New Jersey probate & fiduciary bonds.
We size, underwrite & quote it.

Before the surrogate or court grants letters, most fiduciaries have to post a bond.
It guarantees you’ll administer the estate honestly and according to law.
The court sets the amount to the size of the estate — and we underwrite it.
A surety specialist reviews your file and returns a quote, usually within one business day.

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Required of fiduciaries under N.J.S.A. 3B:15-1 unless waived by the will or the court

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Amount is set by the court or surrogate with due regard to the value of the estate

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Underwritten on personal credit and financials; collateral may apply to a large estate

Underwrittencourt sets the amountA-ratedA.M. Best carriers1 business daytypical specialist reply

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How it works

Built for the grant of letters.

The surrogate or court won’t issue letters until the bond is filed and approved, so the bond is usually the last step before you can act. Here is the whole process:

TODAY · 10 MINUTES

Send us the file

Apply online with the order or surrogate’s requirement setting the bond, the estate’s value, and the fiduciary’s details. The estate size and the fiduciary’s authority drive the penal sum.

WITHIN 1 BUSINESS DAY

A surety specialist underwrites it

A specialist reviews the file, a personal credit check, and any financials, then returns a quote. The amount is set by the court or surrogate — underwriting decides approval and any collateral on a large estate.

ON APPROVAL

Execute & file

Once you bind, we issue the executed bond to the Superior Court on the required form, ready for the surrogate or court to approve so letters can issue.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What a fiduciary bond protects

When the surrogate or court appoints you to handle someone else’s money — as an administrator of an estate, or a guardian or conservator for a protected person — it usually requires a bond before granting letters.

The fiduciary bond guarantees that you perform all your duties according to law: that you inventory the assets, account honestly, and don’t misuse the estate. If you breach those duties, the bond makes the estate or protected person whole — and the surety looks to you to repay it.

Because the surety stands behind the estate, the bond is underwritten on your personal credit and finances, and a large estate can require collateral. A will may waive the bond for a named executor, and a fiduciary can ask the court to reduce or waive it for good cause — we’ll flag what applies before you apply.

New Jersey StatuteN.J.S.A. 3B:15-1 provides that the court or surrogate appointing a fiduciary shall secure faithful performance of the duties of the office by requiring the fiduciary to furnish bond to the Superior Court, in a sum and with proper conditions and sureties, having due regard to the value of the estate and the extent of the fiduciary’s authority, as the court shall approve. The statute sets out exceptions — for example, administration ad litem may be granted with or without bond, and a will may relieve a named executor from giving bond. A fiduciary required to give bond may apply to the court to reduce or waive it for good cause shown.

You need this bond if you’re

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An administrator (or executor where the will does not waive bond) of a New Jersey estate

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A guardian of the person or estate of a minor or an incapacitated adult

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A conservator managing the assets of someone who cannot manage them alone

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Counsel or a family member arranging the bond so the surrogate can grant letters and you can begin administering

The application takes about ten minutes.

These are the actual underwriting fields — the estate, the bond amount the court or surrogate set, the fiduciary, and your finances. Submit once and a surety specialist returns a quote, typically within one business day. Free until your bond is issued.

Start the application →

FAQs

Common questions.

If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.

What is a New Jersey probate or fiduciary bond? +

It is the bond a court or surrogate requires before granting letters to a fiduciary — an executor, administrator, guardian, or conservator. Under N.J.S.A. 3B:15-1, it secures faithful performance of the fiduciary’s duties, protecting the estate or protected person from mismanagement or fraud.

How much does it cost? +

It is underwritten, not flat-rated. The court or surrogate sets the penal sum with due regard to the value of the estate and the fiduciary’s authority under N.J.S.A. 3B:15-1. A surety specialist then reviews the fiduciary’s personal credit and finances and returns a premium quote, usually within one business day.

Who decides the bond amount? +

The court or surrogate does. Under N.J.S.A. 3B:15-1, the amount is set in a sum having due regard to the value of the estate and the extent of the fiduciary’s authority, as the court approves. We size and underwrite the bond to whatever amount is required.

Can the bond be waived? +

Sometimes. A will may relieve a named executor from giving bond, and N.J.S.A. 3B:15-1 sets out further exceptions. A fiduciary required to give bond may also apply to the court to reduce or waive it for good cause, including the need to preserve estate assets. Where it isn’t waived, the fiduciary must file a bond before letters issue.

How fast can the bond be issued? +

A specialist typically returns a quote within one business day of a complete application. Once you bind and any collateral is in place, the executed bond issues to the Superior Court on the required form, ready for the surrogate or court to approve so letters can issue.

Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

Get bonded so the surrogate can grant letters.

Send us the estate details and the amount the court or surrogate set, and a surety specialist sizes, underwrites, and quotes the bond — typically within one business day. Free until your bond is issued.

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