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Important Information for Visitors
MICHAEL R. DRESSLER
BERGEN COUNTY SURROGATE
Please note that the Bergen County Surrogate's Court is open BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.
Once you have sent in the requisite documents you will be contacted by a clerk to schedule your appointment.
It is very important to note that pro se clients who wish to pick up or drop off materials must also make an appointment to do so.
As per our Notice to the Bar dated 7/20/21, in the alternative we will continue our policy of probating estates and filing court documents remotely as we established in April 2020 .
Below you will find instructions and documents that you will need to complete and send to us in a probate matter.
Information Fact Sheets & Getting Started
We have provided links to downloadable information fact sheets with renunciation forms attached, which are essential documents in creating any case in our system. It is important that you choose the correct form(s) depending on whether or not there was a Last Will & Testament.
***It is imperative that you include a daytime phone number and/or valid email address when you contact our office! Failure to do so may result in a significant delay in the probate/administration process.***
You may send the following documents via mail to our attention to assist in processing a PROBATE through our office at this time:
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Last Will & Testament
IMPORTANT NOTE: If sending the original, you MUST send it via FedEx, UPS, certified/registered mail. In other words, it MUST be tracked however you choose to send the original to our attention.
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Certified copy of the death certificate (raised seal)
IMPORTANT NOTE: We REQUIRE that you send us at the very least a copy of the death certificate as a part of your initial inquiry. And, as outlined below, we will also require a certified copy of the death certificate (with a raised seal) to finalize the matter.
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Fiduciary(ies) full name(s) and address(es), phone number(s) and Social Security number(s).
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Names and addresses of immediate next-of-kin even if they are not in the LW&T.
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How many Surrogate certificates you need to order.
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Photocopy of 2 forms of ID (driver's license, passport, work ID, etc) for fiduciary(ies)!
IMPORTANT NOTE: PLEASE DO NOT SEND THE DECEDENT’S PHOTO IDENTIFICATION. PHOTO ID REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR FIDUCIARIES (administrators, executors, trustees, etc.) ONLY
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Photocopy of proof of address (utility bill, credit card bill, etc.)
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Mail or e-mail the information to us. Please include the name of the deceased, the date of death and any pertinent case or microfilm number in the subject line of any e-mails for quick reference. Our physical address remains the same and is listed above.
VERY IMPORTANT: We will require the original Last Will & Testament, a Certified Copy of the Death Certificate with a raised seal (referenced above in #2) and the statutory fee to finalize the procedure in a probate matter.
If you have any questions about our fees (or our fee schedule itself), you may call our office to discuss them: (201) 336-6700.
Remote Probate & Court Filings
As per our Notice to the Bar dated 7/20/21, in the alternative we will continue our policy of probating estates and filing court documents remotely as we established in April 2020 (see PUBLIC NOTICE).
Our office has successfully helped many residents complete the probate process remotely. This may include sending documents by mail, e-mail, or using other remote communication tools as directed by our staff.
