Are TOD and POD accounts guaranteed to avoid Florida probate? No, not anymore.  While Transfer on Death (TOD) and Payable on Death (POD) accounts are specifically designed to bypass probate by passing assets directly to beneficiaries, we are seeing a rapidly increasing frequency in Florida where these accounts fail. This failure forces the estate into the court process, costing heirs time and legal fees. The primary cause is not a flaw in the law, but an administrative failur

Quick Summary:   Many Florida residents assume listing a "Transfer on Death" (TOD) or "Payable on Death" (POD) beneficiary protects their accounts from probate. However, if your financial institution merges or transfers your account to a new company, the original beneficiary paperwork can get lost. Without written confirmation from the new institution, your heirs may be forced into probate even if your monthly statements list them as beneficiaries. We are noticing an alarming