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New Jersey uses a statutory trustee fee scheduleN.J.S.A. 3B:18-2 (nontestamentary governing-instrument override), 3B:18-24 (income commissions), 3B:18-25 (annual corpus commissions; court reasonableness review), 3B:18-25.1 (multiple fiduciaries — annual corpus), 3B:18-28 (termination corpus commissions), 3B:18-31 (testamentary-trustee-only excess authorization)Verified May 31, 2026. The schedule sets fixed percentages based on trust value, so the cost is predictable. Family-member trustees often waive the fee entirely. Professional trustees (banks, trust companies, attorneys) typically charge between 0.5% and 1.5% of trust assets per year, with corporate fiduciaries usually applying minimum annual fees. The New Jersey trustee compensation calculator breaks it down by trust situation.
Trust administration in New Jersey is typically faster than probate because trusts don't require court supervision. The main floor is the creditor claim period — 9 months in New Jersey — during which the trustee can't safely make final distributions. Simple trusts often wrap up in 6-9 months; trusts that hold business interests, real property in multiple states, or that need to file estate tax returns can take longer. See the New Jersey trustee checklist for the full process.
Estate planning attorneys in New Jersey average $435 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $1,305–$2,610 for a simple individual will and $4,440–$6,660 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents — see the will cost calculator for a side-by-side comparison.
New Jersey allows estates under $50,000 to use a simplified small estate affidavit procedure, which is a form rather than a court case and typically doesn't require an attorney. For larger estates, formal probate is involved enough that retaining counsel is usually practical — the procedural work is what they're there for. Use the New Jersey probate calculator to estimate the costs.
In New Jersey, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships; ownership of a business, rental property, or significant investment assets; special-needs dependents who need a special-needs trust to preserve benefits; leaving meaningful sums to non-spouse, non-child beneficiaries (New Jersey taxes those inheritances); substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.
Search 3,941 estate law firms across 51 states.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
34 firms
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.
Location
1025 Laurel Oak RdVoorhees, NJ 08043
Phone
(856) 795-2121
Service Area
Statewide
Beattie Padovano is a Bergen County law firm founded in 1970 by James R. Beattie and Ralph J. Padovano. The firm provides estate planning, administration, and litigation services alongside corporate, real estate, and commercial litigation practices.
Location
200 Market Street, Suite 401Montvale, NJ 07645
Phone
(201) 573-1810
Established
1970
Service Area
1 county
Brach Eichler's trusts and estates practice, based in Roseland in Essex County, advises individuals and business owners on inter-generational wealth transfer, business succession, and estate and gift tax planning. The group also handles estate and trust administration for executors and trustees throughout northern New Jersey.
Location
101 Eisenhower ParkwayRoseland, NJ 07068
Phone
(973) 228-5700
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.
Location
8000 Midlantic Dr, Suite 300SMount Laurel, NJ 08054
Phone
(856) 234-6800
Established
1876
CSG Law is a New Jersey and New York firm headquartered in West Orange in Essex County. Its Trusts & Estates group advises business owners and families on estate and succession planning and wealth preservation, and handles probate and trust and estate administration for executors and trustees.
Location
1 Boland DrWest Orange, NJ 07052
Phone
(973) 325-1500
Founded in 1926, Cole Schotz is a Hackensack-based firm serving Bergen County and the Mid-Atlantic. Its Tax, Trusts & Estates attorneys handle estate planning, estate and trust administration, and wealth transfer for high-net-worth individuals, executors, and trustees.
Location
25 Main StreetHackensack, NJ 07601
Phone
(201) 489-3000
Established
1926
Service Area
Statewide
Connell Foley's Taxation and Estate Planning team, based in Newark, serves individuals and families across northern New Jersey. The group handles estate planning, estate and trust administration, charitable planning, and related tax matters, and is led by Anthony F. Vitiello.
Location
1085 Raymond Blvd, 19th FloorNewark, NJ 07102
Phone
(973) 436-5800
Dillon, Bitar & Luther has served the Morristown area of Morris County since 1851, working from Florham Park. The firm handles estate planning, trust and estate administration, probate, and related tax planning for individuals and families in northern New Jersey.
Location
200 Park Avenue, Suite 301Florham Park, NJ 07932
Phone
(973) 539-3100
Established
1851
Einhorn, Barbarito, Frost, Botwinick, Nunn & Musmanno is a Parsippany firm serving Morris County and northern New Jersey. Its attorneys handle estate planning, probate and estate administration, trust administration, and elder law, including assisted-living and long-term-care matters.
Location
4 Campus Drive, Suite 300Parsippany, NJ 07054
Phone
(973) 627-7300
Formed in January 2026 by the merger of Gibbons P.C. and Frost Brown Todd, FBT Gibbons keeps Gibbons' longtime Newark office at One Gateway Center. Its Wealth Planning & Family Office team handles estate planning and trust and estate administration, and a dedicated group litigates contested trust and estate matters for fiduciaries and beneficiaries.
Location
One Gateway CenterNewark, NJ 07102
Phone
(973) 596-4500
Service Area
Statewide