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Probate/Administration of an Estate

Do you need to probate a will or administer an estate? We will help you through that process.

On behalf of the Surrogate’s Court, please accept our deepest condolences for your loss. We will make every effort to make this process as easy as possible during this most difficult time in your life.

File Online

You can now file online using eProbate.

Visit the eProbate website

This will take you to our eProbate system, hosted by Bluestone. Make sure you choose "Morris County" from the dropdown list. You'll then be asked whether there is or is not a Will. Finally, click on "Proceed to Data Form" to begin filling out the online probate form.

eProbate is used for Probate of a Will or Administration of an Estate. It is not used for a previously filed case or when requesting additional documents on an already Probated Estate.

Step 1.Uploading Documents

eProbate can only be completed by uploading required documents, such as the Death Certificate and Will.

If you do not have the ability to upload these documents with the case filing, use a different method to probate your case (an in-person appointment or by mail).

Step 2.Next Steps

Once we process the information, a Probate Clerk from our office will contact you.

Step 3.If You Filed Previously

If you have previously filed a probate for this decedent and need additional support, please use Form A and Form B - see the Mail tab - or call the Surrogate’s Court for assistance at 973-285-6500.

Book In-Person

New: you can now book your in-person appointment online!

Book your appointment

You can also call us at 973-285-6500.

Make sure to bring a certified death certificate, the original will with codicils (if there is a will), and payment.

Mail

Since you're sending original documents to us, we recommend that you use a mail service that allows you to track what you've sent, such as certified mail or overnight mail.

Fill out Form A(PDF, 156KB) if you have an original will, or Form B(PDF, 139KB) if there is no will, and send it to:

Morris County Surrogate
10 Court Street
Morristown, NJ 07963-0900

Along with:

Certified Copy of the Death Certificate, and
Original Will with any Codicils

We'll contact you after we receive your documents.

Definitions

Probating a will refers to the legal process through which the authenticity of a will is established. Once probated, a will becomes a permanent part of the county records.

If there is not a will, this process is called administration of an estate.

Documents

During the probate/administration process, you'll need to provide:

a certified death certificate
an original will (and any codicils, if applicable)
- If there is no will, you will need to provide a list of any assets solely in the decedent’s name with no beneficiary named (such as stocks, bonds bank accounts, automobiles, real estate, etc.
identification (such as a driver's license or passport)

If there is no will, a Surety Bond - also known as Administration and Executor bonds, or Probate Bonds for the Administrator(s) of the estate - may be required.

This bond generally guarantees that all the estate debts will be satisfied and that the remaining assets will be properly distributed to the appropriate heirs. Bond amounts are determined by the Surrogate’s Court and may range in amount and cost. Amounts are usually based on the value of the estate; other factors may be considered.

Fees

Probating a will: fees start at $100
Administrating an estate (if there is no will): fees start at $125

We accept credit card, cash, or check payments.

Additional fees may include (for example): the number of pages in a Will, the request for additional certificates, Renunciations, Disclaimers, the number of Executors for an Estate.

The Probate/Administration process cannot be completed until 10 days after the date of death due to New Jersey State Law.

If you need additional help or documents from the Surrogate’s Office, such as a Surrogate Certificate (a document confirming that the will has been probated, and an Executor/Administrator has been appointed), please call us at 973-285-6500.