Practice Areas

South Jersey Family Law Attorneys

For more information about a practice area, click on the heading.

Divorce

The ultimate objective in any divorce or legal separation case is reaching a fair and reasonable resolution of all disputes pending between the parties as quickly and expeditiously as possible. The resolution is memorialized in a written form called a Judgment or Property Settlement Agreement. It is essentially a written contract between the parties defining all of their rights and obligations after the conclusion of their personal relationship.

Divorce Mediation

Mediation, as an alternative to a litigated divorce, maintains as its highest value the personal integrity of the parties and preservation of a quality, post-divorce co-parenting relationship between the parties. It is much faster and significantly less expensive than traditional divorce litigation.

Child Custody

Physical or residential custody is the unfortunate battleground in many divorces. It is the most challenging and problematic matter that can be presented to the court. In New Jersey, thousands of cases involving child custody are filed each year. We have approximately 12,000 cases of all kinds in Burlington County, many involving custody disputes. The New Jersey court system has created various procedures to address these issues including mediation and custody evaluations.

Visitation

Generally speaking, visitation in New Jersey is reasonable and liberal unless the party seeking visitation has been abusive or neglectful. Our lawyers recommend that parties in a divorce enter into a very specific visitation agreement. This generally includes alternating weekend visitation, phone or physical contact during the week, and specific arrangements for holidays.

Child Support

Your share of the total child support amount will be in proportion to your income. For example, if your income is 30 percent of the total family income and your spouse's income is 70 percent, you will pay 30 percent of the recommended child support amount and your spouse will pay 70 percent. That percentage will remain constant for unreimbursed medical expenses, braces, college expenses, and most other expenses of raising your children.

Alimony

Any discussion of alimony is highly fact-specific. There are also different kinds of alimony available, including permanent, limited duration, rehabilitative, and redistributive.

Equitable Distribution

The rule of law in New Jersey for division of assets and liabilities in divorce is called equitable distribution. There is no presumption that "equitable" is 50 - 50, but it usually ends up being that way.

Domestic Violence

There are sixteen different forms of relief that the court may impose upon the defendant. A violation of any of these orders is considered contempt. Any person convicted of a second or more contempt offense will serve a minimum of 30 days in jail.

Prenuptial Agreement

New Jersey has a uniform prenuptial agreement statute that is virtually identical to the statutes in every other state. You can use a prenuptial agreement to protect assets such as a business or a home. It can also protect the interests of children from a prior marriage.

To schedule a consultation, contact New Jersey family law lawyers Christopher Musulin and Colleen McGuigan.