Chancery Division

From New Jersey Wiki

The Chancery Division of the Superior Court consists of the General Equity, Probate and Family Parts.

[edit] General Equity Part

The General Equity Part handles civil cases where the primary relief sought is equitable in nature, although it may grant incidental legal relief. In most vicinages only one judge is assigned to the General Equity Part and it is a choice assignment.

[edit] Probate Part

The Probate Part handles contested probate matters, guardianships etc. Usually the General Equity judge handles the probate calendar on a weekly ir less frequent basis. The county surrogate acts as the deputy clerk of the Superior Court for the Probate Part in the county.

[edit] Family Part

The Family Part was created when the State Constitution was amended to eliminate the juvenile and domestic relations courts in each county and so it has the distinction of being the only part specifically mandated by the constitution.

The Family Part is responsible for all cases arising out of marriage (or marriage-like) relationships, juvenile matters and domestic violence cases.