Blog | M. Hart Divorce & Family Law

10/15/18

How Do New Jersey Courts Decide Who Gets Custody of Children in Divorce?

It’s generally much better for children if divorcing parents can agree on arrangements for child custody and parenting time without involving the court. It’s also generally far less expensive. Such agreements must provide for at a minimum: 1. Which parent will have physical or primary residential custody of the child, that is, where the child will live more than 50% of the time; and 2...

10/9/18

5 Actions to Take Now to Protect Your Small Business in Divorce

Entrepreneurs and business owners can be uniquely susceptible to divorce. For instance, when family finances are put on the line to finance a business or the business is bootstrapped for money, this can put a strain on the marriage. Likewise, spending the exorbitant amount of time and energy necessary for running a business can result in lack of time and energy spent on the marriage...

10/1/18

Can My Spouse and I Use the Same Divorce Lawyer?

Perhaps you and your spouse are on relatively good terms and worked out many of the marital issues. These might include child custody, child support, alimony, and division of marital assets. Under these circumstances, it might appear logical to hire one lawyer to draft the divorce agreement and file the legal documents with the court to have the divorce entered. In New Jersey, however, a...

9/24/18

Online Tools for Separated and Divorced Parents Designed to Reduce Stress and Legal Fees

In New Jersey, shared parenting arrangements are becoming the norm for separated and divorced parents of children of all ages. The traditional every other weekend arrangement is now being replaced by more shared parenting arrangements. Such arrangements can consist of rotating day and overnight parenting time each week and/or every other week. For instance, 3-3-4-4 days or 2-2-3 days are becoming more common, especially for younger children. New...

9/17/18

The Truth About Divorce

This is a pivotal time in your life. You want a divorce but you don’t know where to turn. Divorce goes right to the heart of our deepest insecurities. Feelings of failure, loss and abandonment can be overwhelming. You walk around in a cloud of depression and despair. You can’t think rationally. It’s almost impossible to make decisions that are best for you, much less...

9/10/18

Can I Save Money with Divorce Mediation Instead of Hiring a Divorce Lawyer?

This is a common question often asked by spouses considering divorce. If you’re like most separated or divorcing spouses, you don’t want to spend a pile of money to hire lawyers and fight out your divorce in court. You might therefore look to divorce mediation to save time, money, and headaches. Before jumping right into divorce mediation, however, take stock of these 3 tips: 1...

9/4/18

Do You Have to Go to Court for Your New Jersey Divorce?

While you do need the court to legally dissolve your marriage, you For instance, you don’t need the court to decide where your children will live, how much parenting time you will have with your children, how much child support or alimony you will pay or receive, or how your assets and debts will be divided. Instead, you can make such decisions with your spouse...

8/27/18

The 11 Most Costly Mistakes in Divorce and How to Avoid Them

As a family lawyer for the past 20 years, I’ve seen the same mistakes made time and time again by people going through divorce. And what many lawyers unfortunately don’t tell you (nor necessarily intentionally) is that these mistakes are costly and can be avoided. Therefore, I’ve compiled this list of 11 costliest mistakes in divorce if you’re separated or considering divorce and how to avoid them. Hiring the...

8/21/18

Simple Answers to the Most Often Asked Alimony Questions

Alimony is where one spouse makes regular periodic payments to the other after the divorce is finalized. Generally, New Jersey courts have the authority to decide if alimony is appropriate, and if so, the amount and duration of alimony payments by one spouse. The Only about 1% of all divorce cases filed in New Jersey, however, go to trial. The vast majority is settled out...

8/13/18

How to Tell Your Children You’re Getting a Divorce

It’s a common belief that it’s better for your children to stay in an unhappy marriage than to be subjected to divorce. Naturally you might want to avoid uprooting your children from the only life of family, friends, and home they’ve ever known. Below is what can affect children the most and offers simple tips to help them adjust. Emotional effects on children As a former...