Updated September 7, 2026. Quick answer: New Jersey charges $100.00 statewide to probate a will and $125.00 for letters of administration when there is no will.
If a trust could save your estate this fee in New Jersey
A living trust avoids probate entirely in New Jersey, which means the estate skips the $100.00 above along with every other cost the court charges once a case is open. LawDepot builds a state-specific one.
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What New Jersey charges to open probate
This is a flat fee in New Jersey: $100.00 is what it costs whether the estate is worth $40,000 or $4,000,000.
| Probate of will, up to 2 pages | $100.00 |
| Letters of administration, no will | $125.00 |
| Each additional will page beyond 2 | $5.00 |
Where this money goes and who sets it
The authority for this figure is N.J.S.A. 22A:2-30. In the source’s own words: “Probate of Will (not more than two pages) $100.00 … General Administration [Letters of Administration]… $125.00”
What this fee doesn’t cover
Because New Jersey’s fee is flat, it doesn’t rise as the estate grows, but it also doesn’t shrink for a small, simple estate the way a percentage-based state’s fee would. Either way, this is the court’s own charge just to open the file and issue letters, separate from what an attorney charges to actually handle the estate and separate from any state estate or inheritance tax the estate itself might owe.
Sources
Source: N.J.S.A. 22A:2-30.