Clifton funeral home founded in 1959, with three chapels seating from 25 to 200 and a separate room for children. Its sister home is the Hancliffe Home for Funerals in East Hanover.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Passaic County, New Jersey
When someone dies in Passaic County, New Jersey, an estate that needs probate is opened with the Surrogate's Court in Paterson, for a $100 filing fee.
The First Days After a Death in Passaic County
A certified copy of the death certificate from the New Jersey Department of HealthNew Jersey Department of Health - Office of Vital Statistics and RegistryVerified Oct 15, 2026View source costs $25, and each additional copy ordered at the same time costs $2. The medical examiner for Passaic County is the Northern Regional Medical Examiner Office.
Who controls the funeral and the burial or cremation follows an order set by law: surviving spouse, civil union partner or domestic partner, then majority of the surviving adult children, then surviving parent or parentsN.J.S.A. 45:27-22Verified Oct 17, 2026View source. An agent the person named in advance comes before that orderN.J.S.A. 45:27-22(a) (appointment in a will or on the board-approved form)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source. Cremation carries a 24-hour minimum waiting periodN.J.S.A. 26:7-18.1Verified Oct 17, 2026View source.
Vital Records Office Record
New Jersey Department of Health - Office of Vital Statistics and Registry
Passaic County · State vital records office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:00 PM (except state holidays)
Office
140 East Front Street, Trenton, NJ 08608
Website
Certified copies
From the Local Registrar of the town or city where the death occurred, or from New Jersey Department of Health - Office of Vital Statistics and Registry
Vital Record Mail Services
Attn: New Jersey Vital Records
P.O. Box 222130
El Paso, TX 79913
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $25 |
| Each additional copy ordered at the same time | $2 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
District Medical Examiner
Passaic County · Northern Regional Medical Examiner's Office
Phone
Office
325 Norfolk Street, Newark, NJ 07103
Website
Serves this county
Northern Regional Medical Examiner Office (Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Somerset and Union counties)
Release of remains
1-973-648-4500 · 24-hour line · 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
Verified November 3, 2026 · Source
ToolsWhat Do I Do When Someone Dies? · How Do I Settle an Estate? · How Many Death Certificates Do I Need? · How Much Does a Funeral Cost?
Funeral Homes in Passaic County
Passaic County has 27 funeral homes and crematories, in 11 cities: 9 list cremation, 6 list pre-need arrangements, 6 list burial and 2 list veterans services.
Clifton funeral home, one of three locations of a family firm that opened its first funeral home in Passaic in 1923 and took the Bizub-Quinlan name for its Clifton homes in 1991.
Clifton funeral home, one of three Bizub family homes, a business that began in Passaic in 1923 and acquired the Quinlan Funeral Home in 1991. Its sister homes are a second Bizub-Quinlan home in Clifton and Bizub-Parker in Little Falls.
Clifton nonprofit Jewish funeral home in existence since 1921, operated under the supervision of local synagogues and Jewish organizations. It has a stand-alone Kohanim chapel with an audio and video link to the main chapel, and chapel services are streamed live.
Clifton funeral home with four viewing chapels, three of which open into one large room, along with family conference rooms and a library resource center. It opened in its renovated building in 2000.
Clifton funeral home in the Athenia section, opened in 1955 in a former family homestead, with three chapels, a lounge and its own parking. It arranges services for families across Northern New Jersey, and a funeral director answers calls around the clock.
Probate in Passaic County
Probate cases in Passaic County are filed with the Surrogate's Court in Paterson. Opening probate costs $100N.J.S.A. 22A:2-30Verified Oct 17, 2026View source in New Jersey, the same at every court.
Probate in New Jersey typically takes 9 months to 12 months. In New Jersey, estates valued at $20,000N.J.S.A. 3B:10-3Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less use the Affidavit of Surviving Spouse or Next of Kin, a court filing short of full probate. 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 a claim, counted from the date of death.
Probate Court Record
Passaic County Surrogate's Court
Passaic County
Phone
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
Website
Filing in person
Appointment required
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
Filing in person
Appointment requiredAppointments at the Paterson office are booked online from the appointments page. The case information sheet, death certificate, will or proof of assets and the executor's photo ID must be emailed to the office within 24 hours of booking, or the appointment is canceled. Night Court runs Tuesday evenings from 5 to 7 PM at rotating locations around the county, also by appointment only.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCash, Check, Money order.Credit cards are not accepted. Checks are made payable to Passaic County Surrogate Court. At Night Court sessions, the appointments page lists check or money order only.
Fax
1-973-523-3449
Departments
- Guardianship1-973-881-4760 · monitoringclerk@passaiccountynj.orgGuardianship appointments are made by email or by phone.
About the court
- Visitors enter through 77 Hamilton Street; the 71 Hamilton Street entrance is closed. The office's estate records index is searchable from the Surrogate Index Search page, and the vault is open for searches during office hours.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Fee and Accounting Rules in Passaic County
Annual report of guardian. The Annual Report of Guardian is filed every year on the anniversary of the guardian's appointment, unless the judge set a different schedule. The reporting forms and instructions are on the state Judiciary's website.
What Probate Costs in Passaic County
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, counting the court fee, the executor's and the attorney's pay, the bond and publication.
Free formsSmall Estate Affidavit →
ToolsDo I Need Probate? · How Much Does Probate Cost? · Who Inherits Without a Will? · What Is the Estate's Personal Property Worth for Probate?
Serving as Executor in Passaic County
The court's appointment comes as Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (no will)N.J.S.A. 3B:3-17 (probate of will & grant of letters), 3B:3-22 (10-day wait), 3B:10-1, 3B:10-2, 3B:10-13 (letters of administration)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source. A person can apply for the appointment without a lawyer. An estate can be administered independently of court supervisionN.J.S.A. 3B:14-23 (fiduciary powers without court authorization); 3B:16-2 (inventory only if the court requires it); 3B:17-2 (accounting only if required)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. A bond is required by default before letters issueN.J.S.A. 3B:15-1Verified Aug 24, 2026View source, and a will can waive itN.J.S.A. 3B:15-1Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Someone named as executor who will not serve declines by a written renunciation filed with the courtR. 4:96-2 (Renunciations)Verified Sep 23, 2026View source.
The estate inventory is due within 0 daysN.J.S.A. 3B:16-2, 3B:16-3, 3B:16-6Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment. An executor is paid on a schedule set by statuteN.J.S.A. 3B:18-14Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Probate attorneys are paid reasonable compensation from the estateR. 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.
Filing Rules in Passaic County
Eleven days after death before probate certificates issue. Certificates on the probate of a will are not issued until at least 11 days after the date of death. The executor may come in to handle the paperwork at any time after the death.
Building entrance at 77 Hamilton Street. The 71 Hamilton Street entrance is closed. Visitors to the Surrogate's Court enter through 77 Hamilton Street.
Night Court on Tuesday evenings. Night Court sessions run Tuesday evenings from 5 to 7 PM at libraries and municipal buildings in West Milford, Clifton, Wayne, Totowa, Hawthorne and Paterson, by appointment only. Bring the death certificate with a raised seal, the original will, original documents for the estate's assets and a government-issued photo ID.
Homebound services. The office provides surrogate services to county residents who are ill, homebound or disabled and unable to travel, on request through the appointments page.
ToolsHow Do I Get Letters Testamentary? · Can I Self-File Probate? · How Much Can an Executor Charge? · What Are the Creditor Claim Deadlines?
Homes, Accounts and Debts in Passaic County
A deed from the personal representative, an affidavit that records a death, or a court order is recorded with the County Clerk for Passaic County. Recording a 2-page document there costs $40 in recording fees, before any form fee the office adds. The County Clerk accepts electronic recording through the New Jersey County Recording portal. New Jersey's survivorship vestings are joint tenancy, which the deed must expressly declare, and tenancy by the entirety, held by spouses and civil union partners. A surviving joint tenant's taking is a transfer under the transfer inheritance tax, a lien on the decedent's property for 15 years; the Division of Taxation issues no waiver for entireties property passing to the surviving spouse or partnerN.J.S.A. Title 46, chs. 3, 7, 15 and 26A; Title 3B; Title 54, chs. 34 to 36; 22A:4, 40A:9 and 47:1-1B; Division of Taxation Form L-9Verified Oct 26, 2026View source.
The estate's bank account can be at any bank, in any stateN.J.S.A. 3B:20-11.3(c); 3B:14-23(c)Verified Nov 2, 2026View source. Property the state holds as unclaimed for the person who died is claimed from the New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Unclaimed Property AdministrationN.J.S.A. 46:30B (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source. An estate that cannot pay every debt pays them in an order set by statute, in 7N.J.S.A. 3B:22-2Verified Oct 18, 2026View source classes.
Recording Office Record
County Clerk
Passaic County · Registry Division
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:15 PM
Office
401 Grand Street, Room 113, Paterson, NJ 07505
Website
Fax
1-973-357-1046
Recording fees
| Base fee (first page) | $30 |
| Each additional page | $10 |
| Deed Abstract FeeRequired with most deeds | $10 |
| RTF-1 Affidavit of Consideration for Use by Seller | $10 |
| RTF-1EE Affidavit of Consideration for Graduated Percent Fee | $10 |
| GIT/REP-1, GIT/REP-3, GIT/REP-4 Seller's Residency Certification / ExemptionRequired with most deeds | $10 |
| County Homelessness Housing Trust Fund SurchargeRequired with most deeds | $5 |
| Missing Cover Sheet / Electronic Synopsis Fee | $20 |
| Indexing Fee (names beyond 5) | $6 |
N.J.S.A. 22A:4-4.1 (L.1965, c.123, s.2; last amended L.2007, c.144)
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
ToolsWhat Happens to Jointly Owned Property When an Owner Dies? · How Do I Open an Estate Account When Someone Dies? · How Do I Claim a Deceased Person's Unclaimed Property? · What Happens When an Estate Is Insolvent?
Taxes and Benefits
Inheritances are taxed in New JerseyN.J.S.A. 54:34-1, 54:34-2, 54:34-4Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, at rates set by the heir's relationship to the person who died. The final state income tax return for the year of death is NJ-1040N.J.S.A. 54A:8-1, 54A:8-3.1, 54:34-1, 54:34-2, 54:35-1, 54:35-3, 54:35-19Verified Sep 10, 2026View source. The federal estate tax exempts the first $15,000,00026 USC 2001(c), 2010; P.L. 119-21 §70106Verified Sep 15, 2026View source per person.
Social Security pays a one-time death payment of $25542 U.S.C. § 402(i) (Social Security Act § 202(i)), first sentenceVerified Oct 26, 2026View source to a surviving spouse who lived in the same household, or else to a spouse or child entitled to survivor benefits for the month of death42 U.S.C. § 402(i), first and second sentencesVerified Oct 26, 2026View source. A surviving spouse can take an elective shareN.J.S.A. 3B:8-1, 3B:8-3, 3B:8-12, 3B:8-18Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of 33% in place of what the will leaves.
ToolsDo I Have to File Tax Returns for Someone Who Died? · What Taxes Apply to My Inheritance? · What Social Security Survivor Benefits Can I Get? · How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?
Probate Attorneys
Passaic County Probate Attorneys →Passaic County Trust Administration Attorneys →Passaic County Probate Litigation Attorneys →Passaic County Guardianship Attorneys →
More for settling an estate in New JerseyAll New Jersey settlement forms · All New Jersey settlement tools
Legal Sources
(33)·
- 26 USC 2001(c), 2010; P.L. 119-21 §70106
- 42 U.S.C. § 402(i) (Social Security Act § 202(i)), first sentence
- 42 U.S.C. § 402(i), first and second sentences
- N.J.S.A. 22A:2-30
- N.J.S.A. 26:7-18.1
- N.J.S.A. 3B:10-3
- N.J.S.A. 3B:14-23 (fiduciary powers without court authorization); 3B:16-2 (inventory only if the court requires it); 3B:17-2 (accounting only if required)
- N.J.S.A. 3B:15-1
- N.J.S.A. 3B:16-2, 3B:16-3, 3B:16-6
- N.J.S.A. 3B:18-14
- N.J.S.A. 3B:20-11.3(c); 3B:14-23(c)
- N.J.S.A. 3B:22-2
- N.J.S.A. 3B:22-2, 3B:22-4, 3B:22-8, 3B:22-10, 3B:22-33
- N.J.S.A. 3B:3-17 (probate of will & grant of letters), 3B:3-22 (10-day wait), 3B:10-1, 3B:10-2, 3B:10-13 (letters of administration)
- N.J.S.A. 3B:8-1, 3B:8-3, 3B:8-12, 3B:8-18
- N.J.S.A. 45:27-22
- N.J.S.A. 45:27-22(a) (appointment in a will or on the board-approved form)
- N.J.S.A. 46:30B (Uniform Unclaimed Property Act)
- N.J.S.A. 54:34-1, 54:34-2, 54:34-4
- N.J.S.A. 54A:8-1, 54A:8-3.1, 54:34-1, 54:34-2, 54:35-1, 54:35-3, 54:35-19
- N.J.S.A. Title 46, chs. 3, 7, 15 and 26A; Title 3B; Title 54, chs. 34 to 36; 22A:4, 40A:9 and 47:1-1B; Division of Taxation Form L-9
- New Jersey Department of Health - Office of Vital Statistics and Registry
- 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)
- R. 4:96-2 (Renunciations)
- N.J.S.A. 22A:4-4.1 (L.1965, c.123, s.2; last amended L.2007, c.144)
- Passaic County Surrogate's Court, official page
- Passaic County Surrogate's Court: Eleven days after death before probate certificates issue
- Passaic County Surrogate's Court: Building entrance at 77 Hamilton Street
- Passaic County Surrogate's Court: Annual report of guardian
- Passaic County Surrogate's Court: Night Court on Tuesday evenings
- Passaic County Surrogate's Court: Homebound services
- Passaic County Clerk, official page
- Passaic County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from New Jersey statutes and official state code. How we research.
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