Securing alimony payments with life insurance is a common practice, even for limited duration alimony. The concept is simple in theory, but there are some complex issues that you should work through with your attorney, prior to finalizing your divorce agreement. First and foremost, you need to ...
The dilemma over divorced parents being required to pay for their children's college education has been on-going for the past several decades, but one thing has been clearly established by the New Jersey family courts. A college education is essential in this day and age, and whenever possible, ...
The statement, “There's an app for that” has become a universal answer for doing just about anything. However, are there apps that can help ease the divorce process – and more importantly – are they reliable? Well, that depends on what you're looking to accomplish. Communication and task-ori...
The marital home is understandably one of the most important assets in any divorce, and unsurprisingly, one of the biggest sources of contention. In addition to being the most valuable asset between most couples, the marital home may be the only home one's children are familiar with. Even when ...
While most hearings over paying for college costs occur right before or during the child's enrollment, there have been cases where a motion for support wasn't filed until near or after the child's graduation. One of the more well-known cases involving post graduation support is Gac v. Gac, whic...
With the exception of very long-term marriages (typically 25 or more years), most alimony awards are not permanent, meaning that the payor's obligation will end after a set number of years. One form of temporary alimony is known as “limited duration”, which is intended to serve as temporary assi...
Restraining orders are an unfortunate necessity for individuals with abusive or mentally unstable partners. Over the years, harassment, stalking and other forms of domestic violence have become more prevalent due to internet technologies such as social media. In addition to violating the victim,...
Primary custodians in New Jersey must obtain permission from either the non-custodial parent or the court prior to moving out of state with their children. Although a long distance move typically disrupts the existing parenting plan, most parents are able to negotiate an arrangement in which the ...
For most people, the bond they have with their pets is as strong as, if not stronger than the ones they have with other humans. Pets, after all, offer unconditional love regardless of our flaws, financial status of lack of social standing. With their unfailing sense of loyalty and devotion, it's ...
Parents are expected to set a good example for their children, but they are also fallible and emotional human beings, who are prone to making mistakes. Some mistakes are minor; occasionally yelling at your child or forgetting to pick up their his favorite snack, for example. Other mistakes, howev...
Each person has their own set of reasons for wanting to adopt, but it's not a choice that anyone makes lightly. After all, adoption is a legally binding process, which will obligate you to provide for the child as if it were your own biological offspring. This means that you will be required to c...
On June 26, 2015, the United States Supreme Court ruled for the legalization of same-sex marriage in all 50 states, citing that state-level bans violated the Due Process and Equal Protections clauses of the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment. Prior to this ruling, same-sex couples in New Jersey w...
A divorce results in many uncontrollable changes, but you do have complete control over your last name. Whether a name change is in your best interest depends on many circumstances, which you may want to discuss with an attorney. If, for example, you share children with your spouse, you may want ...
Most of us are aware that we have a right to legal counsel if we are suspected of having committed a crime. This right is a major component of the Miranda warning, which reminds suspects that they have a right to an attorney, and that an attorney will be appointed for them if they cannot afford o...
If you are a parent who has recently filed for divorce, you may have received orders to attend the Parent Education Program at your county superior court. This mandatory 3 hour program is presented by a family mediator, who walks parents through the legal process of family mediation. The program ...
From what we see on TV and read in the papers, divorce always seem like an ugly court battle, fought out for months, if not years. The truth is, most divorces are resolved without a court hearing through private methods such as mediation and collaborative divorce. In addition, the New Jersey supe...
Most divorcing couples in New Jersey choose to end their marriage through non-litigation methods such as mediation and collaborative divorce. These methods are done without court intervention, thereby giving spouses complete control over the terms of their divorce agreement. However, couples must...
The general assumption is that a minor becomes emancipated at the age of 18, but legal emancipation is not dependent on age. In New Jersey, the concept of "emancipation" is simply defined as the process of being free from the influence of one's parents. In turn, the parents are also freed from th...
Child support amounts are based on the New Jersey Child Support Guidelines, which dictate that children are entitled to financial support from both parents. Furthermore, the amount of support is largely dependent on the income of both parents, which include many sub-categories such as wages, bonu...
In a previous article, we discussed the problem of letting envy cloud your judgment of whether or not to divorce. Today, we will examine the vice that plagues divorcing spouses once they have made the decision to truly end their marriage. Pride, like envy, isn't always a bad thing. It fine to ...
Envy, the desire to possess a thing or quality that belongs to someone else, is not always a negative emotion. It can be used to motivate us into working harder, being a better parent, or even reassessing out priorities once we realize the silliness of being envious. Certainly, there are many t...
A child is considered an adult when he or she reaches the age of majority, which in New Jersey is 18. In the eyes of the law, an adult individual has certain rights, such as the right to vote, get married, and agree to legally binding contracts for employment, bank loans, etc. Being considered ...
Restraining orders are an unfortunate aspect of many divorces, but the majority of them are temporary in nature. Once the divorce is settled, many exes are able to be civil with each other, especially if they have children. The situation, however, is quite different for exes with a history of d...
Custodial interference refers to a wide variety of actions that intentionally interfere with a parent's custodial and/or visitation rights. New Jersey laws address custodial interference under Rule 5:3-7, Additional Remedies on Violation of Orders Relating to Parenting Time, Alimony or Support. ...
Most people have little knowledge or experience with the state's labor laws, but they're probably aware that it's illegal to discriminate against an employee because of his or her marital status. Anti-discrimination laws are spelled out in the state's Law Against Discrimination (LAD), which proh...