Unless the court directs otherwise, Surrogate's Court pleadings shall consist of which of the following?

• A. petition
• B. answer or objection
• C. account
• D. citation and Order to Show Cause

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that in Surrogate’s Court, the responsive filing to a petition is the formal pleading a party submits to state their position. By default, those who contest or object to the petition must file an answer or objection. This document lays out the respondent’s facts, grounds, and legal arguments for why the court should deny or modify the relief requested in the petition. The petition itself is the initiating pleading, but the standard pleading by a party opposing the petition is the answer or objection. Other filings like an account or a citation/Order to Show Cause serve different purposes in the process and are not the typical responsive pleading to a petition.