Passaic County plans to add sixth night court location early next year
Sooner or later, most will need the services of a surrogate court, where wills are probated.
Beginning in January, the surrogate for Passaic County, Judge Zoila Cassanova, will be holding night court at the Totowa Public Library, making it the sixth municipality in the county to offer this service.
Cassanova said the purpose of night court, begun years ago by longtime Surrogate William Bate, is to make sure county residents have access to the court’s services.
“It is hard for many people to take a day off from their jobs,” Cassanova said.
Other New Jersey counties plan to follow suit sometime soon, following the lead of Passaic County, she said.
Beginning on the third Tuesday in January, night court sessions will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Totowa Public Library, at 537 Totowa Road. Night court, unlike the daily county court services available in Paterson, requires an appointment. Arturo Muniz, who has been with the Surrogate Court for nine years, will be leading the Totowa night court team.
“This is very convenient for residents,” Totowa Mayor John Coiro said. He added that the borough is happy to provide space for the court.
Cassanova said she hopes a seventh location will be added soon, in Haledon or North Haledon.
“We are talking with them,” she said, adding that she is confident it will happen.
The program was begun by Bate in Clifton and Hawthorne some years ago. Clifton’s former mayor, James Anzaldi, said it started sometime in the 1990s.
When Cassanova was elected in 2022, the night courts were not in operation, most likely due to COVID disruptions. She has since revived the service, with the first returning to Wayne. She said the township sits squarely in the middle of the county and generates the most traffic. Next-busiest is West Milford, followed by Clifton, Paterson and Hawthorne. A list of remaining 2023 night court dates can be found at passaiccountynj.org/government/passaiccounty-surrogate/night-court-hours.
The other night courts are in West Milford, Clifton, Hawthorne, Wayne and Paterson. Passaic County residents may register at any of the six locations for an appointment. The fees to probate a will start at $100.
Cassanova’s office also offers will services at no cost for Passaic County seniors and veterans. She has a team of lawyers who donate their services for writing wills for Passaic County seniors. Not having a will, experts say, can lead to a multitude of family problems after a loved one’s death. It may end up costing more money and time to probate an estate’s assets without a will.
The next Make a Will event (appointment required) will be Dec. 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Masonic Temple, at 224 Broadway in Paterson.
For more information, visit passaic countynj.org/government/passaiccounty-surrogate or call Giuseppina Sardina at 973-881-4760, ext. 1218.