NJ · Construction payment counsel
New Jersey Mechanics Lien Attorney
Fred Shestopal and the My Lien Lawyer team prepare, serve, and enforce New Jersey mechanics liens, preliminary notices, and public-project bond claims for contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers — directly or with vetted New Jersey local counsel where the state requires it.
What we handle on New Jersey projects
New Jersey does not use a traditional preliminary notice system; instead, lien eligibility itself is limited to first-tier subcontractors and suppliers and second-tier suppliers to first-tier subcontractors. Claimants further removed from the owner or general contractor in the contracting chain simply have no lien rights to protect, regardless of any notice they might serve.
The lien claim must be lodged for record within 90 days of the date the claimant last provided work, services, material, or equipment to a non-residential project, under N.J. Stat. § 2A:44A-6. We verify lien rights under N.J. Stat. § 2A:44A-6 before anything is recorded.
Suit to enforce the lien must be commenced within 1 year after last furnishing labor or materials, under N.J. Stat. § 2A:44A-14; missing this deadline extinguishes the lien. If payment still does not arrive, we take the claim into court rather than handing you a file.
A claimant on a New Jersey public bond must serve written notice of the bond claim on the prime contractor and surety within 90 days of last furnishing labor or materials, and suit on the bond may not be commenced more than 1 year after last furnishing.
Know your New Jersey deadlines first
New Jersey mechanics lien and bond claim deadlines under N.J. Stat. § 2A:44A-6 (private) and § 2A:44-145 (public), from My Lien Lawyer. Lien rights are limited to first- and second-tier claimants, with a 90-day filing window and 1-year suit deadline.
A law firm, not a notice service
Filing bureaus and online lien tools mail documents on request. They cannot give you a legal opinion on whether you hold New Jersey lien rights, cure a defective claim, respond when an owner demands suit, or appear in court. Every New Jersey matter here is handled under an attorney-client relationship.
- Written analysis of your New Jersey lien and bond rights before filing
- Certified mailing with proof of service retained in your file
- Deadline calendaring with reminders ahead of every statutory cutoff
- Foreclosure suit and collections handled by the same firm
See why a law firm matters, side by side with a filing service.
New Jersey mechanics lien questions
Do I need a New Jersey attorney to file a mechanics lien?
A filing service can mail documents, but it cannot tell you whether you actually hold lien rights in New Jersey, fix a defective claim, or foreclose the lien if the money still does not come. My Lien Lawyer handles the analysis, the filing, and the enforcement as one engagement.
What are the key New Jersey mechanics lien deadlines?
The lien claim must be lodged for record within 90 days of the date the claimant last provided work, services, material, or equipment to a non-residential project, under N.J. Stat. § 2A:44A-6. New Jersey does not use a traditional preliminary notice system; instead, lien eligibility itself is limited to first-tier subcontractors and suppliers and second-tier suppliers to first-tier subcontractors. Claimants further removed from the owner or general contractor in the contracting chain simply have no lien rights to protect, regardless of any notice they might serve. Full detail, with statute citations, is on our New Jersey mechanics lien law page.
Can you help on a New Jersey public project?
Yes. A claimant on a New Jersey public bond must serve written notice of the bond claim on the prime contractor and surety within 90 days of last furnishing labor or materials, and suit on the bond may not be commenced more than 1 year after last furnishing. The controlling statute is N.J. Stat. § 2A:44-145.
When must a mechanics lien be recorded in New Jersey?
Within 90 days of the date the claimant last provided work, services, material, or equipment on a non-residential project, under N.J. Stat. § 2A:44A-6.
Is preliminary notice required in New Jersey?
There is no traditional preliminary notice; instead, lien rights are limited to first-tier subcontractors and suppliers and second-tier suppliers to first-tier subcontractors.
Unpaid on a New Jersey project?
Send us the contract, the last invoice, and your furnishing dates. We will tell you what New Jersey deadlines are still open and what it takes to protect the money. The first call is free.
This page is general information, not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Fred Shestopal is licensed in Illinois (with nationwide network of licensed local counsel).