The Orphan's Court
The orphan's court was an organization established in the Chesapeake Bay colonies during colonization. The major goal of the organization was to protect orphaned children and their right to their deceased family's estate from claims and against abuses by stepparents and others.
Modern-day orphan's courts are surrogate courts, hearing matters involving wills of decedents' estates which are contested and supervising estates which are probated judicially.
Read more about this topic: Probate Court
Famous quotes containing the words orphan and/or court:
“For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Deuteronomy 10:17,18.
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Drew the firm lines of Fate and Life,
And brought Olympian wisdom down
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The open secret of to-day.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)