The terms, in plain English
Estate and surety bond glossary
The words that come up around estate bonds, defined simply. Each links to the page that goes deeper.
Reviewed by Dustin SanVido, Estates Program Lead
United States terms
- Personal representative
- The general United States legal term for an executor or administrator, used directly in states like Florida and California. Go deeper
- Executor
- The person named in a will to carry it out. Go deeper
- Administrator
- The person a court appoints to settle an estate when there is no will. Go deeper
- Conservator
- In most US states, the person appointed to manage the finances of a minor or an incapacitated adult; some states, including Texas and Pennsylvania, use guardian of the estate instead. Go deeper
- Probate bond
- The US term for an estate bond. Go deeper
Canada terms
- Estate trustee
- Ontario's own term for the person settling an estate, with a will (estate trustee with a will) or without one (estate trustee without a will). No other province uses this term. Go deeper
- Guardian
- In Canada, the person appointed to care for a minor or incapable adult; a guardian of property specifically manages their finances, as distinct from a guardian of the person. Go deeper
- Grant of probate
- A Canadian court's confirmation that a will is valid and the executor can act. It does not automatically extend to US-sited assets; a cross-border estate often needs a separate US proceeding. Go deeper
- Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT)
- The provincial office that approves guardianship applications and sets the required bond amount directly, rather than leaving the calculation to the court. Most US states have no equivalent office. Go deeper
- Waiver of probate bond
- A bond that lets an institution release assets without a grant of probate. Go deeper
A court deadline does not have to be a crisis
Tell us the bond you were ordered to post. We get it issued and filed, so the estate can move forward.