FL H1439

Financial institutions may pay funds from a deceased person's individual bank accounts (up to $1,000 aggregate) to a qualified family member without court proceedings, provided at least 6 months have passed since death and the family member submits a death certificate and sworn affidavit

Family member eligibility follows a hierarchy: surviving spouse first, then adult children, then adult descendants, then parents of the decedent

Creates an informal process for distributing intestate estates containing only exempt personal property plus nonexempt property valued at $10,000 or less (plus certain medical/funeral expenses), available when the decedent has been deceased more than 1 year with no pending administration

Financial institutions are protected from liability when releasing funds based on the affidavit, while the family member who receives funds remains personally liable to creditors and rightful heirs for amounts exceeding their proper share

Making a false statement in the affidavit to obtain funds constitutes theft under Florida law (s. 812.014)