Surrogate’s Court: Temporary Administration

Whenever there is an issue which may cause delay in the Surrogate’s Court appointing an Administrator or Executor for a deceased person’s estate, the Surrogate’s Court has the authority to appoint a Temporary Administrator until the issue may be resolved and an Administrator or Executor appointed.

Generally speaking, a Temporary Administrator has all the powers of an Administrator or Executor, except that the Temporary Administrator may not use property belonging to the estate under his or her control to pay or satisfy gifts made under the deceased person’s Last Will and Testament and/or to make payments to the deceased person’s other family members, called distributees, if such deceased person did not have a Last Will and Testament.