, under this section, the court in its discretion may direct payment from a party’s interest, if any, in the estate or enter a judgment which may be satisfied from other property of the party, or both.
(3) This section shall apply to all proceedings commenced hereunder after the effective date, without regard to the date of the decedent’s death.
History.—s. 1, ch. 74-106; s. 78, ch. 75-220; s. 1006, ch. 97-102; s. 132, ch. 2001-226; s. 11, ch. 2003-154.
Structure Florida Statutes
Title XLII - Estates and Trusts
Chapter 733 - Probate Code: Administration of Estates
Part VI - Duties and Powers of Personal Representative (Ss. 733.601-733.620)
733.601 - Time of accrual of duties and powers.
733.603 - Personal representative to proceed without court order.
733.604 - Inventories and accountings; public records exemptions.
733.6065 - Opening safe-deposit box.
733.607 - Possession of estate.
733.608 - General power of the personal representative.
733.609 - Improper exercise of power; breach of fiduciary duty.
733.610 - Sale, encumbrance, or transaction involving conflict of interest.
733.611 - Persons dealing with the personal representative; protection.
733.612 - Transactions authorized for the personal representative; exceptions.
733.613 - Personal representative’s right to sell real property.
733.614 - Powers and duties of successor personal representative.
733.615 - Joint personal representatives; when joint action required.
733.616 - Powers of surviving personal representatives.
733.617 - Compensation of personal representative.
733.6171 - Compensation of attorney for the personal representative.