Most family law practitioners have heard the speech many times from judges, usually at an initial Case Management Conference. You know the one: settle, settle, settle. If you don’t settle, some person in a black robe will have to decide important issues about your life and you will probably be unhappy with the result. The…
In E.S. v. H.A. were parents of a minor child. The parties separated in December 2008 following an contentious series of proceedings, including a domestic violence action. The parties’ marriage ultimately came to a conclusion by way of a consent judgment of divorce entered in September 2009. The only issues which remained open at the…
It is sometimes said that ignorance is bliss. On occasion, it can be easier to stick our heads in the sand and ignore our surroundings rather than to acknowledge and face the inevitable. In the context of ignoring notices from the Court, this is not the best legal strategy. In the recent unpublished Appellate Division…
The length of a marriage, for purposes of alimony and equitable distribution, is often measured by utilizing the date of marriage and the date a Complaint for Divorce is filed. In some cases, parties choose to enter into a cut-off agreement rather than file a Complaint for Divorce. That will also serve as an end…
As attorneys that handle DCPP cases, by the time we get asked this question, often the door has already been opened both literally and legally. This is because when DCPP investigates, most parents comply because they do not know their rights, they think they have nothing to hide, they are worried that DCPP will take…