New Jersey real estate lawyer.

The 3-business-day attorney review period

NJ residential transactions begin with a contract drafted by the real estate agents and signed by both parties. Once both sides sign, the attorneys have 3 business days to review, modify, or cancel the contract. This is the most important structural feature of NJ closings, and it shapes when and how attorneys engage with the transaction. Engaging an attorney as soon as the contract is signed is essential — the negotiating window closes after 3 business days and modifications become substantially harder afterward.

How NJ closing costs differ from NY

NJ closing costs follow a different structure than NY. The major NJ items: NJ Realty Transfer Fee (paid by seller, scaling 0.4-1.21% with sale price), NJ Mansion Tax (paid by buyer, 1% on residential purchases of $1M+), and recording fees. There's no separate NJ mortgage recording tax — making financed NJ closings substantially cheaper than NYC equivalents (where mortgage recording tax adds about 1.925% of the loan amount). Title insurance follows NJ regulated rates.

For more on the structural differences, see our article on how the NJ attorney review period actually works.

What we handle across NJ

Single-family residential closings, multi-family residential (2-4 units and larger), condos and townhouses, sponsor-developer new construction, commercial purchases and sales, commercial leases, 1031 exchanges, and refinances. We work through every property type that comes up across the counties we serve. The legal scope is the same in shape across property types; the specific diligence varies.

From our Englewood office

Our New Jersey office is located at 285 Grand Avenue in Englewood (Bergen County). The office serves clients across Northern NJ. We handle the full range of NJ transactions from this office — residential closings, commercial work, and the firm's broader practice areas as they apply to NJ clients.

When to hire a NJ real estate attorney

The most important moment in a NJ transaction is the 3-business-day attorney review period — which starts the day after both parties sign the agent-drafted contract. Engaging an attorney before signing is helpful but not essential; engaging immediately after signing is essential. The 3-day clock is short, the modifications negotiated during that window can be substantial, and the practical leverage shifts after the window closes.

Practical timing: as soon as you have a property under contract — or even before, if you have advance notice that you're about to sign. The attorney needs the 3-day window to review the agent-drafted contract, identify problems, propose modifications, and negotiate with the other side's attorney. We typically have the modifications negotiated and the contract finalized within the 3-day window itself; cancellations and substantive renegotiations sometimes extend beyond the window with both parties' agreement, but the leverage is highest before the window closes.

What our flat fee covers in NJ

The flat fee covers everything from initial consultation through closing. Specifically: review and negotiation of the agent-drafted contract during the attorney review period, due diligence on the property and (where applicable) the building, communication with your lender and title company, review of inspection findings and any negotiation that follows, review of all closing documents, attendance at closing, and post-closing follow-up if any items need handling. We tell you what the fee is in writing before any work begins. We don't charge for phone calls, we don't bill for emails, we don't add fees for revisions.

The fee scales with complexity. Standard residential closings price predictably; commercial closings, multi-family transactions with substantial tenancy review, and high-value transactions price with the additional complexity. We quote each transaction specifically, and the quote is what the fee is.

How New York closings differ

For clients with both NJ and NY transactions — particularly common in the NJ counties closest to NYC — the structural differences matter. NY has no attorney review period; the contract is drafted by the seller's attorney and negotiated before signing. NY closings are more expensive on average because of NYC and NYS transfer taxes (when applicable) and NYC's mortgage recording tax. NY co-op transactions add the board approval process — typically 30-60 days — that doesn't have an NJ equivalent. We handle NY closings alongside NJ closings — same firm, same flat-fee structure — and many of our clients work with us on transactions that span both states. For NY-specific information, see our New York real estate lawyer page.