Menorah Chapel-Bergen County

Bergen County Surrogate's Court Information and Guidelines

Welcome to the Bergen County Surrogate's Court, where we provide essential services with the utmost professionalism and care. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, please be advised that our court is currently open on an appointment-only basis. We kindly request that you make an appointment after submitting the necessary documents, as our team will reach out to you promptly to schedule a convenient time.

We would like to emphasize that pro se clients (those representing themselves) who intend to drop off or collect materials must also arrange an appointment. The safety and well-being of our clients and staff remain our top priority.

Considering the prevailing circumstances, we will continue to accept the remote probating of estates and filing of court documents, as established in April 2020 (for more information, please refer to our PUBLIC NOTICE dated 7/20/21).

To facilitate the probate process, we have prepared instructions and essential documents that you will need to complete. We have provided downloadable information fact sheets below, along with the necessary renunciation forms. It is crucial that you select the appropriate form(s) based on whether or not there is a Last Will & Testament.

To access the information fact sheets and renunciation forms, please click on the following links:

WILL FACT SHEET: Download Here ADMINISTRATION FACT SHEET (NO WILL): Download Here

When contacting our office, we kindly request that you include your daytime phone number and/or a valid email address. Failure to do so may result in significant delays in the probate or administration process.

To assist in processing a probate through our office, please mail the following documents to our attention:

1. Last Will & Testament: If sending the original, please use a trackable service such as FedEx, UPS, or certified/registered mail. 2. Certified copy of the death certificate (raised seal): We require at least a copy of the death certificate as part of your initial inquiry. To finalize the matter, we will also need a certified copy with a raised seal. 3. Fiduciary(ies) full name(s) and address(es), phone number(s), and Social Security number(s). 4. Names and addresses of immediate next-of-kin, even if they are not mentioned in the Last Will & Testament. 5. Number of Surrogate certificates required. 6. Photocopy of 2 forms of ID (driver's license, passport, work ID, etc.) for fiduciary(ies). Please note that the decedent's photo identification should not be included; these photo ID requirements are exclusively for fiduciaries (administrators, executors, trustees, etc.). 7. Photocopy of proof of address (utility bill, credit card bill, etc.). 8. Mail or email the information to us, ensuring that you mention the name of the deceased, the date of death, and any relevant case or microfilm number in the subject line of any emails for easy reference. Our physical address remains the same and is listed above.

Please remember that for a probate matter, the original Last Will & Testament, a Certified Copy of the Death Certificate with a raised seal (as mentioned in point #2 above), and the statutory fee will be required to complete the process.

Should you have any inquiries about our fees or fee schedule, we invite you to reach out to our office at (201) 336-6700.

For your convenience, we have provided department-specific email addresses below:

Probate: bersurrprobate@co.bergen.nj.us Court Division: bersurrcourt@co.bergen.nj.us Finance Division: bersurrfinance@co.bergen.nj.us Correspondence: bersurrcorrespondence@co.bergen.nj.us Records: bersurrrecords@co.bergen.nj.us Letters: bersurrletters@co.bergen.nj.us

Thank you for placing your trust in the Bergen County Surrogate's Court.