N.Y. Surrogate's Court Procedure Act § 502: Trial by jury; waiver or withdrawal 1

§ 502. Trial by jury; waiver or withdrawal

1. Right to jury trial. A party is entitled to trial by jury, if duly

demanded, in any proceeding in which any controverted question of fact

arises as to which any party has a constitutional right of trial by

jury, in any proceeding for the probate of a will in which a

controverted question of fact arises, and in any proceeding commenced

after the death of the creator of a revocable lifetime trust to contest

the validity of such trust in which a controverted question of fact

arises.

2. Demand for jury.

(a) Cases initiated in the court. Each respondent demanding a jury

trial must do so in his answer or objections. A petitioner who desires a

jury trial must, without regard to whether or not an answering or

objecting respondent has made such demand, serve and file in his own

behalf a demand for jury trial within 6 days after the service upon him

of an answer or objections.

(b) Cases transferred to the court. In an action transferred to the

court under 501, subdivision 1, a party who has duly demanded a trial by

jury in the court from which the case is transferred shall be deemed to

have duly demanded it in this court. If the party moving such transfer

has not so demanded a trial by jury and shall not have waived such right

or his time to make such demand has not expired he shall do so in his

moving papers. Any other party to the transferred action who has not

demanded a trial by jury in the court from which the case is transferred

and shall not have waived such right or his time to make such demand has

not expired must serve and file with this court a demand for a trial by

jury within 10 days after the service upon him of a copy of the order of

transfer with notice of entry thereof.

3. Jury fee. The jury fee shall be paid by each party who demands a

trial by jury.

4. Order framing issues. After joinder of issue an order framing the

issues to be tried shall be submitted on notice by any party. The court

may direct any party to submit an order framing issues. The court shall

make an appropriate order, a copy of which shall be served by the party

submitting it on all parties who have appeared and pleaded.

5. Waiver or withdrawal.

(a) Waiver. A party waives the right to a trial by jury by:

(i) failing to make a demand under subdivision 2;

(ii) failing to appear at the trial;

(iii) filing a waiver signed by him or his attorney with the clerk of

the court; or

(iv) orally waiving a trial by jury in open court or at any pre-trial

conference, if entered in the minutes taken at the time.

(b) Withdrawal. A party may withdraw a demand for a trial by jury

without the consent of the other parties.

6. Advisory jury. The court may submit any issue of fact to an

advisory jury as provided in the CPLR. Upon the motion of any party or

on its own initiative the court may confirm or reject in whole or in

part the verdict of an advisory jury; may make new findings with or

without taking additional testimony and may order a new trial. The

motion shall be made within 15 days after the verdict. Where no issues

remain to be tried the court shall file its decision in writing.

7. The court may direct that any jury trial be had before it or at a

trial term of the supreme court to be held within the county or if there

be a county court in such county, in that court. The verdict if not set

aside by the court before which the question is tried, shall be

certified to the surrogate's court by the clerk of the court in which

the trial took place and shall be conclusive except upon appeal.