FIU Law alumni Samah T. Abukhodeir (J.D. ’13) and Jose I. Leon (J.D. ’13) recently helped secure an appellate victory before Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal in a contested probate matter involving the validity of a 2010 will. Along with firm attorney Carling Dilella Freidzon, Abukhodeir and Leon represented the prevailing parties, two beneficiaries who challenged the validity of the will on the grounds that its execution failed to conform to Florida’s statutory requirements.
The court affirmed a Miami-Dade County probate court order revoking the will after determining that defects in the self-proof affidavit prevented the will from being treated as self-authenticating. The decision highlights the importance of strict compliance with Florida’s statutory requirements for the execution, witnessing, and notarization of wills.