An NJ family court case search starts at njcourts.gov on the “Find a Case” page, which runs against the judiciary’s eCourts system. You can look up a matter by party name or by docket number, but what you get back is limited: most family division records are confidential under Court Rule 1:38, and even divorce files are open only to the parties and their attorneys of record.
How to Search Family Cases on eCourts
The public search tool is at njcourts.gov under “Find a Case.”1New Jersey Courts. Find a Case Select the Family division, then enter either a party name or a docket number. A name search returns a list of matches; clicking one opens the electronic docket sheet.
The docket sheet is a chronological timeline of the case: motions filed, orders entered, hearing dates, and status. It is not the file. You generally will not see full pleadings, financial statements, custody evaluations, or exhibits through the portal. Confidential case types do not appear in results at all, so a name that returns nothing may still have family filings behind the wall.
Reading a Family Court Docket Number
If you have the docket number, searching by it is the fastest route. New Jersey family dockets follow a fixed format, for example FM-12-12345-15.2New Jersey Courts. Directive 07-17 Uniform Docket Numbers and Statistics for Family Division
- The first two letters are the case type. FM is matrimonial (divorce and dissolution). FD is non-dissolution matters like support or custody between unmarried parents. FV is domestic violence. FA is adoption. FJ is juvenile delinquency. FN is child protection. FG is termination of parental rights.
- The first number is the county code, 01 (Atlantic) through 21 (Warren). In the example above, 12 is Middlesex.
- The middle number is the sequential case number assigned at filing.
- The last number is the court year, which runs July 1 through June 30, not the calendar year.
That last piece trips people up. A divorce filed in October 2025 carries “26,” because October 2025 sits inside the July 2025 to June 2026 court year. Search with the wrong year and nothing comes back.
What You Can Actually See in a Family Case
Rule 1:38 sets the baseline that court records are public unless a specific exclusion applies, and the family part is where most exclusions sit. Rule 1:38-3(d) lists 19 categories of family records closed to public access.3New Jersey State Library. New Jersey Court Rule 1:38 – Public Access to Court Records and Administrative Records The ones that matter for most searches:
- Domestic violence (FV) records are confidential under N.J.S.A. 2C:25-33, available only to the parties and their attorneys.
- Juvenile delinquency (FJ) records are sealed under N.J.S.A. 2A:4A-60.
- Adoption (FA) records are fully sealed under N.J.S.A. 9:3-52.
- Paternity (FP) records are confidential except for the final judgment and birth certificate under N.J.S.A. 9:17-42.
- Child protection (FN) proceedings involving the Division of Child Protection and Permanency are excluded.
- Psychiatric, psychological, and substance abuse evaluations filed in any family case are excluded regardless of docket type.4CourtCaddy. Rule 1:38 Public Access to Court Records and Administrative Records – Section: 1:38-3 Court Records Excluded from Public Access
Divorce Records Are More Restricted Than People Expect
Matrimonial (FM) cases are the ones people search for most often, and the access rule surprises them. FM files are not blanket-sealed the way adoption or domestic violence files are, but divorce and name change records are available only to the parties to the case and their attorneys of record at the time of filing. Anyone else needs a court order.5New Jersey Courts. Records Request Form CN:10200
Specific documents inside a divorce file carry additional protection under Rule 1:38-3(d): Family Case Information Statements, financial disclosures, custody evaluations, parenting plans, and settlement agreements incorporated into judgments. A judge can also seal other documents in a matrimonial case for good cause. If you are not a party, you will not get the file without a court order.
Getting Copies From the Superior Court Clerk
When you need actual documents rather than the docket summary, the request goes through the Superior Court Clerk’s Office using Records Request Form CN:10200. You can submit it electronically through the Judiciary Electronic Document Submission (JEDS) system or by mail to the clerk in the county where the case was filed.5New Jersey Courts. Records Request Form CN:10200
For divorce and name change records, you must attach a redacted copy of your photo ID and you must be a party or the attorney of record. Everyone else needs a court order first. The clerk charges per-page fees for standard copies and higher fees for certified copies, and older cases stored off-site carry retrieval fees and longer wait times. You are notified of the total cost and estimated delivery once the request is processed.
One boundary worth knowing: New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA) applies to executive branch agencies, not the judiciary. You cannot use OPRA to get court records. The CN:10200 request is the formal channel.
Asking the Court to Seal Additional Records
If you are a party and want records beyond the automatic Rule 1:38-3 exclusions kept from public access, you can file a motion asking the family judge to seal specific documents or the whole file. The motion has to explain the harm disclosure could cause and why that privacy interest outweighs the public’s right of access. Judges have explicit authority to seal any record in a matrimonial proceeding for good cause. Sealed records are not permanent; a later motion to unseal applies the same balancing test in reverse.