New Jersey Divorce Chronicles, Part 6: What about the Kids?

Children Omitted in DivorceIn part 4 and part 5 of our series, we looked at two different approaches to commencing a divorce case. One of our subjects, Sharon, took an aggressive approach. The other, Jason, started things off in a more conciliatory manner. In the next couple of installments, we’ll see how the initial tone and first steps impact the child custody aspects of these two cases. Today, we’ll look at how Sharon is faring. In the next installment, we’ll look at Jason’s situation. Read more

When Faith & Religion Impact Divorce: The Jewish Divorce “Get”

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Faith and religion can play a major role in divorce, whether it is how someone’s faith shapes their views on marriage and divorce, or the specific rules about marriage and divorced a couple’s religion prescribes.

The complex interplay of faith and religion on divorce is perhaps no more readily visible than among followers Orthodox Judaism. Read more

NJ Court News: New Role for Family Court Judge Bonnie Mizdol

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New Jersey Chief Justice Stuart Rabner made the announcement this week that Superior Court Judge Bonnie J. Mizdol will lead the Bergen Vicinage as Assignment Judge beginning May 1. Mizdol has served as the Presiding Judge of the Family Division of state Superior Court in Hackensack for the past seven years. Read more

Got An STD From Your Ex? That’s Marital Tort

iStock_000018458248MediumIt almost goes without saying that the events and circumstances that lead a couple to divorce are typically not very pleasant ones. Your spouse may have cheated on you. The two of you may have endured tense disagreements over marital finances, or fights about how to raise your children.

In some situations, however, the wounds suffered during the process of marital breakdown go far beyond normal feelings of betrayal and  enter the legal territory of a court claim called a marital tort. Read more

Getting Divorced When You Have a Special Needs Child

iStock_000026294630XSmallWhen married couples with kids decide to divorce, child-related issues related to child custody, parenting time, and child support take center stage. New Jersey family law makes it clear that decisions made during divorce regarding children must put the “best interests of the child” first. Determining any child’s best interests can be a challenge. But when a couple’s divorce involves a child with a chronic illness, autism, physical or learning disability, or other special needs? Suddenly, determining “best interests” can easily become complicated.

If you are getting divorced and wondering how your child’s special needs will be addressed in custody and support determinations, here are three key pieces of information you don’t want to be without. Read more

New Jersey Divorce Chronicles, Part 5: Handle Emotions with Care

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In part 2 and part 3 of our continuing blog series on avoiding common divorce mistakes, we looked at two different approaches to hiring a divorce attorney. In part 4, we took a look at the aggressive initial approach taken by one of subjects, Sharon. In part 1 of our series, we introduced you to our two New Jersey couples: Robert & Sharon and Jason & Melissa. In this installment, we’ll see how our second subject, Jason, takes a softer approach to commencing his case, and how that impacts initial developments. Read more

3 Pitfalls To Avoid When Dividing Marital Assets in Divorce

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You and your soon-to-be former spouse have laid your marital assets on the table and now it’s time to divvy up who gets what in your divorce. During this part of the divorce process — negotiating distribution of joint assets — be aware that any missteps you make can turn what could have been a fair settlement into one that puts you at financial risk. With the stakes this high, what traps should you be on the lookout for? Here’s how to avoid three common asset division mistakes. Read more