If you are asked to serve as an executor of an estate in Florida there are a range of issues you will have to deal with once it comes time to manage the estate. But apart from all the required probate procedures you will have to go through, there are some relatively new concerns that executors should be aware of. One of the more problematic that has been occurring in recent years is when the decedent is subjected to identity theft.
According to a recent study about 2.5 million deceased Americans had their identities stolen last year. This includes everything from thieves using a decedent’s Social Security number to adopting a deceased person’s identity to open new financial accounts.
Some identity thieves, for example, steal a decedent’s information to open new credit card accounts and then use those credit cards to make fraudulent purchases. Then, when the bill comes due, it falls to the executor to determine what happened.
It’s important for executors to always have competent legal representation, especially when you’re dealing with a debt that could have been incurred because of identity theft. It’s also important to always keep meticulous records and to notify all relevant government agencies of the decedent’s death as soon as possible.
If possible, you might also want to ensure that personal information is carefully guarded before the decedent dies. If, for example, he or she is living in a nursing home environment, you should keep strict control over who might have access to personal financial information.
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