Petition For Letters Of Administration With Combined Verification, Oath And Designation, And Schedules (Form A-1)

There are all sorts of forms executors, beneficiaries, and probate court clerks have to fill out and correspond with during probate and estate settlement, including affidavits, letters, petitions, summons, orders, and notices.

Petition For Letters Of Administration With Combined Verification, Oath And Designation, And Schedules (Form A-1) is a commonly used form within New York. Here’s an overview of what the form is and means, including a breakdown of the situations when (or why) you may need to use it:

Atticus Fast Facts About Petition For Letters Of Administration With Combined Verification, Oath And Designation, And Schedules (Form A-1)

Sometimes it’s tough to find a quick summary— here’s the important details you should know about Petition For Letters Of Administration With Combined Verification, Oath And Designation, And Schedules (Form A-1):

• This form pertains to the State of New York

Government forms are not typically updated often, though when they are, it often happens rather quietly. While Atticus works hard to keep this information about New York’s Form A-1 - Petition For Letters Of Administration With Combined Verification, Oath And Designation, And Schedules (Form A-1) up to date, certain details can change from time-to-time with little or no communication.

Step 1 - Download the correct New York form based on the name and ID if applicable

Double check that you have both the correct form name and the correct form ID. Some New York probate forms can look remarkably similar, so it’s best to double, even triple-check that you’re using the right one! Keep in mind that not all States have a standardized Form ID system for their probate forms.

Step 2 - Complete the Document

Fill out all relevant fields in Form A-1, take a break, and then review. Probate and estate settlement processes in NY are long enough to begin with, and making a silly error can push your timeline even farther back. No thank you!

Note: If you don’t currently know all of the answers and are accessing Form A-1 online, be sure to avoid closing the browser tab and potentially losing all your progress (or use a platform like Atticus to help avoid making mistakes).

Step 3 - Have Form A-1 witnessed or notarized (if required)

Some States and situations require particular forms to be notarized. If you have been instructed to get the document notarized or see it in writing on the document, then make sure to hire a local notary. There are max notary fees in the United States that are defined and set by local law. Take a look at our full guide to notary fees to make sure you aren’t overpaying or getting ripped off.

Step 4 - Submit Petition For Letters Of Administration With Combined Verification, Oath And Designation, And Schedules (Form A-1) to the relevant office

This is most often the local probate court where the decedent (person who passed away) is domiciled (permanently resides) or the institution involved with this particular form (e.g. a bank). Some offices allow you to submit forms online, other’s don’t, and we while we generally recommend going in-person to expedite the process, sometimes that simply isn’t an option.

It’s also a generally good idea to establish a positive working relationship with any probate clerk (unfortunately there’s enough people & process out there making things more difficult and unnecessarily confusing for them), so a best practice is to simply ask the probate clerk proactively exactly how and where they’d prefer you to submit all forms.

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Different probate forms or processes can require different deadlines or response times for completing the appropriate form.

While some steps in the process are bound to specific deadlines (like petitioning for probate, having to submit an inventory of assets, or filing applicable notices to creditors and beneficiaries), many probate forms or processes are not tied to a specific deadline since the scope of work can vary based on situational factors or requirements involved.

Either way, there are a bunch of practical reasons why personal representatives should work to complete each step as thoroughly and quickly as possible when completing probate in New York.

5 reasons you should submit A-1 as quickly as possible:

1. The sooner you begin, the faster New York can allow heirs and beneficiaries to get their share of assets subject to probate. Acting promptly can also decrease the costs & overall mental fatigue through an otherwise burdensome process.
   
   Helpful Context: What’s the Difference Between Probate and Non-Probate Assets?

2. In general, creditors of an estate usually have around 3-6 months from the time you file notice to creditors to file any claims for debt against the deceased’s assets. If they don’t, then that debt is forfeited (and more importantly, the executor won’t be held personally responsible). So doing this sooner means you have a better idea of who is owed what and ensures you won’t get a surprise collector months later.

3. Not filing a will within 30 days (on average) could mean that the probate process proceeds according to intestate laws (laws that govern what happens to someone's stuff without a will) or is subject to unnecessary supervision by the probate court. And if you aren't directly related to the deceased (a.k.a. next of kin), this could also mean you lose your inheritance.

4. It’s important to file any necessary state tax returns on behalf of the deceased or estate by the following tax season in New York. If you don’t, you could owe penalties and interest. This also includes any necessary federal tax returns such as Forms 1040, 1041, or even a Form 706 estate tax return.

5. If a house in the State of New York is left empty (or abandoned) for a while, insurance can get dicey. For example, if the house burns down and no one has been there for a year, an insurance company may get out of paying your claim.

If you’re not using Atticus to get specific forms, deadlines, and timelines for New York probate, then try and stay as organized as possible, pay close attention to the dates mentioned in any correspondence you have with the State’s government officials, call the local New York probate clerk or court for exact answers regarding Form A-1, and when in doubt— consult a qualified trust & estates lawyer for that area.

Petition For Letters Of Administration With Combined Verification, Oath And Designation, And Schedules (Form A-1) is one of the many probate court forms available for download through Atticus.

It may also be available through some New York probate court sites, such as . In order to access the latest version, be updated with any revisions, and get full instructions on how to complete each form, check out the Atticus Probate & Estate Settlement software or consider hiring a qualified legal expert locally within New York.

While Atticus automatically provides the latest forms, be sure to choose the correct version of Form A-1 - Petition For Letters Of Administration With Combined Verification, Oath And Designation, And Schedules (Form A-1) f using any other site or resource in order to avoid having to re-complete the form process and/or make another trip to the New York probate court office.

Petition For Letters Of Administration With Combined Verification, Oath And Designation, And Schedules (Form A-1) is a .pdf, so opening it should be as simple as clicking “View Form” from within the Atticus app or by clicking the appropriate link found on any New York-provided government platform. Once you’ve opened the form, you should be able to directly edit the form before saving or printing.

Here’s the text, verbatim, that is found on New York Form A-1 - Petition For Letters Of Administration With Combined Verification, Oath And Designation, And Schedules (Form A-1). You can use this to get an idea of the context of the form and what type of information is needed.

Page 1 of 9 For Office Use Only Filling Fee Paid $ __________________________________ ___________________Certs $ ________________________________ $ ___________________Bond, Fee: ______________________________ Receipt No: _________ No: ____________________________________ DO NOT LEAVE ANY ITEMS BLANK SURROGATE’S COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF ___________________________________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - X PETITION FOR LETTERS OF: [ ] Administration [ ] Limited Administration ADMINISTRATION PROCEEDING, Estate of __________________________________________ a/k/a ______________________________________________ [ ] Administration with Limitations [ ] Temporary Administration Deceased File No. ________________________________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - X TO THE SURROGATE’S COURT, COUNTY OF ____________________________________________________________________ It is respectfully alleged: 1. The name, domicile and interest in this proceeding of the petitioner, who is of full age, is as follows: Name: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Domicile: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ (Street Address) (City/Town/Village) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ (County) (State) (Zip) (Telephone Number) Mailing address is: ______________________________________________________________________________________ (if different from domicile) Citizenship (check one): [ ] U.S.A. [ ] Other (specify)__________________________ Interest of Petitioner (check one): [ ] Distributee of decedent (state relationship) ________________________________________________________________ [ ] Other(specify) ______________________________________________________________________________________ Is proposed Administrator an attorney? [ ] Yes [ ] No [If yes, submit statement pursuant to 22 NYCRR 207.16(e); see also 207.52 (Accounting of attorney-fiduciary).] The proposed Administrator [ ] is [ ] is not a convicted felon nor is he/she otherwise ineligible, pursuant to SCPA 707 to receive letters. If the proposed Administrator is a convicted felon,submit a copy of the Certificate of Relief from Civil Disabilities. 2. The name,domicile,date and place of death, and national citizenship of the above-named decedent are as follows: [The Death Certificate must be filed with this proceeding. If the decedent’s domicile is different from that shown on the death certificate, check box [ ] and attach an affidavit explaining the reason for this inconsistency.] Name: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Domicile: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ (Street Number) (City,Village/Town) _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ (State) (Zip Code) Township of: __________________________________County of: ________________________________________ Date of Death: __________________________________Place of Death: ________________________________________ Citizenship: (check one): [ ] U.S.A. [ ] Other (specify) _________________________________________ A1 (03/18) Page 2 of 9 [Note: For Items 3a through c: Do not include any assets that are jointly held, held in trust for another, or have a named beneficiary.] 3.(a) The estimated gross value of the decedent’s personal property passing by intestacy is less than $ ____________________________________________________ (b) The estimated gross value of the decedent’s real property, in this state, which is [ ] improved, [ ] unimproved, passing by intestacy is less than $ _____________________________________________________ A brief description of each parcel is as follows: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (c) The estimated gross rent for a period of eighteen (18) months is the sum of $ ____________________________________ (d) In addition to the value of the personal property stated in paragraph (3) the following right of action existed on behalf of the decedent and survived his/her death, or is granted to the administrator of the decedent by special provision of law, and it is impractical to give a bond sufficient to cover the probable amount to be recovered therein: [Write “NONE” or state briefly the cause of action and the person against whom it exists, including names and carrier]. ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ (e)If decedent is survived by a spouse and a parent, or parents but no issue,and there is a claim for wrongful death, check here [ ] and furnish names(s) and address(es) of parent(s) in Paragraph 7. See EPTL5-4.4. 4. A diligent search and inquiry, including a search of any safe deposit box,has been made for a will of the decedent and none has been found. Petitioner(s)(has)(have) been unable to obtain any information concerning any will of the decedent and therefore allege(s),upon information and belief, that the decedent died without leaving any last will. 5.A sea rch of the records of this Court shows that no application has ever been made for letters of administration upon the estate of the decedent or for the probate of a will of the decedent, and your petitioner is informed and verily believes that no such application ever has been made to the Surrogate’s Court of any other county of this state. 6. The decedent left surviving the following who would inherit his/her estate pursuant to EPTL4-1.1 and 4-1.2: a.Spouse(husband/wife). b. Child or children or descendants of predeceased child or children. [Must include marital, nonmarital and adopted]. c.Any issue of the decedent adopted by persons related to the decedent (DRLSection117). d.Mother/Father. e.Sisters or brothers, either of whole or half blood, and issue of predeceased sisters or brothers. g.Aunts or uncles, and children of predeceased aunts and uncles (first cousins). h.First cousins once removed (children of first cousins). [Information is required only as to those classes of surviving relatives who would take the property of decedent pursuant to EPTL4-1.1.State “number” of survivors in each class. Insert “No” in all prior classes. Insert “X” in all subsequent classes]. f.Grandmother/Grandfather. ____ _____ ____ ___ ___ ___ ____ ____ Page 3 of 9 7. The decedent left surviving the following distributees, or other necessary parties, whose names, degrees of relationship, domiciles, post office address and citizenship are as follows: [Note: Show clearly how each person is related to decedent. If relationship is through an ancestor who is deceased, give name,date of death, and relationship of the ancestor to the decedent. Use rider sheet if space in paragraph (7) is not sufficient. See Uniform Rules 207.16(b). If any person listed in paragraph(7)is a non-marital person,or descended from an on marital person,attach a copy of the order affiliation or Schedule A. If any person listed in paragraph (7) was adopted by any persons related by blood or marriage to decedent or descended from such persons, attach Schedule B]. 7a. The following are of full age and under no disability:[If non-marital or adopted-out person,so indicate by attaching Schedule A and/or B] Name Relationship Domicile and Mailing Address Citizenship ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ 7b. The following are infants and/or persons under disability: [Attach applicable Schedule A, B, C, and/or D] Name Relationship Domicile and Mailing Address Citizenship ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ ___________________________ _____________ ______________________________________________ _______________ 8. There are no outstanding debts or funeral expenses, except: [Write “NONE” or state same] ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Page 4 of 9 9. There are no other persons interested in this proceeding other than those here in before mentioned. WHEREFORE, your petitioner respectfully prays that: [Check and complete all relief requested] ( ) a. process issue to all necessary parties to show cause why letters should not be issued as requested; ( ) b. an order be granted dispensing with service of process upon those persons named in Paragraph(7) who have a right to letters prior or equal to that of the person nominated, and who are non-domiciliaries or whose names or whereabouts are unknown and cannot be ascertained; ( ) c. a decree award Letters of: [ ] Administration to _________________________________________________________________________________ [ ] Limited Administration to __________________________________________________________________________ [ ] Administration with Limitation to _____________________________________________________________________ [ ] Temporary Administration to _______________________________________________________________________ or to such other person or persons having a prior right as may be entitled thereto, and; ( ) d. That the authority of the representative under the forgoing Letters be limited with respect to the prosecution or enforcement of a cause of action on behalf of the estate,as follows: the administrator(s) may not enforce a judgment or receive any funds without further order of the Surrogate. ( ) e. That the authority of the representative under the foregoing Letters be limited as follows: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ ( ) f. [State any other relief requested.] _____________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dated: ________________________________________________ 1. ____________________________________________________2. _______________________________________________ (Signature of Petitioner) (Signature of Petitioner) ______________________________________________________ _________________________________________________ (Print Name) (Print Name) Page 5 of 9 STATE OF NEW YORK ) ) ss: COUNTY OF ) COMBINED VERIFICATION, OATH AND DESIGNATION [For use when petitioner is to be appointed administrator] I, the undersigned the petitioner named in the foregoing petition, being duly sworn, say: 1. VERIFICATION: I have read the foregoing petition subscribed by me and know the contents thereof, and the same is true of my own knowledge, except as to the matters there in stated to be alleged upon information and belief,and as to those matters I believe it to be true. 2. OATH OF ADMINISTRATOR as indicated above: I am over eighteen (18) years of age and a citizen of the United States; and I will well,faithfully and honestly discharge the duties of Administrator of the goods, chattels and credits of said decedent according to law. I am not ineligible, pursuant to SCPA707,to receive letters and will duly account for all moneys and other property that will come into my hands. 3. DESIGNATION OF CLERK FOR SERVICE OF PROCESS: I do hereby designate the Clerk of the Surrogate’s Court of ________________ County, and his/her successor in office, as a person on whom service of any process, issuing from such Surrogate’s Court may be made in like manner and with like effect as if it were served personally upon me, whenever I cannot be found and served within the State of New York after due diligence used. My domicile is: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ (Street/Number) (City,Village/Town) (State) (Zip) ___________________________________________________ Signature of Petitioner On the _______________________ day of ________________________,20 _______________________, before me personally came ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ to me known to be the person described in and who executed the foregoing instrument. Such person duly swore to such instrument before me and duly acknowledged that he/she executed the same. ______________________________________________________ Notary Public Commission Expires: (Affix Notary Stamp or Seal) Signature of Attorney: ___________________________________ Print Name: ____________________________________________ Firm Name: ____________________________________________Tel.No.: __________________________________________ Address of Attorney: __________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________ ___________ Page 6 of 9 SURROGATE’S COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - X SCHEDULE A NONMARITAL PERSONS (PERSONS BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK) PROCEEDING FOR Estate of ________________________________________ a/k /a_____________________________________, Deceased. File# _______________________________________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - X [NOTE: Nonmarital children (or their issue) who would be distributees if they (or their ancestors) were born in wedlock will not be regarded as distributees unless satisfactory proof is submitted establishing paternity]. See EPTL 4-1.2 which sets forth methods of establishing paternity. Name of alleged distributee: _______________________________ Date of birth: ___________________________________________ Relationship to decedent: ____________________________ Name of father: ________________________________________ Name of mother: _______________________________________ Does the birth certificate contain the father’s name? Yes [ ] No [ ] If yes, attach copy of birth certificate. Has an order of filiation establishing paternity been entered? Yes [ ] No [ ] If yes, attach copy of order. Did the nonmarital person live with his or her father? Yes [ ] No [ ] If yes, give dates and places of residence: ___________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Page 7 of 9 SURROGATE’S COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - X SCHEDULE B ISSUE OF THE DECEDENT WHO WERE THE SUBJECT PROCEEDING FOR Estate of _________________________________________ a/k/a _________________________________________ OF AN ADOPTION Deceased. File # _______________________________________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - X Name of child: _________________________________________________________________________________________ Relationship to decedent prior to adoption: __________________________________________________________________ Date of adoption: _______________________________________________________________________________________ Was this a step-parent adoption?(i.e.,was the child adopted by the spouse of the decedent’s former spouse?) Yes[ ] No[ ] If yes,name of adoptive father or mother: ____________________________________________________________________ If not a step-parent adoption,indicate below the biological relationship of the adoptive parent to the child: [ ] grandparent(s) [ ] brother or sister [ ] aunt or uncle [ ] first cousin [ ] nephew or niece Name of the adoptive parent: ___________________________________________________________________________________ Page 8 of 9 SURROGATE’S COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - X SCHEDULE C INFANTS PROCEEDING FOR Estate of __________________________________________ a/k/a ______________________________________________ Deceased. File # _______________________________________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - X [NOTE: Please furnish all of the information requested, otherwise the petition may be rejected.] Name: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Date of birth: __________________________________________________________________________________________ Relationship to the decedent: _____________________________________________________________________________ With whom does the infant reside? _________________________________________________________________________ Name of mother: _______________________________________________________________________________________ Is she alive? ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Name of Father: ________________________________________________________________________________________ Is he alive? ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Does infant have a court-appointed guardian? Yes No If yes, name and address of guardian: _____________________________________________________________________ Name: _______________________________________________________________________________________________ Date of birth: __________________________________________________________________________________________ Relationship to the decedent: _____________________________________________________________________________ With whom does the infant reside? _________________________________________________________________________ Name of mother: _______________________________________________________________________________________ Is she alive? ___________________________________________________________________________________________ Name of Father: ________________________________________________________________________________________ Is he alive? ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Does infant have a court-appointed guardian? Yes [ ] No [ ] If yes,name and address of guardian: _____________________________________________________________________ Page 9 of 9 SURROGATE’S COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK COUNTY OF - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - X SCHEDULE D PERSONS UNDER DISABILITY OTHER THAN INFANTS PROCEEDING FOR Estate of a/k /a ____________________________________, Deceased. File # _______________________________________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - X [use additional sheets if more than one] 1. Name: ____________________________________Relationship: _________________________________________________ Residence: _________________________________________________________________________________________________ With whom does this person reside? _____________________________________________________________________________ If this person is in prison, name of prison: _________________________________________________________________________ Does this person have a court-appointed fiduciary? Yes[ ] No[ ] If yes,give name,title and address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ If no,describe nature of disability: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ If no,give name and address of relative or friend interested in his or her welfare: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Where abouts unknown/Unknowns [persons whose addresses or names are unknown to petitioner;if known,give name and relationship to decedent] ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________