R. 5:14-1 New Jersey Rules of Court, R. 5:14-1: Complaint, Parties, rendered as code with every cross-reference linked

rule 5:14-1 "Complaint, Parties" {
The person, official or agency authorized by law shall institute proceedings by a verified complaint. The natural mother, the man presumed by law to be the natural father, anyone whose name appears on the birth certificate and anyone who has attempted to file an acknowledgment of paternity as provided by law shall be made parties to the action, or, if not subject to the jurisdiction of the court, shall be given notice of the action in accordance with R. 4:4-5, or in a manner prescribed by the court, and an opportunity to be heard. The child may be made a party to the action and a guardian ad litem may be appointed by the court to represent the child. The child's mother or father may not represent the child as guardian or otherwise. The complaint sent to the alleged father shall include a Certificate of Parentage as set forth in N.J.S.A. 26:8-28.1 and a statement of his rights and responsibilities to encourage the voluntary acknowledgment of paternity without the need for a trial.
Note: Source-new. Adopted December 20, 1983, to be effective December 31, 1983; amended June 28, 1996, to be effective immediately; amended July 10, 1998 to be effective September 1, 1998; amended July 5, 2000 to be effective September 5, 2000.
}
referenced_by: none
source: njcourts.gov // verbatim; changed 2025-09-18; corpus harvested 2026-09-02