NJ Kinship Guardianship Filing Fee and Fee Waiver: What You Actually Pay

KLG Has No Court Filing Fee

This is one of the most important facts relatives filing for Kinship Legal Guardianship in New Jersey overlook: there is no court filing fee for a KLG Complaint on the FL docket. Zero dollars to file.

This is not a fee waiver. It is the standard. The New Jersey legislature built KLG to be accessible to kinship caregivers, and the absence of a filing fee is part of that design.

Many caregivers search for "fee waiver" because they assume a court filing must cost something. If you are filing for KLG, you do not need a fee waiver for the complaint itself.

What KLG Does Cost

While the filing itself is free, the process has some associated costs:

• LiveScan fingerprinting: approximately $65 to $80 per adult household member. Every adult aged 18 and older living in the home must be fingerprinted for the criminal background check. If three adults live in the household, that is roughly $195 to $240 total.
• Certified copies of the order: $25 for a certified document with the court seal under the Judiciary's fee schedule. You will need several — one for the school, one for the doctor, one for benefit applications. Plan on ordering at least three or four.
• Service costs: in a KLG case, the Family Part mails filed papers to the adverse party by certified and ordinary mail. If mail service is ineffective, the court determines whether another method is appropriate. If the court authorizes sheriff's service, sheriff's fees run approximately $40 plus mileage.

For a private KLG filing with no Division involvement, the Judiciary's CIC Manual says the caregiver assessment is at the caregiver's expense. In an FC-only division-assisted private filing, the Division provides the assessment at no cost. The CARI and DVCR checks are at no cost to the relative: DCF's CARI Unit conducts CARI, and the New Jersey State Police conducts DVCR. Call 2-1-1 to contact the Kinship Navigator agency when no Division case is involved.

Fees on the FD Custody Docket

If you are filing for nonparent custody on the FD (Non-Dissolution) docket instead of KLG, the fee structure is different:

• Initial complaint (CN 11492): no filing fee for a custody-only complaint
• Post-disposition application to modify an FD order (CN 11487): $35
• If custody is part of a divorce action (FM docket): $300 total filing fee, of which $275 goes to the court

Low-income filers on the FD docket can apply for a fee waiver by submitting the Judiciary's fee waiver packet with the required financial records, including monthly income and asset information. If approved, the filing fees covered by the court's order are waived.

The Fee Waiver Process

Even though KLG has no filing fee, the fee waiver may be relevant for other costs in your case — particularly if you need to file a post-disposition application later or if court-ordered costs arise during the proceedings.

To apply:

1. Obtain the Fee Waiver Request Form from the county Family Division clerk's office or the NJ Courts website
2. Attach the financial records required by the Judiciary packet: two months of documentation for income (including public assistance, unemployment, disability, Social Security, child support or alimony, and other income) and six months of bank statements for all bank accounts. The court may request additional income verification, including tax returns.
3. Complete the affidavit of assets section
4. Submit the form with your filing

The court reviews the application and typically decides within a few days. If approved, fees are waived for the duration of the case.

Cost Comparison

For perspective on what you are not paying:

• Private document preparation services in New Jersey charge $500 to $1,500 to help with guardianship paperwork
• A family law attorney retainer for a guardianship case starts at approximately $2,500
• Online legal form platforms like LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer charge $15 to $40 per month, and their generic templates do not include the NJ-specific KLG forms

A KLG filing with fingerprinting and certified copies comes in well under $400 total for most families — and the filing itself is free.

Our New Jersey Guardianship and Custody Court Process Guide walks through every cost you can expect at each stage of the process, from the Navigator assessment through obtaining your certified court order.

See more New Jersey guides →