Florida Statute 733.601
“Time of accrual of duties and powers”
What it means
A personal representative's duties and powers commence upon appointment. The statute fixes the start at appointment, not at the date of death.
The powers also relate back. Acts by the person appointed, occurring before appointment and beneficial to the estate, have the same effect as acts occurring after appointment. In addition, a PR may ratify and accept acts done on behalf of the estate by others, when the acts would have been proper for a personal representative.
- Duties and powers commence upon appointment (§ 733.601, first sentence).
- Powers relate back to give acts by the person appointed, before appointment, the same effect as acts after appointment (§ 733.601, second sentence).
- Relation back applies only to acts that were beneficial to the estate (§ 733.601, second sentence).
- A PR may ratify and accept acts done on the estate's behalf by others when the acts would have been proper for a PR (§ 733.601, third sentence).
Text of the statute (2026)
The duties and powers of a personal representative commence upon appointment.
The powers of a personal representative relate back in time to give acts by the person appointed, occurring before appointment and beneficial to the estate, the same effect as those occurring after appointment.
A personal representative may ratify and accept acts on behalf of the estate done by others when the acts would have been proper for a personal representative.
Excerpts are the subsections the summary relies on. Read the full official text of § 733.601.
History. s. 1, ch. 74-106; s. 74, ch. 75-220; s. 1000, ch. 97-102; s. 124, ch. 2001-226.
How it applies
Under § 733.601, duties and powers commence upon appointment. Once a person is appointed, the relation-back sentence gives acts by that person before appointment, if beneficial to the estate, the same effect as acts after appointment. If someone else acted on behalf of the estate, the PR may ratify and accept those acts when they would have been proper for a PR. The text relates back only acts that were beneficial to the estate.
Where this shows up
Pages on this site where § 733.601 does real work:
- What to do in the first 72 hours after a death in Florida
- Florida probate timeline 2026: deadlines and steps from death to discharge
- Florida personal representative duties: who can serve, a phased checklist from appointment to discharge, creditor and tax deadlines, compensation, liability, resignation and removal
- What happens to a bank account when someone dies in Florida
- Probate vs trust administration in Florida: differences, steps and deadlines
- The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund
Questions people ask
Sources
- Fla. Stat. § 733.601 (2026) (Entire section: commencement of duties and powers, relation back, ratification.)
Last checked: October 17, 2026
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