SURROGATE'S COURT UPDATE

We met with the Surrogate Judge Malave-Gonzalez and her staff last week to discuss Court operations. We learned that since December the Surrogate’s Court has lost 14 staff due to retirement and they have yet to be replaced. The Court is striving to do more with much less and we are appreciative of all their efforts and hard work throughout the pandemic.

Since June/July 2020 the Court has been holding virtual calendars staggered in 15 minute intervals, they have been handling service orders, citations, motions and hearings throughout. Attorney referees have been conducting off calendar conferences and they are using ADR to resolve many issues. The Court intends to expand these calendar to include in person appearances in addition to remote appearances. If you are scheduled for an appearance please be mindful of the Court’s limited time; appear on time, appropriately attired and with knowledge about the matter for which you are appearing.

The Court requires all papers to be E-Filed. If your papers require original documents (i.e. death certificate, et al.) you must still E-File and originals must be dropped off, in person or mailed to the Court. The Court’s offices on the 3^rd floor are open to attorneys and the public. The drop off basket has been relocated to the 3^rd floor where a Court officer is stationed to accept all papers. If you choose to mail documents the address is:

Bronx Surrogate’s Court
851 Grand Concourse
Room 317
Bronx, NY 10451-2937

Do NOT simply address your mailing to the Bronx Courthouse, it must specifically be addressed to the Surrogate’s Court.

If you need guidance from a certain department, we urge you to email and/or make an appointment before going to the Courthouse. Below you will find the various emails for each department. Emailing is your best option at this time, as the staff is extremely limited and cannot always answer the phone.

If you have asked for papers to be returned please be sure to include sufficient postage on your return envelope. The Court does not have the means to provide additional postage. Alternatively you can pick up your documents from the basket on the 3^rd floor designated for pick up.

To ensure that your application is processed as expeditiously as possible we urge you to carefully review your submission before filing, simple mistakes are being made and overlooked which leads to delays.

For additional information you can visit the Bronx Surrogate’s Court website at http://ww2.nycourts.gov/COURTS/12jd/BRONX/Surrogates/index.shtml. Please check back as the Court is continuing to update information.