Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey

Select Here for the History of the Surrogate's Court

James A. Carney Atlantic County Surrogate 1201 Bacharach Boulevard Civil Couthourse Atlantic City, New Jersey 08401 609-343-2341	Michael Dressler Bergen County Surrogate Bergen County Justice Center Room 211 Main Street Hackensack, New Jersey 07601 201-646-2252
George T. Kotch Burlington County Surrogate 49 Rancocas Road Mount Holly, New Jersey 08060 609-265-5581	Patricia Egan Jones Camden County Surrogate 600 Market Street Camden, New Jersey 08102 856-225-7282
W. Robert Hentges Cape May County Surrogate 4 Moore Road, DN 207 Cape May Court House, NJ 08210 609-463-6666	Douglas Rainear Cumberland County Surrogate A 111 Court House 60 W. Broad Street Bridgeton, New Jersey 08302 609-451-4800
Joseph P. Brennan, Jr. Essex County Surrogate 465 Martin Luther King Boulevard Hall of Records Room 206 Newark, New Jersey 07102 201-621-4900	Helene M. Reed Gloucester County Surrogate P.O. Box 177 Woodbury, New Jersey 08096 609-853-3282
Donald W. De Leo Hudson County Surrogate Administration Building 595 Newark Avenue, Rm 107 Jersey City, New Jersey 07306 201-795-6378	Susan J. Hoffman Hunterdon County Surrogate Hunterdon County Justice Center 65 Park Avenue Flemington, New Jersey 08822-1495 908-788-1156
Diane Gerofsky Mercer County Surrogate Mercer County court House P.O. Box 8068 Trenton, New Jersey 08650 609-989-6331	Kevin J. Hoagland Middlesex County Surrogate P.O. Box 790 New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0790 732-745-3055
Rosemarie D. Peters Monmouth County Surrogate Hall of Records, Second Floor Freehold, New Jersey 07728 908-431-7344	John Pecoraro Morris County Surrogate P.O. Box 900 Morristown, NJ 07963-0900 973-285-6500
Jeffrey W. Moran Ocean County Surrogate Courthouse, P.O. Box 2919 Toms River, New Jersey 08754 732-929-2011	William J. Bate Passaic County Surrogate Passaic County Courthouse, Rm 101 Paterson, New Jersey 07505 201-881-2483
Nicki A. Burke Salem County Surrogate Salem County Courthouse 92 Market Street Salem, New Jersey 08079 856-935-7510	Frank Bruno Somerset County Surrogate Administration Building P.O. Box 3000 Somerville, New Jersey 08876 908-231-7005
Nancy D. Fitzgibbons Sussex County Surrogate 3 High Street, Suite 1 Newton, New Jersey 07860 973-579-0920	James LaCorte Union County Surrogate 2 Broad Street Elizabeth, New Jersey 07207 908-527-4288
Susan A. Dickey Warren County Surrogate 413 Second Street Belvidere, New Jersey 07823-1500 908-475-6225

---

---

The Surrogate's Court

The Surrogate's Court is a Department of County Government as well as a branch of the Superior Court of New Jersey, in the Chancery Division. The Surrogate is a Constitutional Officer who is elected to the position every five years. The Surrogate serves as Deputy Clerk of the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Probate Part as well as Judge of the Surrogate's Court.

The word Surrogate means "one who takes the place of another." The Surrogate in each county is actually taking the place of the Governor, who, in 1710, received from the Archbishop of London the authority to probate wills, issue marriage licenses and perform those functions which at that time were in the province of the Church. That power eventually went to the governor of the crown colony of New Jersey. The Surrogates were recognized as a separate office in the 1844 Constitution of New Jersey and allowed to run for election in each county to hold office for a five year term. Through subsequent statutes and modification, the powers and duties of County Surrogates were changed to meet present needs.

The duties of the Surrogate are mostly administrative. These duties provide for the administration of an estate, whether it be the process of admitting a will to probate or grant letters of administration to an appropriate person to carry on the duties of the decedent. Letters of Guardianship are also granted to persons for minor children who are awarded funds through a court as well as guardians for mentally incompetent persons.

As Clerk of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Probate Part, the Surrogate's Court reviews and files adoptions, declaration of death actions, appointment of guardian for an incompetent person, trusteeships, conservatorships and accountings.

The Court collects certain filing fees, set by New Jersey Statute, which are turned over to the Board of Chosen Freeholders on a monthly basis. The Surrogate and staff are paid salaries set by the Board of Freeholders and receive no part of the fees collected.

---