As the year 2021 came to an end, and working remotely and virtual court appearances remained the norm, the Surrogate’s and Appellate Courts steadfastly continued to render decisions of interest impacting the field of trusts and estates. With the beginning of 2022 upon us, we consider the opinions that rounded out 2021, and those that opened the pages of the New Year.

Decree of Probate Vacated; Fees of Former Fiduciary Partially Allowed. Before the Surrogate’s Court, Ulster County, in In re Linich, NYLJ, Dec. 20, 2021, at 17, was a contested accounting proceeding in which the executor of the decedent’s estate objected to the payment of the legal fees, disbursements, and commissions requested by the former fiduciary.