Rule 5:14-3.Judgment
Last amended June 28, 1996 · Current through September 1, 2026 · Last verified September 8, 2026
Full Text of Rule 5:14-3
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--new. Adopted December 20, 1983, to be effective December 31, 1983; amended June 28, 1996, to be effective immediately.
Plain-English Summary
The judgment does the main job — determining the existence or non-existence of the parent-child relationship — and may go considerably further. It may contain provisions about support, custody, guardianship, visitation, the reasonable expenses of pregnancy, and any other matter in the child's best interest or provided by law.
Support is not set at large: in fixing the amount and the period over which the duty runs, the court applies the child support guidelines. Costs can be allocated too — reasonable fees of counsel, experts and the child's guardian ad litem, and the costs of the action and pre-trial proceedings including blood or genetic tests, paid by the parties in the proportions and at the times the court determines.
The last sentence prevents duplicated litigation. An adjudication of paternity is not required to establish a child support order where the relationship has already been established by a court or administrative agency of another state, by the alleged father's voluntary acknowledgment in another state, or by his executing a Certificate of Parentage in New Jersey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can a paternity judgment decide?
The existence or non-existence of the parent-child relationship, and it may also address support, custody, guardianship, visitation, the reasonable expenses of pregnancy, and any matter in the child's best interest.
How is support calculated in a parentage case?
Under the child support guidelines in Rule 5:6A and Appendix IX.
Who pays for the genetic tests?
The court may order reasonable fees of counsel, experts and the child's guardian ad litem, and other costs including blood or genetic tests, to be paid by the parties in proportions and at times it determines.
Do I need a paternity judgment to get child support?
Not where parentage was already established by a court or administrative agency of another state, by a voluntary acknowledgment executed in another state, or by a Certificate of Parentage executed in New Jersey.