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New Jersey court costs guide
Filing for divorce in New Jersey costs $300 in court filing fees. This guide covers the verified filing fees for divorce, name change, general civil cases, and probate in New Jersey — every figure from the official schedule or statute named at the foot of the page.
| New Jersey at a glance | Figure |
|---|---|
| Court | Superior Court |
| Divorce filing fee | $300 plaintiff's complaint fee (NJ Courts' divorce page). The defendant's filing fee is $175; add a $25 Parents' Education Program fee when minor children are involved and no exception applies. |
| Name change filing fee | $250 in Superior Court, payable to 'Treasurer, State of New Jersey.' |
| Name-change publication | Not required — Not required — the official NJ Courts step list contains no publication step. The required notice is mailing the Order Fixing Date of Hearing to the Director, Division of Criminal Justice (regular and certified mail, at least 20 days before the hearing), plus notice to the involved law-enforcement agency or county prosecutor if criminal charges are pending. |
| General civil filing fee | $250 to file a lawsuit complaint (Superior Court, Law Division – Civil Part); an answer is $175 and a motion $50. |
Divorce filing fees
$300 plaintiff's complaint fee (NJ Courts' divorce page). The defendant's filing fee is $175; add a $25 Parents' Education Program fee when minor children are involved and no exception applies.
See the national picture — including the states where the fee is set county by county — in our divorce filing cost guide.
Name change: fee and publication
$250 in Superior Court, payable to 'Treasurer, State of New Jersey.'
Publication: Not required — the official NJ Courts step list contains no publication step. The required notice is mailing the Order Fixing Date of Hearing to the Director, Division of Criminal Justice (regular and certified mail, at least 20 days before the hearing), plus notice to the involved law-enforcement agency or county prosecutor if criminal charges are pending.
Publication is the step readers most often get wrong, because the rule changed recently in several states. The full state-by-state picture is in our name change cost guide.
General civil filing fees
$250 to file a lawsuit complaint (Superior Court, Law Division – Civil Part); an answer is $175 and a motion $50.
Probate court costs
No probate filing figure for New Jersey appears on the official schedules we read — in many states probate fees are set at county level (a register of wills or probate court fee schedule) rather than statewide. Confirm the current fee with the probate court where the estate will be filed. Our probate cost guide explains the cost layers every estate pays.
How filing works in New Jersey
- Prepare the petition or complaint for the Superior Court — most New Jersey courts publish the forms on their self-help pages.
- File with the clerk and pay the filing fee above. Keep the stamped copy; it is your proof of filing.
- Arrange service of process on the other party where the case requires it (divorce and general civil cases do; a name change usually does not).
- Complete any publication the rules require — for a New Jersey name change: not required.
- Attend the hearing or, in uncontested matters, submit the proposed decree for the judge's signature.
Worked total: what a divorce filing costs
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Filing fee | $300 |
| Service of process (typical private process server) | $50–$100 |
| Estimated total to file | $350–$400 |
Filing fee plus service for one respondent, before any mediation, parenting-class, or copy charges described in the guides. Run your own combination in the cost calculator.
Sources: NJ Courts — Divorce · NJ Courts — Name Change for Adults · NJ Courts — Lawsuits over $20,000 (Civil). Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court clerk.
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