New Jersey Lawyer Blog

Research conducted by University of Washington sociologists suggests that there are. Trending in the news are the results of a study conducted by associate professor at the University of Washington Julie Brines and doctoral candidate Brian Serafini. They presented their findings at the Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association in Seattle, Washington. The study…

Your marriage is ending. You are faced with the usual issues couples must deal with in a divorce: child custody, child support, parenting time, spousal support, and property distribution. To make matters worse, that property includes a business owned jointly by you and your spouse. The stress that normally accompanies a divorce is multiplied. New…

Property distribution NJ divorce The Associated Press has reported that the wife in an Illinois divorce case—Nancy Riddle v. John Riddle—filed an emergency petition with the court. What was the emergency? The emergency was that her soon-to-be ex-husband had tickets to the Chicago Cubs against the Cleveland Indians in Game 5 of the World Series.…

He’s asked for your hand in marriage and has professed his undying love! Dreams of wedding gowns and floral bouquets dance in your head. Then he breaks the news—he wants you to sign a prenuptial agreement. Your first instinct might be to say, “I thought you loved me!” But you then try to see things…

Alimony Modification in New Jersey Suppose that for the past three years you have been receiving a certain amount per week in alimony. Next suppose that your ex-husband loses the job he held for twelve years. Further assume that he accepts a lower-paying job. Now imagine that you are the one who has been making…

You have probably heard the terms “common law marriage” and “palimony.” A common law marriage is one in which two people live together for a long time without the formality of a marriage license, a wedding ceremony, or a marriage certificate. The pair present themselves to the public as a married couple. Palimony is an…

The Appellate Division of the New Jersey Supreme Court recently heard a dispute over a $2,500,000 post-divorce bonus. The couple, Bernice Aucoin-Thieme and Michael Thieme, had only been married for about 15 months at the time their divorce. Question: Should the Years of Cohabitation Before Marriage Be Considered? The Hudson County Superior Court had awarded…

On September 15, 2016, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt separated. Jolie filed for divorce two days later. The famous couple, called “Brangelina” by their fans, had been together since 2004 and married in 2014. Jolie’s spokespersons have said that she is doing it for the “health of her family.” She has asked that she and…

Until 2007 most divorce complaints were based on separation or extreme cruelty. The separation claim required the couple to live apart for 18 months before filing for divorce. The extreme cruelty complaint required the claimant to accuse the other spouse of specific acts of cruelty. In 2007, however, a new statute went into effect. It…

About 6 million of the 7 million cases that are heard each year in New Jersey courts are filed in Municipal Court. As the name would imply, these courts have limited jurisdiction; they usually involve violations that occurred within that municipality. Classification of Crimes in New Jersey You have probably heard the terms “felony” and…