Rule 5:24-1.Disposition Hearing
Last amended December 31, 1983 · Current through September 1, 2026 · Last verified September 8, 2026
Full Text of Rule 5:24-1
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.
Plain-English Summary
Two clocks, set by whether the juvenile is locked up. A juvenile in a detention centre or shelter care facility when adjudicated delinquent gets a disposition hearing within 30 days after the adjudication, on notice to the juvenile and all other proper parties.
If those 30 days pass with no order of disposition entered, the juvenile has a remedy: on their motion the court fixes a date certain for the hearing, within 10 days of the motion, unless an extension is granted for good cause shown.
A juvenile who is not detained has a longer timetable — 60 days after adjudication — and that period may be extended by the court on good cause shown. The pattern across Chapter IV is consistent: deadlines tighten in proportion to a juvenile's loss of liberty.
Frequently Asked Questions
How soon is a juvenile disposition hearing held?
Within 30 days after adjudication if the juvenile is in a detention center or shelter care facility, and within 60 days if not.
What if the 30 days pass without a disposition?
On motion of the juvenile the court shall fix a date certain for a dispositional hearing, which shall be within 10 days of the motion unless an extension is granted for good cause shown.