Losing someone is hard.
The paperwork shouldn't make it harder.
If you’ve been named executor — or a loved one died without a will — I’ll guide you through New Jersey probate step by step: the Surrogate’s Court, the notices, the taxes, the distributions. You take care of your family; I’ll carry the legal weight.
A clear path through an unclear time.
Probate in New Jersey starts at the county Surrogate’s Court and, in most cases, is more process than drama — but it’s a process with real deadlines, real personal liability for the executor, and New Jersey’s inheritance tax system waiting at the end. Most people serve as an executor exactly once in their lives, with no training, while grieving.
That’s where I come in. I handle estate administration from qualification through final distribution, keeping you protected and informed at every step. And when an estate has more debts than assets, my bankruptcy background becomes your advantage — creditor claims are a language I speak fluently.
How I help executors and families.
Executor guidance
What to sign, what to file, what not to pay, and what you're personally on the hook for — I keep first-time executors out of the traps.
Full estate administration
Probating the will with the Surrogate, notices to heirs, gathering assets, paying valid debts, and distributing what remains — handled start to finish.
NJ inheritance tax returns
New Jersey taxes inheritances based on who inherits. I prepare the required returns and obtain the tax waivers needed to release accounts and transfer real estate.
Creditor claims & insolvent estates
When the debts rival or exceed the assets, order of payment matters enormously — and executors who pay the wrong debt first can be personally liable. This is my home turf.
No will? Administration
When someone dies intestate, New Jersey law determines who may serve and who inherits. I guide administrators through the extra steps, including the bonds and consents involved.
Family disagreements
When tensions rise over a will or an executor's conduct, early legal guidance usually keeps disputes from becoming litigation. Protecting family relationships is part of the job.
The probate process, step by step.
1. First meeting & documents
Bring the will (if there is one), the death certificate, and whatever financial picture you have — even a shoebox of statements. We’ll sort out what matters together.
2. Qualify with the Surrogate's Court
The will is probated in the county where your loved one lived, and you’re formally appointed executor (or administrator, if there’s no will), receiving the authority to act for the estate.
3. Notify heirs & handle creditors
Required notices go to beneficiaries and next of kin. Creditor claims get reviewed — valid ones paid in the right order, questionable ones challenged.
4. Gather assets & settle taxes
Accounts are collected, property is valued and sold if needed, and the New Jersey inheritance tax return is filed so waivers can issue and assets can move.
5. Distribute & close
Beneficiaries receive their shares, releases are signed, and the estate closes — properly, finally, and with you protected from later claims.
Probate questions, answered.
Straightforward estates often wrap up within a year; estates with real estate to sell, tax complications, or family disputes take longer. New Jersey’s process is less burdensome than many states’ — qualifying with the Surrogate is usually quick — but the tax waivers and creditor timelines set the real pace.
No — you can renounce, and the alternate named in the will (or another qualified person) steps in. Before you decide either way, it’s worth a conversation about what the job actually involves in your specific estate. Sometimes it’s far easier than feared; sometimes declining is the wise call.
The estate is “intestate”: New Jersey law determines who inherits and who may serve as administrator, and the Surrogate’s process involves a few extra requirements, often including a bond. It’s more procedure, not a catastrophe — and I’ll walk you through all of it.
Then the order of payment is everything — the law ranks which obligations get paid first, and an executor who pays out of order can become personally liable for the difference. This is where my debt-side experience earns its keep: creditor claims get scrutinized, negotiated, and paid strictly by the book. Family members generally do not inherit a loved one’s debts.
For a very simple estate, perhaps not. But the executor is personally responsible for getting it right, and the expensive problems — missed inheritance tax waivers, mishandled creditor claims, distributions made too early — all happen in estates that looked simple at the start. An initial consultation will tell you honestly which kind you have.
“Daniel L. Reinganum, Esq is one of the best around. He was very knowledgeable and made sure I understood everything. He was pleasant and very efficient. I recommend him to everyone.”
You don't have to figure this out alone.
Bring me the will and the questions. I’ll handle the process — you focus on your family.