Quick answer: Waiver of Administration drops the inventory, bond, and accounting entirely, for a sole beneficiary/heir or full consent, at any estate size. Summary Administration still requires appointment but skips the final account after a 6-month minimum. See how this affects your own estimate in the New Hampshire probate timeline calculator.
Side by side
| Waiver of Administration | Summary Administration | |
|---|---|---|
| Statute | RSA § 553:32 | RSA § 553:33 |
| Who qualifies | Sole beneficiary/heir as administrator, or full consent | All beneficiaries/heirs consent |
| Estate size limit | None | None |
| Inventory required? | No | Generally, yes |
| Bond required? | No | Generally, unless waived |
| Final accounting required? | No | No |
| Earliest closing | No fixed minimum | 6 months after appointment |
Designed around people, not dollars
A genuinely distinctive structure: most states set a dollar threshold for a simplified small-estate process. New Hampshire doesn't. Both Waiver of Administration and Summary Administration turn entirely on who is involved and whether they agree — a sizeable estate with a sole heir serving as administrator qualifies for the waiver just as easily as a modest one, while a small estate with disputing heirs cannot use either shortcut at all.
"Administrator," not "personal representative"
New Hampshire never adopted the Uniform Probate Code. RSA § 553:1 uses the term "administrator" for the person granted administration of an estate or execution of a will — whether or not there's a will — rather than the "personal representative" language used in UPC states.
Facing probate in New Hampshire?
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