Access Somerset County Family Court Records

Somerset County family court records are filed at the Superior Court, Family Division in Somerville. The county is part of Vicinage 13, which also covers Hunterdon and Warren counties. The Family Division handles divorce, custody, child support, domestic violence, juvenile, paternity, guardianship, and adoption cases for all Somerset County residents. The courthouse is at 20 North Bridge Street in Somerville. You can search for family court records there in person or use the state court website to find basic case information online.

Somerset County Family Division Office

The Family Division of the Superior Court in Somerset County is at 20 North Bridge Street in Somerville. The mailing address is P.O. Box 3000, Somerville, NJ 08876-1262. The main phone number for the court is 908-332-7700. For family court matters, call ext. 13730 or ext. 13750. Hon. Kevin Shanahan serves as the Assignment Judge for Vicinage 13.

Somerset County shares Vicinage 13 with Hunterdon and Warren counties. Each county has its own courthouse and Family Division staff. Family court records for Somerset County stay in Somerville. You do not need to travel to another county to get your records. The court is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM.

The New Jersey Judiciary website provides forms, contact information, and online tools for all court matters. You can download the Records Request Form and other documents you need before visiting the Somerset County courthouse.

Bring your ID and any case details you have when you visit. Staff can help with searches and copies of family court records in Somerset County.

Searching for Somerset County Court Records

The Find a Case tool on the NJ Courts website is the best place to start an online search. It covers all counties, including Somerset. You can look up cases by party name or docket number. Basic case information is free. For copies of actual documents, you need to go to the courthouse or submit a written request.

Somerset County divorce cases filed up to and including 2014 are archived at the Records Imaging Center (RIC) in Trenton. Cases from 2015 onward are at the Family Division in Somerville. The county code for Somerset is 18. To get archived records, complete the Records Request Form (CN 10200) and send it to the Superior Court Clerk's Office. Allow extra time for old files. You can email questions to SCCORecordReq.Mailbox@njcourts.gov or call 609-421-6100 for help finding a docket number.

Note: Archived records may take longer to retrieve since they are stored off-site in Trenton.

Somerset County Divorce Records

Divorce is the most common family court case type in Somerset County. Under N.J.S.A. 2A:34-2, you can file for divorce on fault or no-fault grounds. Most cases use irreconcilable differences. One spouse must have lived in New Jersey for at least 12 months before filing. You file in the county where either spouse resides. If you live in Somerset County, you file here.

A divorce file in Somerset County contains the complaint, answer, case information statement, property settlement agreement, and final judgment of divorce. Custody orders, parenting time schedules, and child support calculations are also in the file. The final judgment is the document most people need. It dissolves the marriage and sets all terms. Certified copies of the judgment cost $25 from the Superior Court Clerk's Office. Additional copies at the same time cost $2 each.

Divorce judgments are permanent records. They are never destroyed. This means you can always get a copy of a Somerset County divorce judgment, no matter how old the case is.

Custody and Child Support in Somerset County

Custody cases in Somerset County determine where children live and how parents share time. The court uses the best interest of the child standard. Parents can agree on a plan or let the judge decide. Joint or sole custody can be ordered. Parenting time schedules set out the specific days and times for each parent.

Child support cases follow the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines. The amount depends on both parents' income, the number of children, and the custody arrangement. The court can enforce support orders through wage garnishment, license suspension, and other methods. For child support questions, call the New Jersey Child Support hotline at 1-877-655-4371. All child support records are part of the family court file in Somerset County.

Paternity cases establish the legal father of a child. This is often needed before the court can order child support. Paternity can be established by agreement or by genetic testing ordered by the court. These cases create their own records in the Somerset County family court system.

Note: Child support records that contain information about persons receiving or ordered to pay support are confidential under Rule 1:38.

Public Access to Somerset County Family Records

Most family court records in Somerset County are public. The Open Public Records Act (OPRA, N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1) and Court Rule 1:38 govern access. Rule 1:38 lists 38 exceptions to the public access rule. Thirty of these deal with family and criminal matters.

Records not open to the public in Somerset County include juvenile case files, domestic violence reports, adoption records, and confidential litigant information sheets. Medical records used in custody or support cases are also protected. Divorce documents go only to parties, their attorneys, or those with a court order. For all other public records, anyone can file a request. You can submit an OPRA request through the Government Records Council. The custodian has seven business days to respond.

Legal Resources for Somerset County

The NJ Courts Self-Help Center provides forms and guides for people who handle their own family court cases. Resources cover divorce, custody, child support, domestic violence, and name changes. All forms are free to download. Adobe Reader is needed to fill them out.

Legal Services of New Jersey helps low-income residents with family law matters. Call 888-576-5529 for the hotline. The New Jersey State Bar Association referral service at 1-800-792-8315 can match you with a family law attorney in the Somerset County area. The first consultation is up to 30 minutes. The Somerset County Bar Association may also have referral programs for residents who need legal help with family court cases.

Somerset County Court Filing Fees

Filing fees in Somerset County follow the statewide schedule. A divorce complaint costs $300 to file. The pro se surcharge is $25. Motion fees are $15 for regular motions and $30 for post-judgment motions.

Copy and certification fees apply to all family court record requests. Plain copies are $0.05 per page for letter size and $0.07 for legal size. A certified copy of a divorce judgment is $25. The Seal of the Court costs $10. An exemplified copy is $50 plus plain copy fees. A certificate of divorce is $10. Payment goes to "Treasurer-State of New Jersey" by check or money order. Cash is accepted in person only. If you cannot afford fees, the court has a Fee Waiver Application.

Cities in Somerset County

Somerset County has 21 municipalities. All family court cases go through the Superior Court, Family Division in Somerville. The courthouse at 20 North Bridge Street serves the whole county.

Other municipalities in Somerset County include Bridgewater, Hillsborough, Warren Township, Bernards Township, North Plainfield, Bound Brook, and Manville. All family court cases for these towns are filed in Somerville.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Somerset County. File your family court case in the county where you or your spouse lives. Check your address to confirm the right filing location.