Suffolk County Surrogate's Court

The Suffolk County Surrogate's Court might be a place that you need to go as the executor of an estate. The Suffolk County Surrogate's Court handles many different issues related to probate and estate administration.

Understanding how the Suffolk County Surrogate's Court works and how you can best prepare yourself with the appropriate evidence and documentation will give you peace of mind and help you to identify the right lawyer to help you.

Anytime that you have a matter that could be pending in front of the Suffolk County Surrogate's Court, it is a good idea to schedule a consultation with an experienced probate lawyer. You might be in over your head in managing the issues associated with going through Suffolk County Surrogate's Court.

The Suffolk County Surrogate's Court is located at 320 Center Drive South in Riverhead, New York. You might have many different issues that could be pending in front of the Suffolk County Surrogate's Court. One of these has to do with Guardianships. If an individual is unable to take care of themselves, it is necessary to file a petition within the Suffolk County Surrogate's Court to get Guardianship over that individual.

You might be the family member who is stepping in to assist with the care of this person and make important decisions on behalf of the person who cannot do it on their own. While it can be difficult to anticipate that you or a loved one may be unable to make medical or other financial decisions, a guardianship can emerge suddenly and quickly and it can be difficult if you are not familiar with the procedures of the Suffolk County Surrogate's Court.

Situations like a catastrophic accident or a medical condition could lead you to have questions about guardianship in Suffolk County Surrogate's Court and these should be handled with the experienced representation possible with a probate attorney. When pursuing guardianship in Suffolk County Surrogate's Court, it might be necessary to have documentation from two different physicians confirming that the person in question is unable to take care of themselves.

When the courts look at taking away an individual's ability to make decisions or act on their own behalf, there are very high standards that must be met and having appropriate medical documentation already can help to minimize the challenges that you can experience in going forward with a Suffolk County Surrogate’s court. Another type of issue that appears before the Suffolk County Surrogate's Court has to do with trusts. Whether the deceased person established a testamentary trust or a living trust, you will probably have questions about probate. Remember that living trusts do avoid the probate process since the funds inside are usually disbursed before the testator passes away. However, the Suffolk County Surrogate's Court will need to have a filed copy of the testamentary trust. Trust are often an efficient and effective way to pass on asset to future generations and whether or not the person has opted for a last will can also impact whether or not they have selected a trust.

Finally, the last issue managed by the Suffolk County Surrogate's Court has to do with administration. If the individual in question passed away without a last will and testament, dividing the remaining assets among heirs can be extremely complicated. The court will have to determine an executor for the estate who will then pass on those assets based on the intestacy laws of the state of New York. It can be difficult to sort this out and understand what is required of the estate administrator which is why a Suffolk County Surrogate's Court lawyer can be helpful.