About Us
The Essex County Surrogate’s Office

Our office exists primarily to serve as a resource for Essex County residents throughout a number of life transitions. Surrogate Alturrick Kenney is a Constitutional Officer with the role of both Judge of Probate Court and Deputy Clerk of the Superior Court of Chancery Division, Probate Part. What this means is that our office’s primary duties include:

• Handling the validation of Wills
• Recording Wills as public documents
• Appointing administrators to manage the affairs of people who die without Wills
• Processing requests, complaints, and legal documents for
• Adult guardianship
• Will contests
• Formal accounting
• Safekeeping of minors’ trust accounts
• Maintaining Surrogate’s Court records from the 1700s to the present
• Managing other Wills and estate matters