The figures on this page are general estimates. Laws, fees, thresholds, and prices differ by state and change often, and your own situation may change the result. Before you act, confirm the current numbers and rules for New Jersey with a licensed professional — an attorney, tax advisor, or licensed agent as appropriate. Reading this page does not create a professional relationship.
When the clock starts in New Jersey
The single fact that governs every other date on this page: in New Jersey the creditor-claim period runs from the date of death — and the nine months protects the personal representative rather than barring the creditor.
This is not the same in every state. Some states run the period from the date of death, others from the date letters are issued to the personal representative, others from first publication of the notice to creditors. A deadline calculated from the wrong event is simply wrong, and a missed claim deadline is not curable.
New Jersey deadlines at a glance
| Deadline | New Jersey | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory | There is generally no mandatory inventory in New Jersey. §3B:16-2 provides that a personal representative "may" make and file one, and must do so only where the court requires it or where the family exemption under §3B:16-5 is to be set off. Where an inventory is filed, an appraisal by two discreet and impartial persons accompanies it. The court may not require the filing until three months after the grant of letters — except that where an exemption is to be set off, the inventory and appraisal must be made within those three months. | N.J. Stat. §3B:16-2 |
| Creditor claim period | Nine months from the date of death, and the claim must be presented to the personal representative in writing and under oath, specifying the amount claimed and the particulars of the claim. Read what the nine months does: §3B:22-4 provides that a claim not presented in time leaves the personal representative not liable to that creditor for assets already delivered or paid in satisfaction of lawful claims, devises or distributive shares before the claim was presented. Like New York, the period protects the representative who distributed rather than extinguishing the creditor. New Jersey publishes no notice to creditors, so nothing the representative does moves the date. | N.J. Stat. §3B:22-4 |
| Outer claim bar | A forever-bar exists but only for insolvent estates. Where an estate is adjudged insolvent, a creditor who failed to exhibit a claim within the §3B:22-4 period is forever barred from prosecuting or recovering on it — with two exceptions written into the same section: where the estate proves sufficient after all exhibited and allowed claims are fully satisfied, and where the creditor finds some other asset the personal representative did not account for before distribution, in which case the creditor takes a ratable proportion of it. Before distribution, the court may on a creditor's application and after notice to the personal representative extend the time for presenting claims on such terms as it deems just. Outside insolvency, the code contains no equivalent non-claim bar. | N.J. Stat. §3B:22-33 |
The inventory deadline, as written
A personal representative may or, if required by the court or if the exemption for the benefit of the family of the decedent is to be set off as allowed by N.J.S. 3B:16-5, shall make and file a true and perfect inventory of the real and personal property of his decedent… The court shall not require an inventory and appraisal to be filed until 3 months after the grant of letters, except that if an exemption is to be set off, the inventory and appraisal shall be made within the 3 months.
— N.J. Stat. §3B:16-2
The creditor-claim period, as written
Creditors of the decedent shall present their claims to the personal representative of the decedent's estate in writing and under oath, specifying the amount claimed and the particulars of the claim, within nine months from the date of the decedent's death. If a claim is not so presented to the personal representative within nine months from the date of the decedent's death, the personal representative shall not be liable to the creditor with respect to any assets which the personal representative may have delivered or paid in satisfaction of any lawful claims, devises or distributive shares, before the presentation of the claim.
— N.J. Stat. §3B:22-4
What this page does not state
Where a figure is not recorded above, it is because it was not found in the statute cited — not because no deadline exists. Court rules, local rules, and standing orders set additional dates that are not part of the statutory text, and those are not reproduced here. Confirm every date against the New Jersey court handling the estate.
Sources
- Statutes: N.J. Stat. §3B:16-2; N.J. Stat. §3B:22-4; N.J. Stat. §3B:22-33
- Authority: New Jersey Legislature, New Jersey Statutes Title 3B (lis.njleg.state.nj.us)
- Source URL: https://lis.njleg.state.nj.us/nxt/gateway.dll/statutes/1?f=templates&fn=default.htm&vid=Publish:10.1048/Enu
- Verified: 2026-08-21
Related New Jersey guides
- How Long Does Probate Take in New Jersey? — the overall timeline these deadlines sit inside.
- How much does probate cost in New Jersey? — the cost side.
- How Much Does an Executor Get Paid in New Jersey? — compensation for the work.
- New Jersey Probate Fee Sheet — printable one-page reference.
- Executor Duties: The Complete Checklist — what the role involves.
Executor deadlines in other states
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This page reproduces New Jersey statutory deadlines as published at the time of verification. It is not legal advice. Statutes are amended, court rules impose additional dates, and application depends on the specific estate. Confirm every date with the New Jersey court or a licensed New Jersey attorney.