Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ-LAW Hotline)

Legal Services of New Jersey is the statewide nonprofit that gives free civil legal help to low-income residents: housing, benefits, family, consumer debt, and more. The hotline is 1-888-LSNJ-LAW (1-888-576-5529), and online intake runs any hour at lsnjlawhotline.org. The self-help materials at lsnjlaw.org are free for everyone, no income screen.

Start with the rule that protects you tonight: in New Jersey, only a Superior Court judge can order an eviction. A landlord cannot legally remove you on their own. Lockouts may only be carried out by a special court officer with a court order. If a landlord changes the locks, shuts off utilities, or puts your belongings out, that is unlawful; call the police, then call LSNJ.

Even after a landlord wins in court, the clock runs slower than people fear. The court clerk cannot issue the warrant of removal for at least three business days after judgment. The lockout itself can only be scheduled three business days after the warrant is posted on your door, with notice. Those days are for acting, not packing in panic.

In a nonpayment case, money can still stop everything. Pay everything owed within three business days after the warrant is posted, or even within three business days after a lockout, and the eviction can be stopped. If you can gather the rent from family, a church, or a 2-1-1 referral, it is not too late.

Ask the court for time when you need it. A stay for orderly removal gives up to seven days to move without a hearing. A hardship stay can pause a lockout up to six months if you can pay the ongoing rent. LSNJ's eviction guides at lsnjlaw.org walk through each motion in plain language.

Round out the help. 2-1-1 finds the local rent funds that sometimes end a dispute faster than any defense, DCAid handles the utility side, and NJHelps checks food, cash, and health coverage in one pass. LSNJ screens cases by income, so apply rather than assume you earn too much.