Section 1.1 DefinitionsIn these rules:
(1) ''Account'' means a document meeting the requirements of rule 38 by which a fiduciary provides detailed information about the management of an estate.(2) ''Beneficiary of a decedent's estate'' means a person or fiduciary that is or may be entitled to a bequest or devise under a will.(3) ''C.G.S.'' means the Connecticut General Statutes.(4) ''Clerk'' means a chief clerk, deputy clerk, clerk or assistant clerk of the court.(5) ''Contingent remainder beneficiary'' means a trust beneficiary who would be a presumptive remainder beneficiary on the date the beneficiary's interest is determined if the interest of another presumptive remainder beneficiary terminated because a condition specified in the will or other governing instrument is not met.(6) ''Corporate fiduciary'' means a bank, trust company or other corporation or business entity authorized to act as a fiduciary in this state.(7) ''Corporate surety'' means a corporation or other business entity authorized to enter into contracts of suretyship for probate bonds in this state.(8) ''Court'' means a Probate Court.(9) ''Current beneficiary'' means a trust beneficiary who, on the date the beneficiary's interest is determined, is a distributee or permissible distributee of trust income or principal.(10) ''Decree'' means a written decision, order, grant, denial, opinion or other ruling of the court.(11) ''DRS'' means the Department of Revenue Services.(12) ''eFile'' means to file a document with the court using the eFiling system.(13) ''eFiling system'' means the system maintained by the probate court administrator by which a registered filer can use the internet to file, send and receive documents, view court records and pay court fees and expenses.(14) ''eService'' means use of the eFiling system to transmit a filing, notice, decree or other document to a registered filer.(15) ''Electronic signature'' means an electronic symbol or process executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the document and does not include a juris number or conformed copy of a signature.(16) ''Estate'' means a decedent's estate, trust, conservatorship estate, estate ofa minor or other legal structure under which a fiduciary has a duty to manage assets held for the benefit of one or more persons.(17) ''Exemplified copy'' means a copy of a document that has been authenticated by a court of competent jurisdiction.(18) ''Fiduciary'' means a person serving as an administrator, executor, conservator of the estate, conservator of the person, guardian ofan adult with intellectual disability, guardian of the estate of a minor, guardian of the person ofa minor, temporary custodian of the person of a minor, trustee or person serving in any other role that the court determines is fiduciary in nature.(19) ''Financial report'' means a simplified form of accounting meeting the requirements of rule 37 by which a fiduciary provides summary information about the management of an estate.(20) ''Heir'' means an individual who would take any share of the estate ofa decedent who died intestate.(21) ''Intestate'' means having died without a valid will.(22) ''Minor'' has the meaning provided in C.G.S. section 45a-604(4).(23) ''Motion'' means a written filing seeking court action that is incidental to the matter before the court.(24) ''News media'' means an entity, or representative of an entity, that is regularly engaged in the gathering and dissemination of news and is approved by the office of the chief court administrator.(25) ''News media coverage'' means broadcasting, televising, recording or photographing a hearing or conference by news media.(26) ''Nontaxable estate'' means the estate of a decedent whose Connecticut taxable estate is less than or equal to the amount that is exempt from the Connecticut estate tax under C.G.S. section 12-391.(27) ''Party'' means a person having a legal or financial interest in a proceeding before the court, a fiduciary under section 4.2 and any other person whom the court determines to be a party. The term has the same meaning as interested party.(28) ''Person'' means an individual or entity.(29) ''Person under conservatorship'' means a conserved person as defined under C.G.S. section 45a-644(h) ora person under voluntary representation under C.G.S. section 45a-646.(30) ''Personal surety'' means a surety that does not meet the requirements to be a corporate surety.(31) ''Petition'' means a written filing that commences a matter in the court. The term has the same meaning as application.(32) ''Presumptive remainder beneficiary'' means a trust beneficiary who would be a distributee or permissible distributee of trust income or principal on the date the beneficiary's interest is determined if: (A) the trust terminated on the date; or(B) the interests of the current beneficiaries terminated on the date without causing the trust to terminate.(33) ''Probate bond'' has the meaning provided in C.G.S. section 45a-139.(34) ''Probate court administrator'' means the individual holding the office of the probate court administrator of this state.(35) ''Probate Court Rules'' means the Connecticut Probate Court Rules of Procedure.(36) ''Public notice'' has the meaning provided in C.G.S. section 45a-126.(37) ''Purported will'' means an instrument purporting to be a decedent's last will and testament and any codicil to it that has not been admitted to probate.(38) ''Registered filer'' means a person who has registered to use the eFiling system.(39) ''Send'' means transmit by electronic means, United States mail, private carrier, in-hand delivery or other commonly accepted method of communication.(40) ''Structured settlement'' means an arrangement under which a claimant accepts deferred payment of some or all of the proceeds of the settlement of a disputed or doubtful claim.(41) ''Taxable estate'' means the estate of a decedent whose Connecticut taxable estate exceeds the amount that is exempt from the Connecticut estate tax under C.G.S. section 12-391.(42) ''Testate'' means having died leaving a valid will.(43) ''Trust beneficiary'' means a person that has a present or future beneficial interest in a trust, whether vested or contingent.(44) ''Trust protector'' means a person identified in a will or other governing instrument who is charged with protecting the interests of a trust beneficiary and is identified as a trust protector, trust advisor, or beneficiary surrogate or as a person in an equivalent role.(45) ''Will'' means an instrument and any codicil to it admitted to probate as the last will and testament of a decedent. Rule 1 adopted effective 7/1/2013. Section 1.1 amended effective 1/1/2020; Section 1.1 amended effective July 1, 2022.