Rule 5:10-2.Caption of Complaint; Waiver of Filing Fees
Last amended September 1, 2011 · Current through September 1, 2026 · Last verified September 8, 2026
Full Text of Rule 5:10-2
Amendment History
New Jersey publishes each rule’s amendment record in a “Note” beneath the rule. It is reproduced verbatim below; a “Source” line names the former rule the current one grew out of, and “R. (1969)” citations refer to the earlier numbering it replaced.
Note: Source-R. (1969) 4:94-2(a). Adopted December 20, 1983, to be effective December 31, 1983; caption amended, text amended and designated as paragraph (a), and new paragraphs (b) and (c) adopted July 21, 2011 to be effective September 1, 2011.
Plain-English Summary
The complaint is verified and captioned “In the matter of the adoption of a child by ___.” The child is not named in the title — the first of several places where these rules keep an adoptee's identity out of the public record.
Each complaint addresses only one adoptee. Siblings adopted by a single family therefore need one complaint each, though the rule spares the duplication that would otherwise follow: the supporting documentation for a sibling group may be submitted as one set of documents supporting all the siblings' complaints.
Cost is addressed too. Where multiple children are involved, the Surrogate may waive the filing fee or fees for the additional children on the plaintiff's showing of financial hardship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I file one adoption complaint for siblings?
No — each complaint addresses only one adoptee. But the supporting documentation for a sibling group being adopted by a single family may be submitted as one set of documents supporting all the siblings' complaints.
Can the filing fees be waived for multiple children?
Yes. In cases involving multiple children the fee or fees for the additional children may be waived at the Surrogate's discretion on a showing of financial hardship.