avoiding probate

My wife's recently deceased mother has been a medicaid resident of a nursing home for the last 6 years in Florida. There is no medicaid trust. The only "assets" are in a joint checking acct. that my wife has had with her mother for 15 years. The account holds $1300.Is probate necessary?

I do not know Florida law. However, typically assets held jointly pass by operation of law, not by Will or a state's intestacy laws (law which governs if you do not have a will).

Therefore, I believe, so long as the only assets are those held jointly with someone else, no probate is necessary.

Double check with a Florida attorney.