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Rule 5:5-4.Motions in Family Actions

Last amended September 1, 2019 · Current through September 1, 2026 · Last verified September 8, 2026

In one sentenceRule 5:5-4 governs family motions, requiring case information statements with support applications, capping certifications at twenty-five pages a side, and fixing a 24-day, 15-day and 8-day filing sequence before the return date.

Full Text of Rule 5:5-4

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g)

(a) Motions.
(1) General. Motions in family actions shall be governed by R. 1:6-2(b) except that, in exercising its discretion as to the mode and scheduling of disposition of motions, the court, shall ordinarily grant requests for oral argument on substantive and nonroutine discovery motions and ordinarily deny requests for oral argument on calendar and routine discovery motions.
(2) Motion Attachments for Establishing Alimony or Child Support. When a motion or cross-motion is filed to establish alimony or child support, the pleadings filed in support of or in opposition to the motion, shall include a copy of a current case information statement.
(3) Motion Attachments for Enforcement or Modification. When a motion is filed for enforcement or modification of a prior order or judgment a copy of the order or judgment sought to be enforced, modified or terminated shall be appended to the pleading filed in support of the motion.
(4) Motion Attachments for Modification or Termination of Alimony or Child Support Not Based on Retirement. When a motion or cross motion is filed for modification or termination of alimony or child support, other than an application based on retirement filed pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23(j)(2) and (j)(3), the movant shall append copies of the movant's current case information statement and the movant's case information statement previously executed or filed in connection with the order, judgment or agreement sought to be modified. If the court concludes that the party seeking relief has demonstrated a prima facie showing of a substantial change of circumstances or that there is other good cause, then the court shall order the opposing party to file a copy of a current case information statement.
(5) Motion Attachments for Modification or Termination of Alimony Based on Retirement. Upon application by the obligor to modify or terminate alimony based upon retirement pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23(j)(2) and (j)(3), both the obligor's application to the court for modification or termination of alimony and the obligee's response to the application shall be accompanied by current case information statements as well as the case information statements previously executed or filed, or other relevant financial documents if there was no case information statement executed or filed, in connection with the order, judgment or agreement sought to be modified. In the event the previous case information statement cannot be obtained after diligent efforts or was never prepared, a certification shall be submitted detailing said diligent efforts or the non-existence of said documents.
(b) Page Limits. Unless the court otherwise permits for good cause shown and except for the certification required by R. 4:42-9(b) (affidavit of service), all certifications in support of a motion shall not exceed a total of twenty-five pages. This twentyfive page limit shall be allocated between the initial certification(s) and reply certifications(s) as the movant deems appropriate. All certifications in opposition to a motion or in support of a cross-motion or both shall not exceed a total of twenty-five pages.
(c) Time for Service and Filing. A notice of motion shall be served and filed, together with supporting affidavits and briefs, when necessary, not later than 24 days before the time specified for the return date. For example, a motion must be served and filed on the Tuesday for a motion date falling on a Friday 24 days later. Any opposing affidavits, cross-motions or objections shall be served and filed not later than 15 days before the return date. For example, a response must be served and filed on a Thursday for a motion date falling on a Friday 15 days later. Answers or responses to any opposing affidavits and cross-motions shall be served and filed not later than 8 days before the return date. For example, such papers would have to be served and filed on a Thursday for a motion date falling on the Friday of the following week. If service is made by mail, 3 days shall be added to the above time periods. Two copies of all motions, cross-motions, certifications, and briefs shall be served.
(d) Advance Notice. Every motion shall include the following language: “NOTICE TO LITIGANTS: IF YOU WANT TO RESPOND TO THIS MOTION YOU MUST DO SO IN WRITING. This written response shall be by affidavit or certification. (Affidavits and certifications are documents filed with the court. In either document the person signing it swears to its truth and acknowledges that they are aware that they can be punished for not filing a true statement with the court. Affidavits are notarized and certifications are not.) If you would also like to submit your own separate requests in a motion to the judge you can do so by filing a cross-motion. Your response and/or cross-motion may ask for oral argument. That means you can ask to appear before the court to explain your position. However, you must submit a written response even if you request oral argument. Any papers you send to the court must be sent to the opposing side, either to the attorney if the opposing party is represented by one, or to the other party if they represent themselves. Two copies of all motions, cross-motions, certifications, and briefs shall be sent to the opposing side. “The response and/or cross-motion must be submitted to the court by a certain date. All motions must be filed on the Tuesday 24 days before the return date. A response and/or cross motion must be filed fifteen days (Thursday) before the return date. Answers or responses to any opposing affidavits and cross-motions shall be served and filed not later than eight days (Thursday) before the return date. No other response is permitted without permission of the court. If you mail in your papers you must add three days to the above time periods. “Responses to motion papers sent to the court are to be sent to the following address: ........... Call the Family Division Manager's office ( .......... ) if you have any questions on how to file a motion, cross-motion or any response papers. Please note that the Family Division Manager's office cannot give you legal advice.”
(e) Tentative Decisions. In any Family Part motion scheduled for oral argument pursuant to this rule, the motion judge prior to the motion date may tentatively decide the matter on the basis of the motion papers, posting the tentative decision and making it available to the parties. After such tentative decision has been made, unless either party renews the request for oral argument, that request shall be deemed withdrawn and the tentative decision shall become final and shall be set forth in an appropriate order. If, however, either party renews the request for oral argument, the motion shall be argued as scheduled. This tentative motion decision process shall be subject to the general supervision of the Family Presiding Judge of the vicinage.
(f) Orders on Family Part Motions. Absent good cause to the contrary, a written order shall be entered at the conclusion of each motion hearing.
(g) Exhibits. Exhibits attached to certifications shall not be counted in determining compliance with the page limits contained in this Rule. Certified statements not previously filed with the court shall be included in page limit calculation. All exhibits shall be differentiated from the text of a certification or affidavit by the use of labeled dividers before each exhibit or some other means. Where labeled dividers are used, they shall extend beyond the 8-1/2 inch by 11 inch size of the paper.
End

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) 4:79-11. Adopted December 20, 1983, to be effective December 31, 1983; amended November 2, 1987 to be effective, January 1, 1988; former rule amended and redesignated paragraph (a) and paragraph (b) adopted June 29, 1990 to be effective September 4, 1990; paragraph (b) amended and paragraph (c) adopted June 28, 1996 effective as of September 1, 1996; captions of paragraphs (a) and (b) amended and paragraph (d) adopted July 10, 1998 to be effective September 1, 1998; new paragraph (b) added and former paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) redesignated as paragraphs (c), (d), and (e) January 21, 1999 to be effective April 5, 1999; paragraph (d) amended July 5, 2000 to be effective September 5, 2000; new paragraph (f) added July 12, 2002 to be effective September 3, 2002; paragraphs (c) and (d) amended, and new paragraph (g) adopted July 28, 2004 to be effective September 1, 2004; paragraphs (c) and (d) amended June 15, 2007 to be effective September 1, 2007; paragraphs (a), (b), (d) and (g) amended July 16, 2009 to be effective September 1, 2009; paragraph (a) amended July 27, 2015 to be effective September 1, 2015; paragraph (a) amended and redesignated as subparagraph (a)(1) with caption added, new subparagraphs (a) (2) through (a)(5) adopted, paragraph (b) amended July 29, 2019 to be effective September 1, 2019.

Plain-English Summary

The court will ordinarily hear argument on substantive and non-routine discovery motions, and ordinarily will not on calendar and routine discovery motions. Around that sit a set of attachment requirements. A motion to establish alimony or child support must carry a current case information statement. A motion to enforce or modify must attach the order or judgment involved. A motion to modify or terminate support that is not based on retirement must attach the movant's current statement and the one filed when the order was made — and if the movant makes a prima facie showing of substantial changed circumstances, the court orders the other side to file a current one too. Retirement applications require both sides to file current and prior statements from the outset.

The page limit is twenty-five, and it is a budget rather than a per-document cap: all certifications supporting a motion must total no more than twenty-five pages, allocated between initial and reply as the movant sees fit, and the same limit applies to opposition and cross-motion papers together. Exhibits do not count, though certified statements not previously filed do.

The timetable runs backward from the return date: the motion 24 days before, opposition and cross-motions 15 days before, replies 8 days before, with 3 days added when service is by mail. Every motion must carry the notice to litigants the rule sets out, and a written order is entered at the conclusion of each motion hearing absent good cause. The judge may post a tentative decision, which becomes final unless a party renews the request for argument.

Frequently Asked Questions

When must a family motion be filed in New Jersey?

Not later than 24 days before the return date. Opposition and cross-motions are due 15 days before, and replies 8 days before. Add 3 days to each if service is by mail.

How long can my certification be?

Twenty-five pages in total for all certifications supporting the motion, allocated between initial and reply papers as you choose. Opposition and cross-motion certifications get their own twenty-five pages.

Do exhibits count toward the page limit?

No. Exhibits attached to certifications are not counted — but certified statements not previously filed with the court are.

What is a tentative decision?

The judge may decide a motion on the papers before the return date and post the tentative decision. Unless a party renews the request for oral argument, the request is deemed withdrawn and the tentative decision becomes final.

Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the official New Jersey Rules of Court, Part V (N.J. Ct. R. 5:5-4). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified September 8, 2026. · Official source
Also known as: motioncross-motionmotion deadlinepage limitnotice of motiontentative decisionreturn date