NJSA 22A:2-30 Fees of Surrogate and Deputy Clerk of the Superior Court

22A:2-30 Fees of surrogate and deputy clerk of the Superior Court.

Fees for services of the surrogate and deputy clerk of the Superior Court enumerated below shall be as follows and shall be for the use of the county in which the fees are collected:

PROBATE OF WILLS AND COPIES

Probate of a will of not more than two pages, $100.00.

Each additional page, $ 5.00.

The above fee is for all services in preparation and execution of complaint, filing proof of death, deposition of one witness, qualification of executor, filing power of attorney, surrogates certificate, judgment for probate, letters testamentary, plain copy of will, binding, recording, microfilming or photostating, comparing, docketing, report to the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury, report and transmission to the Clerk of the Superior Court.

Probate of will of not more than two pages without letters, $50.00. Each additional page, $ 5.00. This fee is for the same services as are enumerated in the preceding paragraph, except letters, surrogates certificate and qualification of executor.

Probate of each codicil, not exceeding one page, $25.00.

Where codicil requires an additional witness, $5.00.

To reopen probate proceedings for qualification of executor or taking proof of extra witness, $25.00.

One witness in the above probate proceedings, no charge.

Each additional witness, $5.00.

Recording and comparing, microfilming or photostating, each additional page of will or codicil, $5.00.

Filing, entering, issuing and recording, microfilming or photostating, proceedings in commission for deposition of foreign witness to a will or codicil, $35.00. Plain extra copy of will, $3.00 for each page.

Certified extra copy of will, $5.00 for each page, plus $5.00 for certificate.

Certified copy of will with proofs for New Jersey county, not exceeding two pages including will and codicil, $50.00. For pages in excess of two, $5.00 for each page.

Wills filed but not probated (as, where there are no assets), $10.00 for first two pages, $5.00 for each additional page, $5.00 for cover letter stating no assets, $5.00 for death certificate.

Exemplifying will for another state, not exceeding two pages including will and codicil, plus cost of certificate of Secretary of State when requisite, $75.00 (not including $9.00 fee for exemplified forms). For pages in excess of two, $5.00 for each page.

Recording, microfilming or photostating, docketing, indexing, filing and reporting to the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury an exemplified copy of will and probate proceedings from another state, $5.00 for each page.

Recording, microfilming or photostating, docketing, indexing and filing a certified copy of will with proofs from New Jersey, $5.00 for each page.

Recording, microfilming or photostating certified transcripts of wills admitted to probate and probate proceedings or letters of administration and administration proceedings granted by the Superior Court, $5.00 for each page.

LETTERS OF TRUSTEESHIP

Acceptance of trustee and letters of trusteeship, including one certificate, $50.00.

LETTERS OF ADMINISTRATION

General administration, including preparation and execution of complaint, bond, surety affidavits, necessary recording, microfilming or photostating, indexing, filing, report to the Division of Taxation, including power of attorney and death certificate, in the Department of the Treasury and the Clerk of the Superior Court and original letters including authorization to accept service of process and death certificate, $125.00, and for other documents, $5.00 per page.

Administration ad prosequendum, $50.00, and for other documents, $5.00 per page.

Exemplifying administration, $75.00.

Certified copy of administration, $50.00.

Affidavits of surviving spouse or next of kin where the value of the real and personal assets of the estate does not exceed $20,000.00 or $10,000.00, respectively, $5.00 for each $100.00 or part thereof. Total cost shall not exceed $50.00. This fee is waived where the value of the assets of the estate does not exceed $200.00.

LETTERS OF GUARDIANSHIP


Granting letters of guardianship, acceptance of guardianship and filing of power of attorney, $50.00.

Affidavits of estates of minors where value of real and personal estate does not exceed $5,000.00, $5.00 per page.

Miscellaneous petitions and orders, $5.00 per page.

INVENTORIES

For all services in appointment of appraisers, $25.00.

Filing, entering and recording, microfilming or photostating, inventory and appraisement, not exceeding one page, and affidavits of appraisers and executor, $25.00.

For each additional page, $5.00.

ACCOUNTING

For filing complaint and one page of accounting, $175.00.

For auditing, stating, reporting and recording, microfilming or photostating, accounts of executors, administrators, guardians, trustees and assignees, including drawing judgment, but exclusive of advertising costs:

In estates up to and including $2,000.00, no additional fee.

In estates from $2,001.00 to and including $10,000.00, $100.00.

In estates from $10,001.00 to and including $30,000.00, $125.00.

In estates from $30,001.00 to and including $65,000.00, $150.00.

In estates from $65,001.00 to and including $200,000.00, 3/10 of 1% but not less than $300.00.

In estates exceeding $200,000.00--4/10 of 1%, but not less than $400.00.

For each page of accounting in excess of one, $5.00.

In computing the amount of an estate for the purpose of fixing the fees of a surrogate for auditing and reporting the account, the balance from the prior account shall be excluded.

For preparing notice of settlement of accounts and copies of the same, forwarding notice to newspaper, with directions as to publication, obtaining proofs of publication, keeping a record of notices and newspapers to which they are sent and of the moneys received to defray the cost of advertising and transmitting advertising charges to newspaper, $50.00.

No fees herein allowed shall be charged against the recipient of any pension, bounty or allowance, for services of the surrogate and the Probate Part of the Chancery Division of the Superior Court in respect thereof, pursuant to N.J.S.3B:13-9 to 3B:13-14.

MISCELLANEOUS PROCEEDINGS

Proceedings relative to presumption of death, filing, entering and recording, microfilming or photostating (exclusive of letters), with additional fee for advertising, $175.00.

Sale of land to pay debts (exclusive of advertising), $175.00.

Sale of land in fulfillment of contract made by decedent, $175.00.

Sale of lands within one year, $175.00.

Sale of minors land, $175.00.

Distribution, filing and entering complaint, recording, microfilming or photostating, and filing judgment, $175.00.

Filing of first paper in action in the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part, $175.00.

Filing of answering pleadings or other answering papers in Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part (First paper filed by anyone other than Plaintiff), $110.00.

Adoption of adults, filing and entering proceedings (all papers) including one judgment, $175.00.

Adoption of minors, filing and entering proceedings (all papers) including one judgment, $175.00.

Application for relief subsequent to final judgment in the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part, $25.00.

Proceedings for the appointment of a conservator, with or without jury trial, $175.00.

Proceeding for the determination of incapacity and for the appointment of a guardian for an alleged incapacitated person, with or without jury trial, $200.00.

Proceedings in connection with payment into court of proceeds of a judgment in favor of a minor, in lieu of bond, pursuant to N.J.S. 3B:15-16 and N.J.S.3B:15-17 (in addition to fees payable under Letters of Guardianship), the following fees are payable upon withdrawal of funds on deposit:

For each withdrawal including petitions and orders provided and prepared by the surrogate for withdrawal of funds for court approval:

Up to and including $500.00, $20.00.

From $501.00 to and including $1,000.00, $25.00.

From $1,001.00 to and including $5,000.00, $30.00.

From $5,001.00 to and including $10,000.00, $35.00.

From $10,001.00 to and including $25,000, $40.00.

From $25,001.00 to and including $50,000.00, $60.00.

In excess of $50,000.00, $100.00.

MISCELLANEOUS CHARGES

Short certificates, $5.00.

s.njleg.state.nj.us/sd42images/tab.gif" border="0" alt="" />Validating short certificate within one year of issue of date, $3.00.

Subpoenas, each, $25.00.

Marking true copies, subpoenas, each, $3.00.

Marking true copies, orders to show cause, each, $3.00.

Marking true copies of other papers, each, $3.00.

Authorization of process, $5.00.

Swearing each witness, $2.00.

Adjournment or continuance, $15.00.

Miscellaneous orders of court, first page, $5.00.

For each additional page, $5.00.

Recording, microfilming or photostating all papers not herein provided for, $5.00 for each page.

For making copies not otherwise provided for, $3.00 for each page.

Filing transcript of death certificate, $5.00.

Power of attorney, per page $5.00 plus $5.00 for certified mail.

Search fee, per estate $10.00.

Proceedings relative to appointment of a guardian ad litem, $25.00.

Renunciation by one person, filing, entering and recording, or photostating, $5.00. Each additional person, $3.00.

Caveat, filing or withdrawing, $25.00.

Combined refunding bond and release of not more than two pages, filing, entering, microfilming and recording, or photostating, $10.00. $5.00 for each additional page. Additional charge for county clerks certificate, $5.00.

Release of not more than two pages of refunding bond and release, $10.00. $5.00 for each additional page. Additional charge for county clerks certificate, $5.00.

Assignments of legacy or interest, $10.00 per page, plus $5.00 where county clerks certificate is necessary.

Filing all papers not herein provided for, $5.00, if microfilming process is used, $5.00 per page.

Plain copy of two-page will, $6.00.

Each additional page, $3.00.

Filing of motions in the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part, $15.00.

Notice of appeal (trial court), $10.00.

Minimum charge for all other papers or services in proceedings in the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part, $5.00.

3B:14-48 Service of Process by Surrogate, $25.00.

Duplicating or copying of microfiche, digital tape, high density disks, optically scanned and recorded materials or for any other media used to record or preserve records, $150.00 per medium recorded.

Processing fee for returned check, $20.00 plus bank fee.

L.1953, c.22, s.11; amended 1963, c.162; 1977, c.57, s.2; 1988, c.109, s.1; 2001, c.370, s.3; 2005, c.370, s.14.

22A:2-31. Fees for probating will, granting administration or guardianship and filing and recording inventory in certain cases
Whenever it shall appear that the estate, real and personal, of any testator, intestate, minor or ward, is less than one hundred dollars ($100.00), no fees shall be charged upon actions for probate of a will, granting administration or guardianship up to and including the letters issued and copies of such letters as well as the fees of filing and recording and with respect to an inventory, and whenever it shall appear that such estate does not exceed two hundred dollars ($200.00) the fees shall be one-half of those allowed by law; but if it shall afterwards appear in any case that the value of the estate, real and personal, exceeds or exceeded two hundred dollars ($200.00), then such estate shall be liable for and pay the balance of the fees that would have been collected had no deduction been made under the provisions of this section.

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