Probate in Cape May County

Probate Court Record

Cape May County Surrogate's Court

Cape May County

Office

9 North Main Street, 3rd Floor, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210

Filing in person

Appointment required

Self-represented filing

Allowed

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 →

Probate Litigation Firms Serving Cape May County

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.

Serves 7 countiesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrustsWills

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.

Since 1876Estate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationElder LawTax Planning

Archer & Greiner's Private Wealth, Estates & Trusts group serves clients from its Voorhees office in Camden County and other Mid-Atlantic locations. The practice handles estate and trust administration, estate and trust litigation, will and trust disputes, business succession, and elder law. Several attorneys hold CPA credentials or master's degrees in taxation.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+3

McCarter & English, headquartered in Newark, runs a Trusts, Estates & Private Clients practice serving individuals, business owners, and financial institutions. Its attorneys handle estate and personal tax planning, charitable giving, estate administration, and fiduciary litigation.

Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+2

Founded in 1882, Riker Danzig is one of New Jersey's oldest firms, headquartered at Giralda Farms in Madison, Morris County. Its Tax and Trusts & Estates group pairs estate planning with a dedicated probate litigation team representing beneficiaries and fiduciaries in will contests, will and trust interpretation disputes, and guardianship proceedings.

Since 1882Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTax Planning

All 8 New Jersey probate litigation 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.

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Revocable Living Trust

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

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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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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.

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.

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Who Inherits Without a Will?

Without a will in New Jersey, a surviving spouse takes the entire estateN.J.S.A. § 3B:5-3Verified Oct 21, 2026View source when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita at each generationN.J.S.A. § 3B:5-4, § 3B:5-6Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.

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What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?

In New Jersey, the 9 monthsN.J.S.A. 3B:22-4Verified Sep 8, 2026View source period after the date of death protects a representative who distributes after it; late claims can still reach undistributed assets.

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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.

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How Much Can an Executor Charge?

New Jersey sets executor compensation by statute — about $20,500 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 4.1%N.J.S.A. 3B:18-14Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.

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