How probate works in Salem County: the Surrogate's Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Salem County
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Filing in person
Self-represented filing
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Filing in person
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About the court
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Salem, probate runs through the Surrogate's Court at Salem County Courthouse, 92 Market Street, Suite A122, Salem.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under New Jersey intestacy law when there is no will.
Most New Jersey estates take 9 months to 12 months to move through this process. 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.
What probate costs in Salem County, New Jersey comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Surrogate's Court at Salem County Courthouse, 92 Market Street, Suite A122, Salem.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Guardianship reports.
New Jersey charges $100N.J.S.A. 22A:2-30Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in New Jersey are negotiated, 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 estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
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. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under N.J.S.A. 3B:15-1Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in New Jersey typically runs 9 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
Probate cases in Salem County are filed at the Surrogate's Court. File in person during business hours or by mail.
New Jersey has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not availableN.J.S.A. 3B:3-17, 3B:3-19; 2B:14-1 (Surrogate is the Judge and Clerk of the Surrogate's Court — no non-judicial/registrar track)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Salem County Self-Filing Assessment.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Executor appointed on the twelfth day
The executor can be appointed on the twelfth day, counting the date of death as day one, and may apply to the office at any time before that. For a death on January 1, probate can be issued on January 12.
SourceHome visits for probate paperwork
In some cases the Surrogate can come to the home of an executor or administrator who cannot come to the office to complete the probate paperwork. Call the office to ask whether a home probate can be done.
SourceFiled with the opening petition at the Surrogate's Court: Original will and any codicils (lodged with the Surrogate for probate); Certificate of death, or other competent proof of death — the requirement may be dispensed with for good cause, and does not apply to an application for substitutionary letters (County Surrogates in practice ask for a certified copy with a raised seal); Application identifying the heirs / next of kin and persons entitled to letters, with their addresses and relationshipsN.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.
In Salem County certified copies of the death certificate come 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 Records Office Record
Salem County · State vital records office
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Certified copies
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
Salem County · Office of the Medical Examiner
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Serves this county
Release of remains
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Verified November 3, 2026 · Source
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the County Clerk.
Deeds and other real property documents for Salem County are recorded with the County Clerk at 110 Fifth Street, Suite 200, Salem, NJ 08079. Phone: 1-856-935-7510. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:00 PM (office open to 4:30 PM; no transactions after 4:00 PM).
The County Clerk charges $30 for the first page plus $10 for each additional page.
Salem County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile and CSC.
Recording Office Record
Salem County
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E-recording
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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 |
| 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
New Jersey allows independent administrationN.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, so the personal representative manages, pays and distributes the estate without returning to the court for approval at each step. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in New Jersey are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Salem County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Surrogate's Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
FirmWilliamstown, NJ
Flanagan Law offers customized wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and probate services throughout Southern New Jersey. Founder Brian T. Flanagan also runs a Chapter 7 bankruptcy practice, and the firm's free consultations are stated for bankruptcy matters only.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateTrustsWills
FirmHaddonfield, NJ
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawTax PlanningSpecial Needs Planning
FirmCherry Hill, NJ
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 2 more
FirmCherry Hill, NJ
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawTax Planningand 3 more
FirmMount Laurel, NJ
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.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 2 more
FirmCherry Hill, NJ
Flaster Greenberg's Trusts & Estates group, based in Cherry Hill in Camden County, guides executors, trustees, and beneficiaries through estate and trust administration in New Jersey Surrogate's Courts, including probate and creditor-claim resolution. The firm also handles will contests, fiduciary disputes, and guardianships across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Florida.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTax PlanningBusiness Succession
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Data sourced from New Jersey statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Free tools for settling an estate in New Jersey: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool.
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.
Settling a trust in New Jersey happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeN.J.S.A. 3B:31-1 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
New Jersey has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not availableN.J.S.A. 3B:3-17, 3B:3-19; 2B:14-1 (Surrogate is the Judge and Clerk of the Surrogate's Court — no non-judicial/registrar track)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
Browse vetted New Jersey attorneys handling probate matters.
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Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Enter the estate value to see New Jersey attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
General information about probate costs, not legal or financial advice. Fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value or net property after debts. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
Enter the estate value to see whether New Jersey lets a self-represented person open probate, what the court requires, and what each route costs.
General information about filing probate without a lawyer, not legal advice. Both routes are priced by the probate cost estimator on the same estate; the attorney fee is the one line that differs. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
