Administration is the process where the Surrogate's Court officially gives out Letters of Administration to a qualified distributee (heir) of the Decedent. The first thing you may want to include in your letter of instruction is information about your funeral and burial arrangements.In New York State, the Surrogate's Court decides what happens to a person's property when that person dies. A letter of last instruction is a document that allows you to organize and give your family instructions pertaining to your final wishes. Notify Bank of America. We'll ask you for the deceased customer's full legal name and Social Security number to identify their accounts. Death Certificates can be ordered online. Overview: Vital Records has death records (since 1881) for all of New York State except New York City. A petitioner would file a decedent's state in the county in which the decedent was domiciled (usually, this is where the decedent lived) at the time of death. A letter of last instruction is a document that outlines funeral planning processes and arrangements.