Surrogate Darling Leads Virtual Session on Wills, Trusts, and Estates

Published on June 17, 2026

Morris County Surrogate Heather J. Darling, Esq. spoke with residents last week in a virtual session on the essentials of wills, trusts, and estate planning. The program, hosted by Morris County Library over Zoom, was part of the Surrogate's effort to demystify the work of her office and give residents the confidence to plan ahead.

Surrogate Darling was joined by Deputy Surrogate Chris Luongo, who offered an inside look at how the office serves the public day to day. The two walked attendees through several of the resources available to residents, including the ability to search probated estate records online through the Surrogate's Office website, a tool many participants were unaware existed.

Surrogate Darling spent much of the session fielding questions submitted by attendees. Topics ranged widely, from what constitutes a self-proving will to the amount of time it takes to process a will. Throughout, she returned to a consistent message: probate is neither something to fear nor something to avoid, but a straightforward and well-supported process that protects families when it is understood rather than dreaded. She also encouraged every participant, regardless of age or the size of their estate, to put a valid will in place. 

The session reflected an office that views public education as central to its mission, and that positions itself as an approachable, trustworthy guide for residents facing some of life's more difficult administrative moments.

To view the webinar in its entirety, you may click here.

To invite Surrogate Darling to speak at your organization or community event, please contact Chief of Staff, Christina Ramirez at the Morris County Surrogate's Court at cramirez@co.morris.nj.us. For more information about the office and its services, visit www.morrissurrogate.com. Surrogate Darling welcomes the opportunity to help your group explore these important topics.