NJ Law Blogs

When a married couple goes through divorce, and in the period following legal separation, one spouse may require monetary support from the other. In New Jersey, the law allows the court to make an order that either grants or denies the other spouse monetary support, called alimony. Also known as ...

Perhaps there is no more emotional type of litigation than that which involves child custody. Parental disagreements concerning health, education and religious upbringing can lead to frustrating custody battles. However, these strong opinions and supercharged emotions can sometimes lead to poor, ...

When two people go through a divorce it can be an emotional, time consuming, and very stressful process. When children are involved it can become even more difficult; not just for the parents, but also for the children – no matter their age. A child may feel pressured to choose sides regardless o...

Many divorce and family law attorneys generally offer free consultations. But have you really thought about what that means to you and your situation? Maybe you're wondering: what do you get out of it? Is it advice and direction? Is it an opportunity for the divorce attorney to give you their quo...

Initially, divorce can be devastating to all parties involved. The key is to move on afterward. While moving on is probably easier said than done, do not give up hope. You are capable of more than you may realize. Once the divorce process is finalized and you have said goodbye to your divorce law...

The media would have you believe that half of all marriages end in divorce, and that the state of marriages is a bleak one for Americans. But, this is a misconception. The truth is that marriages in the United States have never been stronger. New divorce statistics show that the divorce r...

New Year's Resolution January is reportedly the most popular time of year to file for divorce. And rumor has it that January is ominously nicknamed “Divorce Month”. The end of the year brings reflections and the focus on upcoming resolutions. The holidays also bring on a time of high emotions; if...

Divorce is difficult – both emotionally and financially – for everyone concerned. The NJ Family Court system uses spousal support or alimony to ease financial burdens, so that neither party is left without the means to support the lifestyle to which they were accustomed. For anyone seeking alimon...

New proposed legislation in Monmouth and Camden Counties could change the way domestic violence cases are handled in New Jersey. State Assemblywoman Carolina Casagrande of Monmouth County has proposed a bill in response to former Rutgers football star Ray Rice, who was suspended by the NFL for as...

Today, the NJ child custody courts consider it very important to involve both divorced parents with the life of the child (or children). The emphasis is to preserve and build the special relationship between parent and child even after a divorce because it is in the best interests of the ch...

The specifics about whether one parent or both parents can make medical decisions regarding a child's medical care are included in the divorce agreement.  Also relevant in the divorce agreement are when the parent can make these medical decisions for the minor child. If you are already d...

It's everyone's favorite time of year… tax time. If you have recently gone through a divorce, it may be unclear as to how that will affect your tax filing this year. Your marital status for tax purposes is determined based on the last day of the year—December 31. If you were divorced as...

What is the Early Settlement Program? The Early Settlement Program (ESP) was started in New Jersey with the intent on decreasing the long delays in New Jersey's family courts.  The ESP panelists are matrimonial attorneys chosen by the Family Law Committee to volunteer their time to help div...

Can I Avoid Child Support in New Jersey? Occasionally, our law firm's divorce attorneys are asking the question, “is there any way to get out of paying child support?” The answer is generally no, a parent can not give up or surrender their child's right to child support. This is because, acc...

Who Owns the Ring When the Engagement Ends? Today, divorce and multiple marriages are more common than ever before in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Even more common however is marital engagements that are “broken off” before the wedding ceremony ever occurs. Exact numbers and percentages of engage...

NJ Alimony Considerations In determining alimony in New Jersey, the Family Court judge assigned to your case must evaluate two important issues. First, what is the fair amount of the alimony? And second, for how long should the alimony payments be made? In making this determination, the judge is ...

Splitting the 401K In the event that either you or your spouse has a 401K or other type of retirement account, you may be wondering how is a 401K in New Jersey divorce cases typically split? You should know that there is important information which confirms that such an account is subject to New ...

NJ Divorce Forms: You Get What You Pay For The Self-Help Center of the New Jersey Courts website has detailed information about court forms and filing procedures.  Information about divorce filings can be found under “Family Division”, which will direct you to the Legal Services of New Jers...

The Cost Will Depend on the Facts of Your Case Often, attorneys are asked the question, “how much will my divorce cost?” The typical response is unfortunately that, “the costs will depend on the facts of your case.” This answer can be unnerving for parties contemplating divorce as they have littl...

The Parent Education Program All individuals who file a Complaint for Divorce in Ocean County or Monmouth County are required by New Jersey State Statute 2A:34-12 to attend the parental education program. When filing a Complaint for Divorce that involves a family with children, the normal filing ...

How Will a Divorce Affect Your Health Insurance Coverage? During marriage, it's common for one spouse to maintain health coverage for the entire family through his or her group health insurance plan at work. After a divorce, coverage for the other spouse and the children could terminate. St...

The Early Settlement Panel (ESP) Divorce litigants in the State of New Jersey are required to participate in non-binding mediation, otherwise known as the matrimonial Early Settlement Panel. Experienced matrimonial law attorneys in New Jersey volunteer their time to assist litigants and their law...

Preparing for a Custody Evaluation in New Jersey Often times New Jersey divorce lawyers provide guidance and direction to their respective clients concerning the custody evaluation process. In the event that NJ divorce litigants are unable to amicably resolve custody issues, it is typical f...

General Duty to Provide for a Child's Education In general, parents in Ocean County, New Jersey have a duty to financially provide for their children's college education. That proposition was put forward in the seminal 1982 New Jersey Supreme Court case of Newburgh v. Arrigo. However, there tends...

Does A Child's Brief Hiatus From Attending College Support A Finding of Emancipation In New Jersey? In New Jersey, a child is not automatically emancipated from his or her parents at age eighteen. This means that child support obligations to the child can continue into his or her adulthood ...