Settlement, verdict, arbitration award, inheritance or workers' compensation: if more than $2,000 net is about to go to someone in New Jersey, their name must first be checked for a docketed child support judgment. We run that search against our own database of the Superior Court docket and certify the answer, usually within minutes.
JUDGMENTS DESK · (609) 771-4301 · judgments@statecapital.net
SPECIMEN ONLY. CERTIFICATIONS ISSUED BY STATE CAPITAL TITLE & ABSTRACT CO. ON THE DATE OF SEARCH.
A child support judgment docketed with the Clerk of the Superior Court is a lien against the net proceeds of a settlement, civil judgment, arbitration award, inheritance or workers' compensation award. The statute makes checking for that lien a condition of paying the money out, and it puts the job on the attorney, insurer or agent who controls the funds.
Source: N.J.S.A. 2A:17-56.23b. A summary for convenience, not legal advice.
The people who order this search are rarely title professionals. They are the attorneys, fiduciaries and carriers who are about to release money and have just learned that New Jersey wants a name checked first.
Personal injury, employment, contract, any civil matter. If your client's net share exceeds $2,000, the certification belongs with the closing statement before the trust check is cut.
Inheritances are covered. One search per beneficiary, certified, before distribution. Nine beneficiaries? Send the nine names and we return one certified order.
When the claimant is unrepresented, the statute moves the duty to the insurer or opposing attorney. The certified search protects the payment you are about to make.
Awards are treated the same way as judgments. Order the search on the payee's name before the award is funded.
Use the form below or email judgments@statecapital.net with the full legal name, any former or maiden names, and the matter. A date of birth helps us separate common names.
Our judgments desk runs the name against our own database of the Superior Court docket, reviews any possible match by hand, and issues the certified report.
No judgment: distribute. Judgment found: we tell you what was docketed so you can contact Probation and satisfy the lien from the proceeds.
A full NJ judgment and lien search covers money judgments and liens against the name across the Superior Court, US District Court and US Bankruptcy Court of New Jersey. Add a Patriot name search on the same name at the same time.
A certified search of the Superior Court of New Jersey docket to determine whether a child support judgment has been entered against a named person. New Jersey requires it before net proceeds over $2,000 from a settlement, judgment, arbitration award, inheritance or workers' compensation award are paid to that person.
The attorney for the prevailing party or beneficiary. If the person is unrepresented, the opposing attorney, the insurance company or its agent must initiate the search through a private judgment search company.
Yes. Inheritances are covered by the statute, so each beneficiary receiving more than $2,000 net should be searched and the certification kept with the estate records. We handle multi-beneficiary estates as one order.
New Jersey caps the fee for the statutory child support judgment search at $10 per name searched. Contact our judgments desk for multi-name pricing.
The judgment is a lien with priority over the proceeds. The attorney or agent contacts the Probation Division of the Superior Court and the arrears are paid from the proceeds before the balance is released.
Full legal name and any former names. A date of birth helps confirm or rule out matches. Please do not send Social Security numbers through the form; our team will tell you how to provide further identifiers securely.
NJ Child Support Search is a service of State Capital Title & Abstract Co., a provider of certified public records searches to title, legal and lending professionals since 1925.
State Capital Title & Abstract Co.
1071 Lindenhurst Rd
Yardley, PA 19067
Monday to Friday, business hours (Eastern)