Levine, Staller, Sklar, Chan & Brown is a full-service Atlantic City law firm established in 1978 with 12 partners. Multiple partners concentrate on estates, trusts, estate planning, and federal and state tax matters.
Probate in Cape May County
Probate Court Record
Cape May County Surrogate's Court
Cape May County
Phone
Office
Website
Filing in person
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Cape May County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Cape May County? →Settling an estate in Cape May County →
Estate Law Firms Serving Cape May County
Price & Price is a father-and-son elder law and estate planning firm founded in 1973 in Haddonfield. With over 50 years of experience, the firm focuses on elder law matters and serves clients across seven South Jersey counties. Carl Ahrens Price is a Certified Elder Law Attorney and Casey Price holds a Master of Laws in Taxation.
Simeone & Raynor is a Cherry Hill firm in Camden County, with a second office in Medford, serving South Jersey. The firm handles estate planning, estate administration, and estate litigation, and its attorneys routinely appear in probate courts and serve as court-appointed administrators across the region.
Bratton Law Group focuses exclusively on elder law, estate planning, life care planning, asset protection, and Medicaid planning. The firm's attorneys and care coordinators work together to identify both legal issues and care needs for clients and their families throughout South Jersey.
Founded in 1876, Capehart Scatchard is a Mount Laurel firm serving Burlington County and South Jersey. Its Wills, Trusts & Estates attorneys handle probate and estate administration, trust administration, estate litigation, elder law, and Medicaid planning for executors, trustees, and beneficiaries.
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.
All 23 New Jersey estate law firms serving Cape May County →
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in New Jersey
Free New Jersey forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for New Jersey.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
New Jersey allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2New Jersey Commission on Legal and Ethical Problems in the Delivery of Health Care sample Proxy Directive (published by the NJ Department of Health; not codified in statute)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
Financial Power of Attorney
New Jersey requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityN.J.S.A. §§ 46:2B-8.1 to 46:2B-8.14 (Revised Durable Power of Attorney Act); R.S. 46:14-2.1; R.S. 46:14-6.1; N.J.S.A. §§ 3B:14-61.9, 3B:14-61.10 (RUFADAA)Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before a notaryN.J.S.A. §§ 46:2B-8.1 to 46:2B-8.14 (Revised Durable Power of Attorney Act); R.S. 46:14-2.1; R.S. 46:14-6.1; N.J.S.A. §§ 3B:14-61.9, 3B:14-61.10 (RUFADAA)Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
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.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in New Jersey
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in New Jersey: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. 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.
Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in New Jersey takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate and charges 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; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in New Jersey costs an estimated $35,885R. 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)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 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 under a reasonable-compensation standard.
What Are the Estate Laws in My State?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in New Jersey costs an estimated $35,885R. 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)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source and takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate, with 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. Estates under $20,000N.J.S.A. 3B:10-3Verified Sep 8, 2026View source can use a small-estate procedure instead.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in New Jersey: creditors have 9 monthsN.J.S.A. 3B:22-2, 3B:22-4, 3B:22-8, 3B:22-10, 3B:22-33Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable 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 and a simple will $1,305Estimate: 3 hours at $435, Clio's New Jersey Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,610Estimate: 6 hours at $435, Clio's New Jersey Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
