surrogate court
Estate dispute forum
A surrogate court handles matters relating to wills, estates, and the administration of deceased persons' property.
The court oversees probate, appoints executors and guardians, and resolves disputes among heirs.
The term is used primarily in New York and some other U.S. states; elsewhere, similar courts may be called probate court or orphans' court.
- willFaculty of deliberate choice
- last wishesDying person's stated desires
- letters testamentaryCourt-issued executor authority
- conservatorshipCourt-appointed care management
- intestacyEstateless death condition
executor · judge · heir · filing fees · death certificate · testament · codicil · orphan · ward · estate settlement · lawyer · inheritance law · estate planning · inheritance dispute · estate taxes · fiduciary duty · power of attorney · legal guardian
- estate planningexecutor, trust, beneficiary, will, probate
- probateexecutor, probate, beneficiary, executors, estates
- courtsmagistrates, tribunals
- adoptionadoption, adoption agency, adoption agencies, adoption process, adoption law
- inheritanceinheritance, inheritances, heir, heirs, heiress
- legal statuslegal status, legal capacity, civil status, personhood, legal entity
surrogate courtcriminal court
Forum for prosecuting offenses
criminal proceedings · federal court · traffic court · district court · superior court
surrogate courtsupreme court
Apex of judicial hierarchy
appellate court · court of appeals · federal court · district court · superior court
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