The state's judicial vacancy crisis may finally be turning a corner.

Late last week, a pause on all civil and divorce trials was finally lifted for Somerset and Warren Counties.

The lack of judges there cause trials to go on hold for more than a year and the backlog of cases to pile higher.

The change comes after more judicial confirmations moved through the legislature, but many more remain.

Senior correspondent Brenda Flanagan has the latest.

We're getting where we should be and I think the court systems are getting a lot more normalized now.

Jersey's Bar Association president says.

That's good news.

New Jersey's finally ceding more superior court judges, filling gaping vacancies on the bench that caused backlogs so severe.

New Jersey's chief justice froze civil and matrimonial trials in several counties across the state a year ago.

On Monday, he lifted the moratorium for Hunterdon, Somerset and Warren Counties.

They've got four new judges there that they desperately needed to do the work and the family part and the civil division.

It seems like everybody's really working hard to try to get this done.

It's just getting it over the finish line.

I think once you close the courts and people can't get before a judge, that's probably going to light a fire.

Republican Senator Jon Bramnick recalls March 20, 23, when New Jersey posted a 67 judge shortage.

It's now down to 48 vacancies, with six more judges, mostly from Bergen, up for confirmation before the Senate Judiciary Committee this Thursday and another 10 to 15 being vetted in the pipeline.

Bramnick says it's a complicated political process involving senatorial approval.

Because the problem is you've got senators you have to sign off and you have a governor as to nominate and they all have to talk to each other.

So that's why I've said from day one, get everybody in the room once a month that they'll bring your judges or you're not getting the judge.

If nominations in the pipeline get approved, Jersey courts will drop to 25 to 30 judicial vacancies.

That's the overall limit set by Chief Justice Stuart Rabner for effectively serving the public.

Right now, only Passaic County needs judges so badly.

It still remains under a moratorium for civil and matrimonial cases.

It's down seven of 28 judges and one more retires tomorrow.

The frustration is is very, very high amongst the the bar.

And it's not the judge's fault.

They just can't schedule the matters.

They can only work so hard, she says.

Justice delayed means couples seeking divorce can't get resolution, and kids get caught in the crossfire of custody battles.

The children are the ones that suffer the most.

They continue to live in these dysfunctional families who have made it a priority to end the relationship.

And there's just doesn't seem any end in sight because it dominoes.

Each case filed now gets behind the other thousands that were filed before it.

They're having to put their children in therapy solely as a result of all of these delays.

And the kids really not knowing and being in limbo.

And it's just it's not fair.

It's not fair to these families who are already under such high stress.

Attorney Marissa Baker represents clients across central and northern Jersey.

She warns cases backed up during the moratorium will start moving forward.

But clearing dockets will take time and clients will pay more.

I actually almost put it in my retainer agreement right up front and center that we can't predict how long our case will take or how much it will cost, specifically because of the judicial shortage.

How to avoid another shortage.

Another moratorium set a time clock so senators vote up or down on nominees within 90 days, the bar recommends.

But lawmakers may not be willing to make that concession.

I'm Brenda Flanagan, NJ.

Spotlight News.