New Jersey Small Estates: the affidavit in lieu of administration
The short answer
New Jersey calls its simplified route the affidavit in lieu of administration, and it is set out in N.J.S.A. 3B:10-3 (spouse/partner), 3B:10-4 (next of kin). The limit is $50,000 when a surviving spouse or partner files. It is only for people who died without a will. New Jersey sets no waiting period for it. Whether it reaches real estate is the question to ask the clerk first, because that answer usually decides the whole route. The current limit and the date we last read the statute are on the card below.
New Jersey’s affidavit in lieu of administration
New Jersey sets this out in N.J.S.A. 3B:10-3 (spouse/partner), 3B:10-4 (next of kin). The limit is $50,000 when a surviving spouse or partner files. It is only for people who died without a will. The figure itself, and the date we last read that statute, are on the card below.[1]
New Jersey
- Procedure:
- affidavit in lieu of administration
- Limit:
- $20,000
- Wait:
- none stated
- Real estate:
- not confirmed
The limit is $50,000 when a surviving spouse or partner files. It is only for people who died without a will.
N.J.S.A. 3B:10-3 (spouse/partner), 3B:10-4 (next of kin) — official page read September 18, 2026
Whether it reaches real estate is the question to ask the clerk first, because that answer usually decides the whole route.[1]
The affidavit in lieu of administration is one piece of settling an estate in New Jersey. Answer a few questions and Go Forward builds the rest of the list for your situation — the notifications, the accounts, the paperwork — in the order it needs doing.
Build my plan →Steps this page connects to: Check whether probate is required · Order certified death certificates · List what the estate holds
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Sources
- N.J.S.A. 3B:10-3 (spouse/partner), 3B:10-4 (next of kin) (affidavit in lieu of administration) — New Jersey — official statute or court self-help page. Read September 18, 2026.
Each state above links to the statute or court page we read, with the date we read it.
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