Surrogate’s Courts prepare for influx of new cases, says NY State Chief Judge
New filings will be accepted on COVID-19 related cases by Monday
With 22,170 COVID-19 related deaths in New York, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the state is the epicenter of the pandemic. That death toll is expected to have a large impact on the Surrogate’s Courts, but Chief Judge Janet DiFiore said that they will be ready to handle the extra cases.
“Tragically, New York State has been overwhelmed by Coronavirus-related fatalities,” said Chief Judge DiFiore. “I have confidence that, by leveraging all resources, our Surrogate’s Courts are fully prepared for the surge of cases involving individuals who passed away due to COVID-related causes, ensuring these matters are handled with special care and resolved as efficiently as possible.”
Chief Judge DiFiore said that the state has already begun designating COVID-related matters as essential and that by Monday, May 18, new, uncontested estate cases involving New Yorkers who died of coronavirus-related conditions are allowed to be filed in the Surrogate’s Court.