Special administrator
Somebody appointed to do one urgent thing before a full appointment exists.
What it means
Probate takes time, and some things will not wait for it — a business that has to keep trading, a property that has to be insured, a perishable asset, a lawsuit with a limitation period running, or a will contest that will take a year to resolve while the estate needs somebody in charge.
A special administrator is appointed for exactly that gap. The powers are limited, usually named in the order itself, and the appointment ends when the regular personal representative is appointed or the named task is complete.
The names differ. Special administrator, temporary administrator, administrator pendente lite and curator all describe some version of the same idea, and which one a state uses says nothing about what the role does.
Because the appointment is narrow, it is not a way to get on with administering the estate early. A special administrator who acts beyond the order is acting without authority in the same way anybody else would be.
Why it matters
It is the answer when something urgent has to happen and nobody has authority yet, and nothing in the ordinary probate sequence offers it.
It is also what keeps an estate from decaying during a contested probate, which can run for a year or more.
When you are likely to meet it
- When a business, a rental property or a farm cannot be left unattended while probate runs.
- When a will contest means no permanent appointment can be made yet.
- When a claim on the estate's behalf has a deadline that will pass before the appointment.
How this varies by state
What the role is called, what powers it may be given, and whether a bond is required vary by state.