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Rule 4:86-6.Hearing; Judgment

Last amended May 15, 2021 · Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 7, 2026

In one sentenceRule 4:86-6 has the court determine incapacity by bench or jury trial (with an option for telephone testimony by consent), caps a new-trial motion at 30 days after judgment, prioritizes the spouse, next of kin, or the Office of the Public Guardian for appointment as guardian, sets required contents and a bonding requirement for the judgment, and lays out ongoing duties for the guardian -- qualification, an inventory and periodic accountings from the guardian of the estate, well-being reports from the guardian of the person, and notice to the Surrogate -- alongside matching oversight duties for the Surrogate.

Full Text of Rule 4:86-6

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

(a) Trial. Unless a trial by jury is demanded by or on behalf of the alleged incapacitated person, or is ordered by the court, the court shall, after taking testimony in open court, determine the issue of incapacity. The court, with the consent of counsel for the alleged incapacitated person, may take the testimony of a person who has filed an affidavit or certification pursuant to R. 4:86-2(b) by telephone or may dispense with oral testimony and rely on the affidavits or certifications submitted. Telephone testimony shall be recorded verbatim.
(b) Motion for New Trial. A motion for a new trial shall be served not later than 30 days after the entry of the judgment.
(c) Appointment of General or Limited Guardian. If a general or limited guardian of the person or of the estate or of both the person and estate is to be appointed, the court shall appoint and letters shall be granted to any of the following:
(1) the incapacitated person’s spouse, if the spouse was living with the incapacitated person as husband or wife at the time the incapacity arose;
(2) the incapacitated person’s next of kin; or
(3) the Office of the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults within the statutory mandate of that office. If none of them will accept the appointment, or if the court is satisfied that no appointment from among them will be in the best interests of the incapacitated person or estate, then the court shall appoint and letters shall be granted to such other person who will accept appointment as the court determines is in the best interests of the incapacitated person. Such persons may include registered professional guardians or surrogate decision-makers chosen by the incapacitated person before incapacity by way of a durable power of attorney, health care proxy, or advanced directive.
(d) Judgment.
(1) The judgment of legal incapacity and appointment of guardian shall be in such form and include all such provisions as promulgated by the Administrative Director of the Courts, except to the extent that the court explicitly directs otherwise.
(2) Unless expressly waived therein, the judgment appointing the guardian shall fix the amount of the bond. If there are extraordinary reasons justifying the waiver of a bond, that determination shall be set forth in a decision supported by appropriate factual findings.
(3) A proposed judgment of legal incapacity and appointment of guardian shall be filed with the Surrogate not later than ten days prior to the hearing.
(e) Duties of Guardian.
(1) Not later than 30 days after entry of the judgment of legal incapacity and appointment of guardian, the guardian shall qualify and accept the appointment in accordance with R. 4:96-1. The acceptance of appointment shall include an acknowledgment that the guardian has completed guardianship training as promulgated by the Administrative Director of the Courts in accordance with R. 4:86-5(b). The acceptance of appointment shall also include an acknowledgment of compliance with any background screening policy for proposed guardians of incapacitated adults promulgated by the Administrative Director of the Courts, including but not limited to fingerprinting and disclosure of any changes to the guardian’s criminal or civil judgment history through any required periodic reporting.
(2) Unless expressly waived in the judgment, the guardian of the estate shall file with the Surrogate, and serve on all interested parties, within 90 days of appointment an inventory in such form as promulgated by the Administrative Director of the Courts specifying all property and income of the incapacitated person’s estate.
(3) Unless expressly waived in the judgment, the guardian of the estate shall file with the Surrogate reports of the financial accounting of the incapacitated person as required by N.J.S.A. 3B:12-42 and in such form as promulgated by the Administrative Director of the Courts. The report shall be filed annually unless otherwise specified in the judgment.
(4) Unless expressly waived in the judgment, the guardian of the person shall file with the Surrogate reports of the well-being of the incapacitated person as required by N.J.S.A. 3B:12-42 and in such form as promulgated by the Administrative Director of the Courts. The report shall be filed annually unless otherwise specified in the judgment.
(5) The judgment shall also require the guardian to keep the Surrogate reasonably advised of the whereabouts and telephone number of the guardian and of the incapacitated person, and to advise the Surrogate within 30 days of the incapacitated person’s death or of any major change in his or her status or health. As to the incapacitated person’s death, the guardian shall provide written notification to the Surrogate and shall provide the Surrogate with a copy of the death certificate within seven days of the guardian’s receipt of the death certificate.
(6) A guardian shall cooperate fully with any Court or Surrogate staff or volunteers until the guardianship is terminated by the death or return to capacity of the incapacitated person, or the guardian’s death, removal or discharge.
(7) The guardian shall monitor the capacity of the incapacitated person over time and take such steps as are necessary to protect the interests of the incapacitated person, including but not limited to initiating an action for return to capacity as provided in N.J.S.A. 3B:12-28.
(f) Duties of Surrogate.
(1) The Surrogate shall provide the entire complete guardianship file to the court for review no later than seven days before the hearing.
(2) At the time of qualification and issuance of letters of guardianship, the Surrogate shall review the acceptance of appointment and letters of guardianship with the guardian in such form as promulgated by the Administrative Director of the Courts.
(3) The Surrogate shall issue letters of guardianship following the guardian’s qualification. The Surrogate shall record issuance of all letters of guardianship. Letters of guardianship shall accurately reflect the provisions of the judgment.
(4) The Surrogate shall record receipt of all inventories, reports of financial accounting, and reports of well-being filed pursuant to paragraphs (e)(3) through (e)(5) above.
(5) The Surrogate shall notify the court, and shall issue notices to the guardian in such form as promulgated by the Administrative Director of the Courts, in the event that:
(A) the guardian fails to qualify and accept the appointment within 30 days after entry of the judgment of legal incapacity and appointment of guardian in accordance with paragraph (e)(1) above; or
(B) the guardian fails to timely file inventories, reports of financial accounting, and/or reports of well-being filed in accordance with paragraphs (e)(3) through (e)(5) above.
(6) The Surrogate shall immediately notify the court if they are informed through oral or written communication, or become aware by other means, of emergent allegations of substantial harm to the physical or mental health, safety and well-being, and/or the property or business affairs, of an alleged or adjudicated incapacitated person. However, the Surrogate shall have no obligation to review inventories, periodic reports of well-being, informal accountings, or other documents filed by guardians, except for formal accountings subject to audit by the Surrogate.
(7) The Surrogate shall record the death of the incapacitated person.
End

Amendment History

New Jersey publishes each rule’s amendment record in a “History” note beneath the rule. It is reproduced verbatim below; the “R.R.” citations refer to the former Revised Rules numbering the current rules replaced.

Source-R.R. 4:102-6(a)(b)(c), 4:103-3 (second sentence). Paragraph (a) amended July 26, 1984 to be effective September 10, 1984; paragraph (a); amended November 5, 1986 to be effective January 1, 1987; paragraphs (a) and (c) of former R. 4:83-6; amended and rule redesignated June 29, 1990 to be effective September 4, 1990; paragraph (c); amended July 13, 1994 to be effective September 1, 1994; paragraphs (a) and (c); amended July 12, 2002 to be effective September 3, 2002; paragraph (a); amended July 28, 2004 to be effective September 1, 2004; paragraph (a); amended, text of paragraph (c) redesignated as paragraphs (c) and (d) and; amended, paragraph (c) caption; amended, and paragraph (d) caption adopted July 9, 2008 to be effective September 1, 2008; paragraphs (a) and (c); amended, new paragraph (d) added, former paragraph (d); amended and redesignated as paragraph (e), and new paragraph (f) added August 1, 2016 to be effective September 1, 2016; by order dated August 25, 2016 effective date of paragraph (f)(5) extended to March 1, 2017; subparagraphs (f)(4) and (f)(5)(B); amended July 31, 2020 to be effective September 1, 2020; subparagraph (e)(l); amended March 15, 2021 to be effective May 15, 2021.

Plain-English Summary

Absent a jury demand or a court order for one, the judge determines incapacity after taking testimony in open court — though with defense counsel's consent, an affiant's testimony can come in by phone (recorded verbatim) or be skipped entirely in favor of the written affidavits. A motion for a new trial has to be served within 30 days of judgment.

When someone needs a general or limited guardian, the rule sets a preference order: the incapacitated person's spouse (if they were living together as spouses when incapacity arose), then next of kin, then the Office of the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults. If none of them will serve, or none would serve the person's best interests, the court can appoint anyone else willing to accept the role, including a registered professional guardian or someone the incapacitated person had chosen in advance through a power of attorney or advance directive. The judgment itself follows a prescribed form, fixes a bond unless waived for extraordinary reasons the court explains, and has to be filed with the Surrogate at least ten days before the hearing.

Being appointed guardian comes with ongoing obligations: qualifying and accepting within 30 days under R. 4:96-1 (including acknowledging completed training and background screening); a guardian of the estate files an inventory within 90 days and annual reports on the estate's finances, and a guardian of the person files annual reports on the incapacitated person's well-being, each unless the judgment waives it. The guardian also has to keep the Surrogate updated on contact information and notify the Surrogate of major changes or death, and keeps monitoring the incapacitated person's condition, including pursuing a return-to-capacity action when warranted. The Surrogate, in turn, hands the complete file to the court for review before the hearing, issues and records letters of guardianship, tracks every inventory and report that comes in, flags noncompliance or emergent harm to the court, and records the incapacitated person's death.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who has priority to be appointed guardian of an incapacitated person?

The person's spouse (if living together as spouses when incapacity arose), the person's next of kin, or the Office of the Public Guardian for Elderly Adults; the court turns to any other suitable person only if none of them will serve or none would serve the person's best interests.

How long does a new guardian have to qualify and accept appointment?

30 days after entry of the judgment of legal incapacity and appointment of guardian.

What ongoing reports must a guardian of the estate file?

An inventory within 90 days of appointment (unless waived) and, unless the judgment says otherwise, annual reports on the estate's finances; the well-being reports are the duty of the guardian of the person.

Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the official New Jersey Rules of Court (N.J. Ct. R. 4:86-6). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of New Jersey (N.J. Const. art. VI, § 2, ¶ 3). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 7, 2026. · Official source
Also known as: guardianship judgmentguardian's dutiesreturn to capacity