Probate in Passaic County

Probate Court Record

Passaic County Surrogate's Court

Passaic County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-12:30 PM and 1:30 PM-4:30 PM

Office

71 Hamilton Street, Room 101, Paterson, NJ 07505

Filing in person

Appointment required

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Passaic County →

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Passaic County? →Settling an estate in Passaic County →

Asset Protection Firms Serving Passaic County

Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski is a Cranford firm in Union County, with offices in Morris Plains and Absecon, established in 1979. Its trusts and estates team handles probate, estate and trust administration, will contests involving undue influence or improper execution, and defense of executors and trustees in fiduciary disputes, including litigation over joint, pay-on-death, and retirement accounts.

Since 1979Serves 1 countyEstate PlanningProbateAsset ProtectionBusiness SuccessionTrustsWills

Mandelbaum Barrett, founded in 1930 and based in Roseland in Essex County, expanded through its January 2026 merger with Ivey, Barnum & O'Mara. Its trusts and estates attorneys handle estate planning, estate and trust administration, elder law, and asset-protection matters for New Jersey families.

Since 1930Estate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawAsset Protection

All 4 New Jersey asset protection firms serving Passaic County →

Forms for Planning Your Estate in New Jersey

Free forms for planning your estate in New Jersey: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for New Jersey.

$12/month

Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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Free

Pour-Over Will

In New Jersey, a pour-over will is signed before 2N.J.S.A. 3B:3-2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.

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Transfer on Death Deed

Transfer real property to a beneficiary upon your death without probate. Available in 34 states and the District of Columbia.

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Free

Last Will and Testament

In New Jersey, a will is signed before 2N.J.S.A. 3B:3-2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyN.J.S.A. 3B:3-2Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

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All New Jersey forms

Tools for Planning Your Estate in New Jersey

Free tools for planning your estate in New Jersey: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for New Jersey.

Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?

In New Jersey, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.4%Modeled estimate under R. 4:42-9(a)(3) (counsel fee out of the estate); R. 4:42-9(b) (affidavit of services; RPC 1.5(a) factors; no statutory percentage); N.J.S.A. 3B:18-6 (attorney serving as fiduciary): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.9%Modeled estimate under R. 4:42-9(a)(3) (counsel fee out of the estate); R. 4:42-9(b) (affidavit of services; RPC 1.5(a) factors; no statutory percentage); N.J.S.A. 3B:18-6 (attorney serving as fiduciary): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.

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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in New Jersey runs $4,440Estimate: 10 hours at $444, Clio's New Jersey Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $6,660Estimate: 15 hours at $444, Clio's New Jersey Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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Do I Need a TOD Deed?

New Jersey does not authorize transfer on death deeds; sole-name real property goes through probate, at least 6 months for a simple estate, unless held in a trust or with a right of survivorship.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

New Jersey automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceN.J.S.A. 3B:3-14Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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All New Jersey tools