Trusted Estate Administration Attorney in New Jersey

It’s the legal process of managing a deceased person’s estate—gathering assets, paying debts, and distributing property. We assist with every stage to make sure nothing is missed.

If your loved one lived in Monmouth County, the estate is opened with the Monmouth County Surrogate’s Court at the Hall of Records, 1 East Main Street, Freehold. As of October 2026 the Freehold office takes walk-ins (no appointments) Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and asks visitors to arrive by 3:30 p.m.; you can also file through the Surrogate’s online eFile portal or by mail, and satellite offices in Shrewsbury and Neptune see people by appointment. Bring a certified death certificate, the original will and any codicils, photo ID, and the Decedent Information Sheet. If there is no will, also bring the total value of assets in the decedent’s name alone (with a current tax bill for any real estate), a list of debts, and the names and addresses of next of kin. Surrogate fees start at $100 to probate a will and $120 to administer an estate without one, and additional short certificates are $5 each. We help Monmouth County executors and administrators prepare for that filing and handle the tax waivers, accounts, and real estate that follow.

If there’s no will, the Surrogate appoints an administrator, and New Jersey law sets the order of who has the first right to apply: the surviving spouse, then adult children, then (if neither) the guardian of minor children, followed by parents, brothers and sisters, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, and stepchildren. A person with priority may renounce the right to serve without giving up their inheritance. We help administrators understand their duties and carry them out legally.

Real estate is often one of the largest assets in an estate. Unpaid New Jersey inheritance and estate taxes are a lien on New Jersey real property, so a tax waiver is generally required to transfer it — even when the beneficiaries are all Class A and no tax is due, in which case a shorter request (Form L-9) may be used. Property a married couple or civil union partners held as tenants by the entirety passes to the survivor without a waiver. We assist with appraisals, waivers, title transfers, and sales while keeping the estate compliant with New Jersey probate and tax law.

The Surrogate’s Court accepts applications directly from the executor or administrator, and its probate clerks will review the filing and answer questions. Where a lawyer earns their keep is everything around the filing: inheritance tax returns and waivers, creditor claims, real estate sales, disagreements among heirs, and accountings. If a caveat is filed or a dispute arises, the matter moves out of the Surrogate’s office to the Superior Court, and legal counsel becomes far more important.

Yes. It’s common for a surviving spouse or adult child to serve in both roles. Our team helps you manage these responsibilities while maintaining fairness and transparency.

Not for deaths on or after January 1, 2018. New Jersey still has an inheritance tax, though, and whether any is owed depends on who receives the property. Spouses, civil union and domestic partners, children, grandchildren, parents, grandparents, and stepchildren are Class A beneficiaries and are exempt. A large estate may still need a federal estate tax return, which is a separate question we review with every executor.

Generally one for each asset held in the decedent’s name alone that must be transferred or sold — each bank account, brokerage account, vehicle, and so on. A short certificate is typically valid for up to a year, but some financial institutions will only accept one dated within the last 60 days, so it is common to order more later in the administration.