NJ court fees going up

New Jersey courts are moving ahead with a plan to increase a number of fees for legal filings.

According to the Asbury Park Press, the New Jersey judiciary wants to increase over 60 fees and create nearly 20 new ones.  Over the summer, legislation was signed into law giving the state judiciary the authorization to enact the fee hikes.

The proposed fee increases are for such things as small claims, gun purchases and divorce fillings, according to Winnie Comfort, a spokeswoman for the state judiciary.

"Fees for filing various papers in New Jersey courts have not been increased since the year 2002, and a number of the costs associated with those fillings have increased on the court's side," Comfort said.

The money raised through the fees will help pay for a digital upgrade for the courts, a new bail assessment system and provide funding for Legal Services of New Jersey. Comfort said the fees are projected to raise more than $42 million a year, with the goal to have the digital upgrade and new bail assessment system fully implemented by January 2017.

Under the proposed fee structure, the fee for lawsuit filings would go from $200 to $250. A divorce filing would go from $250 to $300 and filing tenancy complaints would double to $50. Comfort says none of the fee increases will exceed $50, and some court fees won't be impacted by the increase.

A public hearing on the fee hikes is scheduled for Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. in the Supreme Court courtroom in the Hughes Justice Complex in Trenton.

The new fees and the fee increases are scheduled to be implemented on Nov. 17.

Click here for a list of fees that are going up.