Administrator pendente lite is Latin for “administrator pending litigation.” The litigation is usually a dispute over a decedent’s will. An administrator pendente lite is appointed (by a probate court) to manage an estate and probate a will during the pendency of the dispute, or until a more permanent administrator or executor of the estate in question is installed. The resolution of the legal dispute terminates the administration.
While similar to an administrator ad litem, an administrator pendente lite is not expected to participate in the legal dispute and is only responsible for managing the estate’s assets during the dispute.
An administrator pendente lite may also be referred to as a special administrator.
[Last updated in May of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]