TRENTON — New Jersey allows vehicle owners to designate a Transfer on Death beneficiary for their car, helping next of kin bypass the probate process.

How Transfer on Death Works in New Jersey

• The Designation: Registered vehicle owners can complete a Transfer on Death Beneficiary Designation Form to name a beneficiary who will receive ownership after the owner’s death.
• Bypassing Probate: The vehicle does not become part of the formal estate, meaning no letters of administration are required for the transfer.
• Keeping the Form: The form is kept by the vehicle owner rather than filed immediately with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC).

Claiming the Vehicle After the Owner’s Death

When the owner passes away, the designated beneficiary must present the following documents to the MVC:

• The completed Transfer on Death Beneficiary Designation Form. Click here to download the form.
• The current vehicle title
• A certified copy of the owner’s death certificate
• A universal title application along with valid personal identification
• Proof that any existing liens on the vehicle have been paid or transferred

The Next-of-Kin Registry

The Next-of-Kin Registry is a New Jersey statewide web-based system that allows individuals at least 14 years of age to voluntarily submit and maintain emergency contact information through the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. This non-public information will only be used by law enforcement officers to locate designated emergency contacts in the event that a person is involved in a vehicle crash that renders him or her unable to communicate.

The Next-of-Kin Registry was established in response to “Sara’s Law,” which was created in memory of Sara Elizabeth Dubinin of Sayreville. Miss Dubinin became unresponsive following a motor vehicle crash and lapsed into a coma before her parents could be notified. She eventually passed away. The law sought to ensure that an emergency contact could be notified immediately in the event of a vehicle crash.

Residents can register or update Next-of-Kin information online, or by mail by printing out the form, completing the information and mailing it to:

New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
Driver Management Unit – Data Entry
Post Office Box 134
Trenton, New Jersey 08666-0134

Information needed to fill out the form:

• Applicant’s first and last name
• Applicant’s address
• Applicant’s driver’s license number (or non-driver identification card number)
• Applicant’s full Social Security number (online only)
• Up to two emergency contacts, with first name, last name and primary 10-digit phone number (example: (609) 292-6500) for each
• Applicant’s signature
• Parent or guardian signature, if the applicant is under 18 years old
• If you are a parent of a minor, the same last name, a birth certificate and marriage license are required for verification
• If you are the guardian of the minor, guardianship papers and/or any legal paperwork showing this must be shown for verification

Note:

• It is the sole responsibility of all individuals who use the registry to ensure the accuracy of the information they submit and to keep it up to date.
• Emergency contacts must be at least 18 years old.
• If the registry user is under 18 years of age, the emergency contact must be his or her parent or legal guardian.

Contacts may be changed and/or added at any time by logging onto the registry online or mailing in an updated form.

To learn more about the Next-of-Kin Registry, click here.

MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County Board of County Commissioners has proclaimed October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month, highlighting JBWS’ 50 years of service to victims of domestic violence and its partnership with law enforcement to connect people experiencing abuse with immediate support and resources.

Commissioner Director Stephen Shaw presented a framed proclamation to Diane Williams, president and chief executive officer of JBWS, and Robin Hughes, crisis response team project manager at JBWS, during a public meeting last week. They were joined by Morris County Sheriff James Gannon, Prosecutor Robert Carroll and members of the Prosecutor’s Office leadership team: Chief of Detectives Mark Castellano, Chief Assistant Prosecutors Meg Rodriguez and Tia Menacchio, and Supervising Assistant Prosecutors Tara Wang and LaJuan Tucker.

“October is observed as Domestic Violence Awareness Month to raise awareness of domestic violence, recognize organizations working to support survivors and encourage efforts to build safe and healthy relationships free from abuse,” said Director Shaw. “We appreciate the partnership between JBWS and law enforcement and the work JBWS has been doing for 50 years to make sure victims of abuse have access to help when they need it.”

Williams and Hughes discussed JBWS’ Crisis Response Team, which works with law enforcement following domestic violence incidents to provide victims with immediate support, safety planning and connections to additional services.

Hughes said the partnership with law enforcement has grown significantly since she began working with police departments more than a decade ago. Seven years ago, following a domestic violence homicide in Morris County, JBWS worked with police chiefs across the county to establish automatic call-outs, allowing officers to request an advocate whenever a survivor seeks help at a police department.

“Our numbers of victim advocates exceed every other county in the state of New Jersey. We have built a partnership where, when a survivor walks into a police department, an advocate is there to support that person, provide resources and explain the restraining order process,” Hughes said. “That connection matters. It can really change the trajectory of someone’s life.”

The program has continued to expand through training for law enforcement, an automated call-out system and coordination with hospitals in cases involving non-fatal strangulation. Hughes said the Crisis Response Team assisted more than 1,000 people at police departments last year, with many requesting connections to additional services such as shelter, counseling and housing assistance.

“I think everyone sees the passion from these two ladies and what they do. You did something that opened up police departments to outside services coming in and joining with them. From that, we’ve built the Morris County ARRIVE Together Program, and other programs have been established throughout the state. I really thank all of you,” Prosecutor Carroll said, also recognizing members of his staff who were present.

JBWS provides emergency shelter, counseling, legal advocacy, transitional housing and other services for survivors of domestic violence and their families. Last year, JBWS’ Crisis Response Team conducted 1,023 interventions. During that same period, 200 adults and children found protection for a combined 8,876 days through Arbour House, JBWS’ Emergency Safe House Shelter and hotel placements. Another 67 adults and children stayed for a combined 10,076 days at the Carol G. Simon Transitional Living Resource Center.

JBWS also operates the Morris Family Justice Center, which marked its 10th anniversary this year, and brings multiple agencies together at the county Administration and Records Building to provide coordinated services to victims of domestic violence. Last year, the Morris Family Justice Center provided comprehensive services from multiple agencies to 579 adults. Another 1,139 people received critical legal advocacy services, while 429 survivors received adult counseling services.

“Our Family Justice Center is celebrating 10 years of those kinds of partnerships, many of them with people in this room. We have incredible partnerships between the county, law enforcement and other nonprofit organizations, and we provided services to 579 survivors in 2025. But what that story doesn’t tell you is that those 579 survivors represent all of the children impacted by those survivors,” said Williams.

Founded 50 years ago by a group of women who recognized the need for a safe place for survivors of domestic violence, the organization initially provided emergency shelter in the homes of its founders before establishing its first shelter in Morris County. JBWS has since grown into a multifaceted agency providing safety, support and solutions for survivors and their families.

“JBWS has been part of Morris County for 50 years, and we are grateful for the people who have made that work possible,” Hughes said. “We have a lot of success stories that people never hear about because they do not make the news. Those successes are happening every day through these partnerships.”

Anyone in Morris County seeking help related to domestic violence can contact the JBWS 24-hour helpline at (877) 782-2873. Services are confidential and available to victims, as well as family members, friends and professionals seeking information about how to help.

MORRISTOWN — The Morris Music Men Chorus will present a show called “Hot Brass and Cool Harmonies” on Sunday, November 1.

The show will be a dynamic fusion of vocal harmony and live instrumentation, promising an unforgettable afternoon of harmony, instruments and entertainment, from classic pop to contemporary, with something for everyone in the family.

The show will be held on Sunday, November 1, at 3:00 p.m. at Dolan Hall in the Annunciation Center at Saint Elizabeth University, 2 Convent Road, Morristown.

For information and tickets, visit www.morrismusicmen.org. Tickets will also be available at the door. Tickets are $25 for adults and $10 for students.

In theory, as employers, we know that workplace injuries can come back to bite us. What would feel like a small nuisance in our own homes – a bumped head, a sprained ankle, a cut to the finger – needs to be taken much more seriously when you’re in a position of responsibility over other people. 

Then again, in practice, we can easily convince ourselves to gloss over the minor injuries. They can happen during a busy period when it slips our mind to pull out the log book and follow due practice, or the employee themselves might be so intent on brushing it off and getting back to the task at hand that you’re convinced it’s not a big deal, and doesn’t need to be formally logged. 

But this is a trap so many employers fall into, usually unwittingly. It rarely traces back to a draconian employer who simply doesn’t value their employees enough to log their injuries. It’s usually a busy employer who doesn’t realise that an injury has crossed from ‘a bump that’s forgotten in 2 minutes flat’ to ‘a bump that will have repercussions later’.

Minor injuries can (and do) become major liabilities 

If a minor injury is not properly recorded – along with what steps were taken to ensure the employees’ wellbeing and safety contemporaneously – then, perhaps the majority of the time, nothing bad will ever happen. But there are plenty of instances where something bad can happen down the line: compounding strain, injection, and delayed concussion are all examples of consequences you don’t necessarily ‘see’ when you’re simply dealing with an employee who tapped their head on a shelf, or cut their leg on a protruding nail. 

It sounds far-fetched in the moment, and it’s all too tempting to decide ‘that won’t happen here’. But the reality is that it can happen, and it can happen to you just as much as it can happen to any other employer. 

This is why workers compensation insurance is vital for any business that hires any number of employees, whether it’s 1 or 1,000. You can never know when work as usual is causing long-term damage to their health and wellbeing. 

The injury doesn’t tend to represent the biggest expense 

Direct medical costs are expensive enough, particularly if your employee requires long-term rehabilitation for a strain injury, or even brain damage. That’s usually the first expense that comes to mind when you consider the fallout of a workplace injury. 

But consider other costs to the business. You may need to hire-in a replacement for them, or pay substantial overtime to other employees to cover their absence. Lost productivity is a big cost to any business, though one that is difficult to quantify. 

Then, if they end up filing a claim against you, there’s the cost of legal representation and a potential payout on the other side of a lengthy court process. 

Badly injured employees create a major knowledge gap 

Finally, there’s the fact that most of us can’t afford to lose a valuable employee, whether for a week or two, or permanently. Businesses tend to operate close to the line in terms of having enough expertise on-hand to ensure continuity, and losing an employee’s input and oversight suddenly (even just temporarily) can incur costs far beyond a trip to the ER. 

MORRISTOWN — Morris County Surrogate Heather J. Darling received her Certified Public Manager certificate at Rutgers University’s graduation ceremony on Friday, September 25.

Darling was also nominated for the national Askew Award in recognition of her capstone project, “The Use of AI to Manage Non-Physical Reception Tasks within the Morris County Surrogate’s Court.” The Askew Award recognizes exemplary work in the completion of a Certified Public Manager capstone project, a vital component of the program nationwide.

Delivered by the Rutgers University–Newark School of Public Affairs and Administration, New Jersey’s Certified Public Manager program combines intensive coursework in public management and leadership with a project designed to benefit each participant’s organization.

Darling entered public office with extensive experience in law and the private sector. She pursued the designation to strengthen that background with formal training in public administration and to continue improving how the Surrogate’s Court serves Morris County residents and their families.

Her capstone examined how an artificial intelligence assistant could handle routine reception tasks, including answering common questions and helping callers find information, while preserving access to court staff when personal assistance is needed. The project reflects Darling’s approach to modernization: making services more convenient and efficient while remaining attentive to people navigating probate, guardianship, adoption and other deeply personal matters.

The artificial intelligence receptionist, named “Hannah,” was implemented in the Surrogate’s Court in January.

“Families often contact our office at difficult moments,” Darling said. “They deserve clear answers, convenient access, and compassion. I pursued this program because serving them well requires us to keep learning and improving.”

Darling’s Certified Public Manager designation and Askew Award nomination recognize a commitment to applying practical management skills and thoughtful innovation to public service.

For more information about the Morris County Surrogate’s Court and its services, visit morrissurrogate.com or call (973) 285-6500.

MORRISTOWN — Supporters of Family Promise of Morris County gathered at the Kellogg Club for Fall Into Giving, an evening of music, art and community in support of the organization’s work with individuals and families experiencing homelessness.

Guests enjoyed live music from Second Groove Jazz, artwork by local artist Patti Kaufman, and food and drinks from Redwoods Grill and Bar. Family Promise also shared updates on its programs, and guests heard from Sarah*, a former Family Promise participant, about her family’s journey from homelessness to stable housing.

After losing her job and being evicted, Sarah and her two children were unable to remain together. Family Promise provided temporary shelter and ongoing support as she worked toward stability. Earlier this year, she and her children moved into a home of their own.

“They didn’t just help me find housing. They helped me rebuild my life,” she told guests. “Most importantly, Family Promise helped keep my family together.”

Support from Fall Into Giving will help expand hours at the Our Promise Drop-In and Resource Center in Morristown, allowing it to open at 9:30 a.m. instead of 11:00 a.m. Visitors will have earlier access to basic needs, case management, benefits assistance and housing resources.

“For someone with nowhere else to go, that hour and a half is a lifetime,” said Joann Björnson, Chief Executive Officer of Family Promise of Morris County.

Family Promise thanked its sponsors, volunteers and event committee — Lori Wilson, board member Karen Hawkins, Patti Kaufman and Ann Marie Russo — for the time, energy and care they put into making the evening a success. The organization also thanked photographer Nick Russo of Full Bleed Photography and videographer Bryan Chavez of Chavez Creative Media for capturing the evening.

“To everyone who attended, donated, or helped bring the evening together: thank you,” the organization said. “Your support helps us continue to be there for individuals and families experiencing homelessness and housing instability throughout Morris County.”

*Name has been changed to protect the individual’s privacy.