(a) Process shall be the order to show cause. If the names and addresses of all parties interested in the account are known, the order to show cause together with a copy of the complaint, both certified by plaintiff’s attorney to be true copies, shall be mailed by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, as follows: to all such persons who reside in the State at least 20 days prior to the return date; to all such persons who reside outside this State but within a state of the United States or the District of Columbia, at least 30 days prior to the return date; and to all such persons who reside outside the United States at least 60 days prior to the return date. If any person interested is a minor or mentally incapacitated person and except as otherwise provided by R. 4:26-3 (virtual representation), service shall be made on the person or persons upon whom a summons would have to be served pursuant to R. 4:4-4(a)(2) and (3) unless a guardian ad litem is required under R. 4:26-2. A surety on the fiduciary’s bond shall be deemed an interested person. Upon the request of any interested party a copy of the account shall be furnished by the fiduciary prior to the date of hearing.
Rule 4:87-4.Service
Last amended September 1, 2010 · Current through June 18, 2026 · Last verified July 7, 2026
In one sentenceRule 4:87-4 requires the order to show cause and complaint to be mailed to every known interested person by registered or certified mail -- 20 days ahead for in-state recipients, 30 for those elsewhere in the United States, and 60 for those abroad -- with publication and 45 days' notice to the Attorney General when names or addresses are unknown.
Full Text of Rule 4:87-4
(b) If the names or addresses of any persons interested in the account are unknown, notice of the accounting shall be given to the Attorney General at least 45 days prior to the return date, and plaintiff shall file an affidavit of inquiry as to such names or addresses made in accordance with R. 4:4-5(b). The court may then enter such order for service of process as it deems proper including publication of a notice of the proceedings in accordance with R. 4:4-5(a)(3) at least 30 days before the return date.
(c) Proof of mailing, and of publication where ordered, shall be filed before the account is allowed.
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. 4:106-3. Former R. 4:87-3 deleted and new R. 4:87-4 adopted June 29, 1990 to be effective September 4, 1990; paragraph (a); amended July 13, 1994 to be effective September 1, 1994; paragraphs (a) and (b); amended July 5, 2000 to be effective September 5, 2000; paragraph (a); amended July 12, 2002 to be effective September 3, 2002; paragraph (b); amended July 23, 2010 to be effective September 1, 2010.
Plain-English Summary
Notice of an accounting proceeding runs on a sliding scale keyed to distance. When every interested person's name and address is known, the order to show cause and complaint — both certified as true copies — go out by registered or certified mail: at least 20 days ahead for people in New Jersey, 30 days for those elsewhere in the United States or the District of Columbia, and 60 days for anyone abroad. A minor or incapacitated interested person gets served the way R. 4:4-4(a)(2) and (3) require, unless R. 4:26-3's virtual representation rule applies or a guardian ad litem is needed under R. 4:26-2, and any surety on the fiduciary's bond counts as an interested person entitled to a copy of the account on request.
When some names or addresses aren't known, the Attorney General gets at least 45 days' notice, the plaintiff files an affidavit of inquiry under R. 4:4-5(b), and the court can order publication under R. 4:4-5(a)(3) at least 30 days before the return date. Either way, proof of mailing and of any publication has to be filed before the account can be allowed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much notice must an in-state interested person receive before an accounting hearing?
At least 20 days, by registered or certified mail with return receipt requested.
What happens if some interested persons' names or addresses are unknown?
The Attorney General gets at least 45 days' notice, the plaintiff files an affidavit of inquiry, and the court may order publication at least 30 days before the return date.
Source & verification. The rule text and amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the
official New Jersey Rules of Court (N.J. Ct. R. 4:87-4). 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: notice of accountingservice in accounting action