New Jersey · funeral and cremation law
Funeral and cremation law in New Jersey
Who decides, what has to wait, and what a funeral home must tell you. Every fact links to its statute. Not legal advice.
- Who can authorize a cremation
New Jersey has a detailed statutory system for who controls funeral and disposition decisions. The law provides for a person appointed by the decedent and then a priority system involving the surviving spouse or qualifying partner, adult children, parents, siblings, and other relatives. In New Jersey, simply being the executor of a will does not automatically mean you control the funeral or burial/cremation decision. The right depends on the statutory control rules and the way authority was designated.
The estate letter · New Jersey
After the funeral: settling the estate, one month at a time
Twelve months of steps with New Jersey's own numbers and deadlines. Read the checklist now, or sign up there for one email a month.
Get the estate letter- Month 1The first things to gather
- Month 2Work out what the estate is
- Month 3Get the authority to act
- 9 more months
Compare more
Estate checklist for New Jersey
After the funeral: what the executor does, month by month, with New Jersey's numbers and deadlines.