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New Jersey Family Court: Custody and Parenting-Time Guide

Plain-language New Jersey information for a custody or parenting-time route, including filing, official forms, free help, fee waivers, and legal-cost context.

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This page provides general legal information, not legal advice. State law, court rules, forms, and local procedures can change. Confirm current requirements with the court handling the case.

State laws, court rules, and forms can change. Automated link checks will run every week once the monitoring job is deployed. Please check each cited source before relying on it. Report a broken link or changed law.

Find the right family court

The custody or parenting-time route described in this guide is handled through the Superior Court of New Jersey, Family Division. Other family-law matters can follow a different court or procedure.

Find the court for your area.

How New Jersey courts decide custody

New Jersey law says the protection and welfare of minor children are paramount in custody matters.Sources:P.L. 2025, Chapter 316

  • The current statute says custody and parenting-time decisions are made case by case and identifies the child's safety as a threshold issue.Sources:P.L. 2025, Chapter 316

Key legal sources

Parenting time

New Jersey's custody statute addresses parenting time as part of case-by-case custody decisions.Sources:P.L. 2025, Chapter 316

  • For this first FD route, the court's current filing page identifies custody, parenting time, and visitation as requests that require a Certification of Non-Military Service in addition to the baseline forms.Sources:Filing a Non-Dissolution Case

Key legal sources

How to file

This draft covers a first New Jersey non-dissolution FD request for custody, parenting time, or visitation in Superior Court Family Division. It excludes divorce, post-judgment motions, emergency matters, active domestic-violence restraining-order matters, adoption, guardianship, interstate matters, and requests for child support, paternity, spousal support, or health-insurance coverage.Sources:Filing a Non-Dissolution Case

  1. Start with the current non-dissolution filing page

    The page is for filing a non-dissolution case in Superior Court. It directs people changing an existing order to the post-judgment family-motion instructions instead.Sources:Filing a Non-Dissolution Case

  2. Complete the forms listed for this custody route

    The current court page lists a Verified Complaint or Counterclaim and a Confidential Litigant Information Sheet. For custody, parenting time, or visitation, it also lists a Certification of Non-Military Service.Sources:Filing a Non-Dissolution Case

  3. Provide the other party's current address

    The court says the other party receives a Notice to Appear and a copy of the court papers. The page says a case might be dismissed or delayed when the other party cannot be reached.Sources:Filing a Non-Dissolution Case

  4. Use one of the listed delivery options

    NJ Courts lists electronic submission through JEDS, delivery to the county courthouse, and mailing to the county courthouse. Confirm the county office and current instructions before using an option.Sources:Filing a Non-Dissolution Case, Directory of Superior Court Family Division Offices

Official forms

Open the official forms portal.

  • For the selected custody, parenting-time, or visitation FD route, the current NJ Courts filing page lists the Verified Complaint or Counterclaim, Confidential Litigant Information Sheet, and Certification of Non-Military Service. The page lists different additional forms for child-support, paternity, spousal-support, or health-insurance requests, which this draft excludes.Sources:Filing a Non-Dissolution Case

Free court self-help

Find court self-help near you.

  • Legal Services of New Jersey

    Area served: New Jersey.

    A New Jersey government resource says Legal Services of New Jersey coordinates the statewide Legal Services system and provides free civil legal assistance to low-income people.Sources:Get Legal Help for Family Law or Education Issues

    Eligibility: The resource describes assistance for low-income people; contact the provider to confirm current eligibility and capacity.

  • Legal Services of Northwest Jersey

    Area served: Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Sussex, and Warren counties.

    Its family-law page lists assistance ranging from advice to document preparation and in-court representation, including custody and parenting time.Sources:Family Law, Legal Services of Northwest Jersey

    Eligibility: Use the provider's application to ask about current eligibility and whether it offers help for the matter.

Fee waivers

NJ Courts says court filing and copy fees might be waived for people who meet the published financial guidelines.Sources:How to File for a Fee Waiver – All Courts

Who may qualify

What to do

  1. Complete the current fee-waiver form

    NJ Courts directs applicants to complete the Fee Waiver form and submit the required documents to the court.Sources:How to File for a Fee Waiver – All Courts, How to File for a Fee Waiver – All Courts Filing Fee Waiver Request Form

  2. Submit the request with the court case

    The court's page says a fee-waiver request should be filed with the court at the same time as the court case.Sources:How to File for a Fee Waiver – All Courts, New Jersey Court Rule 1:5-6, Filing

Official fee-waiver forms

Key statute or rule

Attorney cost benchmark

Lawyer fees vary by county, experience, services, and the facts of a case. This state benchmark is context for planning, not a quote.

State and local details to confirm

  • The current NJ Courts FD filing page separately lists additional materials for child-support, paternity, spousal-support, or health-insurance requests. Those requests are outside this guide's limited custody, parenting-time, or visitation route.Sources:Filing a Non-Dissolution Case

Part of Family Law in Your State.