wills

An administrator ad litem is a person appointed by a probate court to represent the interests of an estate for the purposes of a lawsuit. 

An administrator ad prosequendum is a counselor appointed by a probate court to initiate and prosecute a case on behalf of the deceased person’s estate.

Administrator cum testamento annexo is the Latin phrase term for administrator with will annexed. The administrator is a person appointed by a court to administer a will in lieu of an executor. 

[Last reviewed in June of 2021 by the Wex Definitions Team]

Administrator de bonis non (also referred to as administrator de bonis non cum testamento annexo) is a Latin term for an administrator appointed by a court to replace an administrator of a will that can longer execute the role. The administrator takes on all the legal responsibilities of the role in finishing the administration of the will. 

Administrator de bonis non cum testamento annexo (also referred to as administrator de bonis non) is the Latin phrase for an administrator appointed by a court to replace a prior administrator cum testamento annexo that could not complete the administration of a will. 

Administrator pendente lite is Latin for “administrator pending litigation.” The litigation is usually a dispute over a decedent’s will.

Administrator with will annexed refers to a person appointed by a court to fill the role of an executor of a will when an executor is unspecified or unavailable. The administrator takes on all the legal responsibilities and powers of an executor in administering the will. 

Administratrix is the outdated term used to refer to women that are court appointed to oversee the administration of estates for those that pass intestate. In the modern context, administrator is used to refer to all genders and may refer to a court appointed administrator or executor of an estate. 

An advanced directive is defined as a legal document that takes effect if one cannot make decisions due to illness or incapacity. Several different types of advance directives exist. Some, such as a living will, give instructions on which measures can be used to prolong life.  Others simply name a surrogate decision-maker for medical questions. Different

An advancement is a gift made during a donor’s life to a family member, usually when the donor anticipates their own death. The value of the advancement is included in the calculation of the net probate estate when the donor dies. Therefore, the advancement has the effect of reducing the share of the probate estate that the family member receives by