The Appellate Division this past week approved another decision by family court judge, Hon. Lawrence R. Jones, J.S.C., this time in the matter of Groh-v-Groh, which was decided back in March, 2014. The parties in this case are a same sex couple who entered into a civil union in 2008,…
Many in today’s society would view the court’s treatment of dogs and other pets as merely property to be equitably distributed in the breakup of relationship as antiquated, given the increasing role that pets are play in today’s society. A common scenario playing out in relationships across the Garden State today…
In a recent published decision from the Appellate Division, L.T. v. F.M., the Court differentiated between the standards of proof associated with an domestic violence action in the Family Part and a civil action in the Law Division. The primary issue presented and resolved in this decision was the issue…
A recent story on the Internet deemed newsworthy enough to go international and even be reported on various radio and TV outlets prompted me to revisit the issue of how the law deals with disputes involving “engagement rings”. In an earlier blog, Engagement Rings: Conditional Gifts and the Family Court,…
On occasion someone will ask me about the possibility of a way to end a marital relationship short of a divorce. for instance ,is there a way to legally or formally separate? In New Jersey, married couples do separate, but there is not a law providing for a formal, legal…
Governor Chris Christie signed into law the New Jersey Collaborative Law Act (the “Act”) on September 10, 2014. The intent of the legislation is to provide uniformity in collaborative law throughout the State in family law disputes. Collaborative law affords parties a way to resolve family law disputes without intervention…
The Family Court handles divergent case types. Although most people think the issues handled by Family Part judges relate to divorce, the reach of the family court is far broader. Many of the controversies resolved by the court deal with issues regarding children including Juvenile matters and matters involving abuse…
The news board lit-up this week with the story of Rachel Canning, age 18, the teenager who earlier this year sued her parents for child support and college expenses, filing a domestic violence complaint and obtaining a temporary restraining order against her 18 year old boyfriend, the boy whom her parents wanted her to…
In representing a divorce client, one’s inquiry and representation is primarily focused in the major issues in controversy such as the custody of minor children, alimony and child support, the equitable distribution property, and payment of professional fees. Indeed, these are important and crucial issues. However, in the heat of…
On August 6, 2014, the Appellate Division published the decision in KAF v. DLM., in which the Court clarified the standard that family courts are to apply when considering applications by a third party seeking custody and/or visitation and claims that he or she is a “psychological parent” to a child who already…