New Jersey does real estate contracts differently than almost every other state, and attorney review is the part that catches everyone off guard. Here's the whole thing in plain English — what it is, what can happen during it, and the one risk nobody warns you about.
Why NJ is different
In most states, attorneys draft the purchase contract. In New Jersey, real estate agents prepare the contract using a standard form, both sides sign it — and then each side's attorney gets a window to review it, revise it, or cancel it entirely. That window is attorney review.
How the three days work
- The clock starts the day after both parties have a fully signed contract, and runs for three business days (weekends and holidays don't count).
- During that window, either attorney can disapprove the contract — kill it outright, or (far more commonly) disapprove it and propose revisions: closing date, inspection terms, what stays with the house.
- If neither attorney disapproves within the window, the contract becomes binding as written.
- If an attorney does disapprove, review continues while the two attorneys negotiate — it can stretch past three days until both sides sign off. Only then are you officially "under contract."
The risk nobody warns you about
Until attorney review concludes, the seller can keep entertaining other offers. A buyer who "won" the house on Sunday can lose it on Tuesday to a higher offer that arrived during review — it's legal, and in a competitive market it happens. The reverse is true too: a buyer can walk away during review with no penalty if a better house appears.
This is why speed matters. Every day review drags on is a day your deal isn't locked.
How to get through it fast
- Have your attorney chosen before you make an offer. Scrambling to find one after acceptance burns your whole window. We keep a short list of responsive NJ real estate attorneys and share it with every client.
- Send the contract to your attorney the same hour it's fully signed.
- Keep revisions surgical. Attorneys who rewrite half the contract invite the other side to slow down or walk. Good ones fix what matters and conclude quickly.
- Stay reachable. A same-day signature from you can end review a day early.
Once review concludes, the familiar sequence begins: deposit, inspections, appraisal, mortgage commitment, walkthrough, closing. Review is just the doorway — but you have to get through it first.
