Articles Posted in Procedure

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When people ask me what I do for a living, I usually tell them I am a “divorce” lawyer.  While much of this firm’s practice is devoted to representing clients either getting divorced, handling issues incident to a divorce, or addressing disputes which may arise post-divorce (i.e. modification, enforcement of obligations and the like), over the years this firm has often been called upon to handle a growing number of disputes between non-married parties.  Among these claims arising from “family-type” relationships are those involving child custody and parenting time, property rights, child support and “palimony”. Hence, it is more accurate to described myself as a “family law” attorney as our firm’s website so references.   Continue reading ›

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The first Tuesday of every November serves as Election Day in New Jersey and across the United States.  Immigration, both legal and illegal, continues to be controversial issue in current elections.  On Election Day Eve, November 2, 2015, the New Jersey Appellate Division published their Opinion in OYPC v. JCP, — N.J.Super. — (App. Div. 2015), addressing the issues of immigration and custody.  In the case, an older sibling petitioned the court to gain custody of her eighteen year old brother.  Her brother was born in Guatemala, where the father’s name was not listed on the boy’s birth certificate, nor was the father involved in the boy’s life.  The boy’s biological mother (JCP) never disclosed to the child that he was his mother.  Rather, after the boy was born, JCP turned the boy over to his 17 year old sister (OYPC) to be raised as her own child, and JCP pretended to be the boy’s grandmother.  The sister (OYPC) cared for both the boy and her mother (JCP), and OYPC also supported the family. Continue reading ›

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For those of you that have attended Mr. Yudes’ annual ICLE seminar: Family Law Update and/or those of you that have paid close attention to newly published trial court decisions over the past three (3) years will not be surprised to find that the Honorable Lawrence R. Jones, J.S.C., a Superior Court Judge in Ocean County, has issued many trial court level decisions that have become published.  Beginning with Benjamin v. Benjamin, which was decided in October 2012 and was approved for publication in February 2013, Judge Jones has issued a total of nine (9) decisions published decisions. Continue reading ›

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Generally, when a motion to modify a child support obligation is made New Jersey’s “anti-retroactivity statute” only allows a modification in child support retroactive to the date that the motion was filed.  N.J.S.A. specifically states:

“No payment or installment of an order for child support, or those portions of an order which are allocated for child support established prior to or subsequent to the effective date of P.L.1993, c. 45 (C.2A:17-56.23a), shall be retroactively modified by the court except with respect to the period during which there is a pending application for modification, but only from the date the notice of motion was mailed either directly or through the appropriate agent. The written notice will state that a change of circumstances has occurred and a motion for modification of the order will be filed within 45 days. In the event a motion is not filed within the 45-day period, modification shall be permitted only from the date the motion is filed with the court.”  (Emphasis added). Continue reading ›

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contract2More and more litigants today are agreeing to arbitrate matters outside of the public sphere of the courthouse and hire a private arbitrator to resolve their dispute in lieu of a judge in the court doing so.  In the context of a business  or contract dispute, the aggrieved parties might be more inclined to consider having an arbitrator decide their case. Continue reading ›

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On Tuesday, August 11, 2015, a New York court ordered the children of the television “Gossip Girl” actress, Kelly Rutherford, to be returned to their father, Daniel Giersch,  who has been living with the children in Monaco since 2012. Rutherford and Giersch wed in 2007 and welcomed their first child, Hermes, the following year. The marriage soon broke down and Rutherford filed for divorce in California in 2009.  At the time, she was three months pregnant with their second child, Helena. Continue reading ›

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Approximately one year ago, my colleague wrote a blog post raising awareness and spreading concern about how the communications and content found on one’s social media could potentially be used against them in a variety of ways in Court.  It is no big surprise that with the explosion of social media and the countless ways individuals can communicate in an ever evolving world of technology that those communications are being monitored for potential use in litigation. Continue reading ›

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The Appellate Division recently handed down a clear and unambiguous message to triall courts and litigators alike regarding custody disputes and how they should be handled procedurally, regardless of whether the case is pre- or post-judgment.  The case, entitled D.A. v. R.C., involved the biological parents of a fourteen (14) year old boy each seeking to be designated as the parent of primary residence approximately ten (10) years after entering into a consent order resolving all issues of custody between them.  Continue reading ›

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Prolific jurist, Honorable Lawrence R. Jones, J.S.C. in the family part in Ocean County, New Jersey, issued another published decision in the matter of J.C. v. M.C., decided on November 6, 2014.  This time, Judge Jones addressed the obligation of a plaintiff seeking a divorce to make a “diligent inquiry” as to the defendant’s whereabouts in order to serve a complaint for divorce when there is an active domestic violence restraining order against the plaintiff. Judge Jones’ decision gave priority to the right of a domestic violence victim to confidentiality of his or her location. Continue reading ›

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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 of the courts. The parties work with a team of professionals to reach a settlement agreement. Continue reading ›