If you’ve ever served as a personal representative in Florida, you already know the drill. You walk into the bank with court-issued Letters of Administration (the document that’s supposed to prove you have full legal authority to act for the estate) and instead of getting help, you get a runaround. Instead, they want you to complete a form the bank invented, or demand a notarized indemnity agreement. Even still, sometimes they insist that only one specific branch can handle “estate matters.”

Starting July 1, 2026, that runaround comes with a price tag, and the bank is the one who pays it.

A New Florida Law Gives Estates a Real Weapon

A new statute, Florida Statutes § 733.6125, takes effect this summer as part of a broader probate reform package the Legislature passed this year. It gives personal representatives a fast, targeted way to go to court when a bank or brokerage firm won’t honor valid Letters of Administration or piles on requirements that Florida law doesn’t actually require.

Here’s the part that matters most: if a judge agrees the institution was stonewalling without a legitimate legal reason, the institution has to pay the personal representative’s attorney’s fees and costs for making them comply.

That’s a real change. Until now, a bank could drag its feet indefinitely, because fighting it in court usually costs more than just putting up with the delay. Most families and their attorneys simply absorbed the cost. Under the new law, dragging their feet becomes expensive for the bank, not for you.

Getting Into the Safe Deposit Box Gets Easier, Too

The same reform also fixes a smaller but very real headache: safe deposit boxes. Under the old rules, many banks required a separate court order before they’d let a personal representative open a decedent’s box, even when that person already had valid Letters of Administration in hand. That extra step could add weeks to an estate that was otherwise ready to close.

As of July 1, banks are required to grant access to the box once you present your Letters of Administration. No separate order is needed.

What This Actually Means for You

If you’re currently serving as a personal representative, or about to be appointed as one:

• You now have leverage. Simply letting an institution know that unjustified refusal can result in them paying your legal fees tends to speed things up, often before a case ever needs to go before a judge.
• Fewer excuses will hold up. Extra forms, indemnification demands, branch restrictions, and requests for documents beyond what the law requires no longer come free of consequence for the institution imposing them.
• Safe deposit boxes should open faster. If a bank tells you that you need a court order just to access a box, that’s worth a second look under the new law.

One important detail: this law applies to estates of people who pass away on or after July 1, 2026. If an estate was already opened before that date, it’s still governed by the prior rules.

If a Bank Is Already Giving You Trouble

If you’re in the middle of an estate administration right now and running into resistance from a financial institution, it’s worth talking to an attorney about your options.  Sometimes just knowing the law is about to change is enough to get an institution moving.

The information on this blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship with Sanchez Law Group, P.A. For advice specific to your situation, please contact our office to schedule a consultation.

Florida statutes are amended regularly; consult a Florida-licensed attorney for guidance specific to your matter.