Palm Beach County, FL Consumer Law

Tools and Resources for Palm Beach County, FL Consumers

Florida Inheritance Law & Probate Procedure

• Florida PROBATE COURT FINDER:
  
  • Probate Court for Palm Beach County: Key information about your local probate court (Superior Court in Florida) for Palm Beach County.
• How Probate Works in Florida: How to handle the probate of an inheritance at Palm Beach County's probate court.
  • Here are links to Florida probate forms from the Florida probate court website.
• Small Estates Procedures in Florida: Learn how to use Florida's Small Estate procedures that can save you time and money.

  • There is no Affidavit procedure available in New Jersey. There is a summary probate procedure, but only if there's no valid Will:

    1. If the value of all property is less than $50,000, and the surviving spouse or registered domestic partner is entitled to all of it.

    N.J. Stat. Ann. 3B:10-3.

    2. If the value of all property is less than $20,000, and there is no surviving spouse or registered domestic partner, one heir, with the consent of the others, can file an Affidavit with the court and receive all of the assets.

    N.J. Stat. Ann. 3B:10-4.

• Florida Estate Taxes:

  • Florida, like most states, does not impose an estate or inheritance tax. Only a few states do.

• Avoiding Probate in Florida. Find out what property bypasses probate death and goes directly to beneficiaries. such as:
  • Transfer on Death Deeds (TODDs)

  • New Jersey does NOT offer a statutory transfer on death deed (TODD), (despite incorrect statements you may find on some internet websites).

    Most states in the northeast do not have statutory TODDs.

    However, as of 2023, New Jersey now allows TOD registration for motor vehicles.

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Florida Wage & Hour Law

• Florida Minimum Wage:  

  • The minimum wage in New Jersey is $15.13 an hour. Because this is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, employees in The Garden State must be paid at least $15.13 an hour. (Employers with five or fewer employees may pay a slightly lower minimum wage; long-term care workers have a slightly higher minimum wage.)

    Palm Beach County Minimum Wage

    The minimum wage in Palm Beach County is $15.13 an hour, the state minimum wage. Florida law prohibits city and county governments from adopting a local minimum wage that's higher than the state minimum wage. 

  • Find out more about the minimum wage in New Jersey at https://www.nj.gov/labor/wageandhour/support/faqs/wageandhourworkerfaqs.shtml.

• Overtime Pay: Every state has rules about weekly maximum hours and overtime. Learn about the overtime laws in Florida and whether they apply to you.

  • If you work more than 40 hours in a workweek, your employer must pay you 1-1/2 times your regular hourly wage for each overtime hour you work, unless you are exempt. See the Wages, Payments, and Overtime FAQs, at the website of the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development, for more information on New Jersey's overtime rules and exemptions. 

• Wage Claims: If you're being unlawfully underpaid, you need to learn how to file a "Wage Claim" in Florida. 

  • The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development has posted information and a link to the form to file a wage claim at its website.

• Tips : Every state has special pay rates for tipped workers. Find out the rules for tipped workers in Florida.

  • In Florida, your employer may pay you a minimum wage of $5.26 an hour, as long as you earn enough in tips to bring your total hourly pay up to the full minimum wage, $15.13 an hour. If you don’t earn enough in tips to bring your compensation to the full minimum wage, your employer must make up the difference.

• State Labor Board:
  • Learn more about your rights under Florida law from the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. 609-292-2305

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Florida Unemployment Benefits

• Benefit Amounts in Florida: Learn how unemployment works, how much you'll get, and for how long.
  • In Florida, unemployment benefits range from $144 per week to $830 per week.
  • Formula:

    Your weekly benefit amount in New Jersey will be 60% of your average weekly wage during the base period. 

  • Duration:

    In Florida, you can receive unemployment benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks under state law. 

• Eligibility: >Whether you qualify for unemployment.
• How to Apply: How to apply for unemployment in Florida.
• Unemployment Office Near Me? How to find your local unemployment office.

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Bankruptcy & Debt

• Free Florida MEANS TEST CALCULATOR for Palm Beach County (applies the state and county income and expense standards into your means test calculation. Updated with the latest median income and expense standards for April 1, 2024)
• Free Florida BANKRUPTCY EXEMPTION FINDER: Search detailed listings of bankruptcy exemptions under Florida law and Federal law, for use in filing out Schedule C, when you file for bankruptcy. 
• Florida BANKRUPTCY COURT ESSENTIAL INFO: Get information about using your local bankruptcy court.
• FREE BANKRUPTCY FORMS:
  We'll tell you which bankruptcy forms you need and where to find them.

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Child Custody & Family Courts in Florida 

• State Standards For Custody Decisions: How Florida Courts make child custody decisions
• Family Court for Palm Beach County: Palm Beach County Family Court information, including maps, forms and links.
• Enforcement of Custody Orders: Can you enlist local police to help enforce a custody court order?
• Child Custody Lawyers: To help you handle your child custody matters.

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Florida Obamacare

• Sign Up: We have the latest on how to sign up for Obamacare Insurance in Florida!
• Is Health Insurance Mandatory in Florida? Learn about whether Florida imposes tax penalties for not having health insurance.
• Special Enrollment Periods: How to enroll because of a "special enrollment period."
• Rates & Providers in Your County: Information and rates for providers for Palm Beach County if you live in a state served by Healthcare.gov.

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Democracy In Florida, Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach 

• Elected Representatives: Find out the websites and phone numbers of those representing you at the Federal, State, County, and City levels of government.
• How to Vote: Learn how to register and where and when to vote in Palm Beach County, FL.
• Gerrymandering in Florida: Has your state been gerrymandered? Find out how to end gerrymandering and have voters pick politicians, not vice versa.
• Tracking Issues: Organizations that track legislation you care about 

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Find a Lawyer in Palm Beach County, FL

• Our Lawyers by Zipcode section allows users to find a local lawyer using the best online resources, including on topics we don't cover.
• DUI, Criminal Defense
• Auto Accidents & Personal Injury
• Immigration

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