Debt Relief / New Jersey

New Jersey Debt Relief: Is It Legitimate? 5 Things to Know

Written by Ben Tejes
Updated Nov 21st, 2023

You may have seen ads for New Jersey Debt Relief Org or you are just considering debt relief in general due to a financial hardship.

You are in the right place.

The purpose of this article is to help you understand the legitimacy of debt relief in New Jersey . The best way to gauge the legitimacy of a program might be to consider online reviews. However, you may find that there are not many reviews covering New Jersey debt relief. That said, we found some interesting insights. Here’s what we'll cover:

  1. What is New Jersey Debt Relief?
  2. How Much Does New Jersey Debt Relief Cost?
  3. Does New Jersey Debt Relief Provide Emergency Debt Relief?
  4. Whether New Jersey Debt Relief is legitimate
  5. Pros and Cons of Debt Relief Options

Now, if you are struggling with debt and wondering what to do next, we built a free, unbiased debt options comparison calculator (not even an email address is required) that provides a wide range of debt options that may be able to fit your budget. Please note that the calculator is based on your zip code, so it covers Newark to Jersey City, and the entire state of New Jersey.

What Is New Jersey Debt Relief?

New Jersey debt relief is an organization that links debtors with other debt settlement companies. Or, it is a financial hardship option when you cannot afford your debt.

Debt relief is a broader term, which refers to getting assistance to help with your debt. Here’s the various debt relief options:

Please note that many people consider New Jersey when they are facing a hardship such as New Jersey wage garnishment or a debt collection lawsuit or something that is forcing them to consider their options. Also, you may be curious how popular the bankruptcy option is. In New Jersey, there were 11,754 bankruptcy cases filed in 12 months ending in June 2021.

How Much Does New Jersey Debt Relief Cost?

The cost of New Jersey debt relief is one of the most important things to consider because you are looking for debt relief. 

At Ascend, we believe that debt relief may be a good option, but it’s only in the context of understanding all of your options and understanding the cost of that option. This is exactly why we built a free debt relief cost comparison calculator below that helps you compare the cost of debt relief, debt management, bankruptcy, and debt payoff planning. It’s 100% free, and doesn’t even require an email address.



Let’s cover some of the costs.


Chapter 7 bankruptcy is often the cheapest and fastest New Jersey debt relief option, but you often have to qualify using the New Jersey bankruptcy means test, which is based on your income, household size, and state. If it’s helpful, here are the income limits for bankruptcy cases filed on or after November 1, 2023.

# of PeopleAnnual Income
1$79,816
2$96,779
3$125,090
4$151,181
5$161,081
6$170,981
7$180,881
8$190,781
9$200,681

From using the calculator, you will notice that the cost to file bankruptcy in New Jersey is $313 for a Chapter 13 and $338 for a Chapter 7 bankruptcy. You may notice that does not include attorney fees though. Attorney fees may vary depending on where you live. For example, the Chapter 7 attorney fees are estimated at $1,170 in Newark vs $1,375 in Paterson. For Chapter 13 bankruptcy in New Jersey the estimated attorney fee is $4,500.

You may also see that you are at risk of losing assets such as your home or vehicle if you have too much equity in a vehicle. To protect these assets, you can look at the New Jersey bankruptcy exemptions. For example, you can see the homestead exemption information below (source):

“Survivorship interest of a spouse in property held as tenancy by the entirety is exempt from creditors of a single spouse”

For debt management in New Jersey, you’ll see the estimated monthly payment driven by potential interest rates reduction. Debt management is often most helpful if you have high interest credit cards.

For debt settlement, you’ll notice an estimated fee amount and an estimated settlement amount as the companies are trying to negotiate amounts (from say $10,000 to $5,000).

Does New Jersey Debt Relief Provide Emergency Debt Relief?

Many people are looking for emergency debt relief in New Jersey, which could be a form of COVID relief. Please note that many of these programs have now ended with the exception that student debt payments that has a final extension until December 31st, 2022.

If a company is promising you New Jersey emergency debt relief, please do your research to make sure that they are not just trying to pitch to you a debt relief program with high fees.

Is New Jersey Debt Relief legitimate?

Many people in New Jersey experience hardship that requires some sort of debt relief. Thankfully, there are legal debt relief options such as bankruptcy in New Jersey to help you get relief from your debt and a fresh start.

In New Jersey, you may also find legal aid options helpful that can help you get the help you need at a lower cost. 

Please note that not everyone qualifies for free legal aid. If you are at or below the New Jersey poverty guidelines, you potentially could also have your bankruptcy filing fee waived. Below are the New Jersey poverty guidelines.

# of People150% Poverty Guideline
1$15,060
2$20,440
3$25,820
4$31,200
5$36,580
6$41,960
7$47,340
8$52,720
9$58,100
* Add $5,380 for each individual in excess of 9.

Pros and Cons of Debt Relief Options

Finally, let’s cover some of the pros and cons of debt relief in New Jersey. You can find this list of pros and cons in our debt relief calculator results as well.

Chapter 13 Bankruptcy New Jersey

  • Pro: Legal protection against creditors
  • Pro: Property protection against creditors
  • Pro: No taxes on unpaid debt
  • Pro: No qualification necessary (as long as under debt limits)
  • Con: High damage to credit report (on public record)
  • Con: High damage to credit score
  • Con: Possible low availability to credit after filing
  • Con: Low payment flexibility
  • Con: Length of time 3-5 years
  • Con: Low to medium success rate

Chapter 7 Bankruptcy New Jersey

  • Pro: Length of time ~ 90 days
  • Pro: Most inexpensive option: ~$2,000
  • Pro: Legal protection against creditors
  • Pro: No taxes on unpaid debt
  • Pro: Eliminates most unsecured debt
  • Pro: High success rate
  • Con: High damage to credit report
  • Con: High damage to credit score
  • Con: Possible low availability to credit after filing
  • Con: No property protection above exemption
  • Con: On public record
  • Con: Must qualify for Chapter 7 in New Jersey

Debt Settlement

  • Pro: Potential savings can be significant
  • Pro: Payment flexibility for inconsistent income
  • Pro: Can be < 1 year with access to capital
  • Pro: May access credit sooner than bankruptcy
  • Pro: Account cancellation creates accountability
  • Con: Medium to high damage to credit report
  • Con: Medium to high damage to credit score
  • Con: Potential taxes on forgiven debt
  • Con: May be sued and collections can continue
  • Con: Late fees and interest
  • Con: On Public Record (if creditor sues)
  • Con: Low to medium success rate

Debt Management

  • Pro: Potential lower interest rate and fees
  • Pro: Lower damage to credit report and score
  • Pro: Sets your debt on a specific payment plan
  • Pro: Consolidates your debt
  • Pro: Not on public record
  • Con: Often highest cost debt relief solution
  • Con: Lower payment flexibility
  • Con: Length of time 3-5 years
  • Con: Creditors may not work with DMP
  • Con: Low to medium success rate

Should I Pursue Debt Relief in New Jersey?

Pursuing debt relief in New Jersey is ultimately your decision and you know your finances best. For example, are you living in Jersey City and seeing that your rent is going to continue to rise? Are you facing inflation pressures from living in Newark and trying to live on a New Jersey minimum wage of $13.00 per hour?

What you can do (if helpful) is take the free New Jersey debt relief calculator below that can help you estimate the costs and pros and cons of each of your options.