§ 211 When jurisdiction in personam obtained

Here's a plain English summary of this rule.

This rule explains when New York's Surrogate's Court (the court that handles wills, estates, and trusts) can make legal decisions that affect a specific person. The court can exercise this power over someone as long as the matter relates to something the court is already allowed to handle, like an estate or trust dispute.

The key test is simple: if the New York Supreme Court could legally require this person to answer for a similar situation, then Surrogate's Court can do the same thing. In other words, this rule ties Surrogate's Court's authority over people to the same standards used by the state's main trial court.

For someone involved in an estate or trust case, this means the court can pull them into the case if they have enough connection to New York, such as living there, doing business there, or being involved in the property or transaction at issue. This rule makes sure Surrogate's Court follows the same basic fairness rules that apply everywhere else in New York courts when deciding who can be brought into a lawsuit.