NJ Attorney Review Countdown

When Does the 3-Day Attorney-Review Period End?

In New Jersey (and New York), a residential real-estate contract prepared by a broker includes a 3-business-day attorney-review period. Enter the date both sides received the fully-signed contract and see the exact deadline — weekends and New Jersey state holidays excluded.

Your contract

Date the fully-signed contract was delivered to both parties

Why the delivery date matters. The 3-business-day clock does not include the delivery day itself. Counting begins on the next business day after both the buyer and seller have received a copy of the fully executed contract. That delivery date is your day 0.

Your deadline

Day-by-day breakdown

Every calendar day from the day after delivery through the deadline. Business days are counted; weekends and New Jersey state holidays are skipped.

What happens during attorney review

Either attorney may cancel

Disapprove in writing

During the review period, the buyer's or the seller's attorney may disapprove (cancel) the contract for any reason, or propose changes — but the disapproval must be in writing and delivered before the deadline (typically by fax, email, or overnight/personal delivery, per the contract's notice terms).

If no one disapproves

Contract auto-binds

If no attorney disapproves or proposes changes by 11:59 PM of the third business day, attorney review ends and the contract becomes a legally binding agreement on its existing terms. Proposing changes typically restarts negotiation until both sides agree or someone cancels.

The short version. Attorney review is a short window — three business days — during which either side's lawyer can walk away from or revise the deal. It exists so buyers and sellers who signed a broker-prepared contract can have counsel review it before the deal locks in. Once the window closes without a written disapproval, neither party can back out simply because they changed their mind.

New Jersey holidays this calculator excludes

Business-day counting skips Saturdays, Sundays, and the following New Jersey state holidays (computed by rule for any year). Fixed-date holidays that fall on a Saturday are observed the preceding Friday; those falling on a Sunday are observed the following Monday.

Holiday	Rule
New Year's Day	January 1
Martin Luther King Jr. Day	3rd Monday in January
Lincoln's Birthday	February 12 (NJ state holiday)
Washington's Birthday / Presidents' Day	3rd Monday in February
Good Friday	Friday before Easter (NJ state holiday)
Memorial Day	Last Monday in May
Juneteenth	June 19
Independence Day	July 4
Labor Day	1st Monday in September
Columbus Day	2nd Monday in October
Veterans Day	November 11
Thanksgiving Day	4th Thursday in November
Christmas Day	December 25

This is a general-information estimate, not legal advice. Business-day counting conventions can vary by contract and by attorney — some contracts define the period differently, treat the delivery day differently, or handle holidays and delivery-of-notice differently. This tool excludes weekends and New Jersey state holidays and treats the delivery day as day 0. Your actual deadline depends on your specific contract's language and how and when notice was delivered. Always confirm the exact end of your attorney-review period with your own attorney.