It is not always commonplace for case law in the State of New Jersey to come down in quick succession that will totally change the landscape of an area of law. However, that is just what has happened with regards to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) thanks to the recent decisions handed down…
One of the more confounding issues facing people on the brink of divorce is the wisdom of pulling back and giving an unhealthy but possibly salvageable marriage a second chance. The uncertainty may be the concern of one or both partners. It may related to the catalyst for the divorce…
In a recent blog post, I discussed how U.S. v. Windsor, 570 US 7 (2013), in striking down the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) laid into question what the New Jersey Legislature’s response might be to the New Jersey Supreme Court’s directive in Lewis v. Harris 188 N.J. 415 (2006). In Lewis the…
When meeting with a prospective divorce client during the initial consultation, after discussing the reasons for the breakdown of the marriage and obtaining the background information as to any financial and custodial issues, invariably the client will ask: How much in legal fees will this divorce cost me? I explain…
According to a March, 2013 publication from the National Center for Family & Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University, authors Susan L. Brown and I-Fen Lin discussed the divorce rate for adults over the age of 50 in their article entitled “The Gray Divorce Revolution: Rising Divorce among Middle-aged and Older…
Benjamin Franklin once wrote: “An investment in education pays the best interest.” That quote by one of America’s Founding Fathers continues to be etched into our national fabric of ideals. The attainment of a college degree or some other form of higher education has become the norm and not the exception in today’s society. Unfortunately, with the rise…
In my last post, I described the various items and expenses that are specifically built into the calculation of a child support obligation pursuant to the Child Support Guidelines in an attempt to explain and describe what a child support obligation is meant to cover. In addition to the automatic…
As recently discussed in an earlier blog post, the New Jersey Legislature is considering legislation that would abolish permanent alimony and regulate the term and amount of all alimony awards. Without that legislation, the right to and the responsibility to pay permanent alimony will continue to be controlled by trial judge’s discretion.…
Whether at family gatherings, cocktail parties or making small talk at the gym, when people learn I am a divorce lawyer, they often question whether it makes sense to get married in today’s society, that it is “just a piece of paper”, and that people can simply “shack up” if…
The parent who does not have primary custody of the parties’ child(ren) will be required to pay child support to the parent who has primary custody. In order to calculate that child support obligation, the courts in the State of New Jersey rely upon the Child Support Guidelines to determine the…