Negotiating Your Marital Settlement Agreement

Negotiating Your Marital Settlement AgreementMany people have terrible visions in their minds when thinking about divorce. They expect to face a scary judge and a stressful trial. The truth is that, in New Jersey, the vast majority of divorce cases settle and they settle long before a trial begins. In fact, the courts in New Jersey greatly favor people who are divorcing to settle their own issues and work together to come up with an agreement that both husband and wife can live with not only at the time the agreement is signed, but also into the future. Remember, any marital settlement agreement will follow these ex-spouses around for a long time, especially if terms of the agreement discuss children.

So, how do you successfully negotiate a martial settlement agreement? Here are a few tips to help get you to a place where you are ultimately at peace with your marital settlement agreement: Read more

Divorced Parents: 3 Tips For Navigating College Costs

divorced parents and college tuitionIt is that time of year, again. High school seniors are making final decisions, touring campuses and selecting, once and for all, where they will attend college in the fall. If you and your child’s other parent were married and are still together, this can be a joyous time for all involved. However, if you and your ex are no longer in a relationship, this can quickly become a challenging and frustrating time. What is your obligation for payment of tuition for the next four years? What is your say in these decisions? Read more

How To Get A Divorce Like Gwyneth: 3 Top Tips For Conscious Uncoupling

Conscious Uncoupling: Divorce Like Gwyneth Paltrow

Image copyright arp, Depositphoto.com

When Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin ended their ten-year marriage in March 2014, they announced their intention to protect their children by having a “conscious uncoupling.” Millions scratched their heads at this lofty moniker: what was “Conscious Uncoupling?” Some sort of artisanal divorce, if there could be such a thing?  Or was it something new altogether? As it turns out, Gwyneth borrowed this phrase from therapist Katherine Woodward Thomas, whose book Conscious Uncoupling: 5 Steps To Living Happily Even After provides a blueprint on how to take a more mindful approach to divorce. Read more

#MaybeHeDoesntHitYou Brings Emotional Abuse Awareness to Social Media

Get help for domestic violence and intimate partner violence

In this digital age, stands are taken, victories are won (and lost) and causes are put in the spotlight through social networking vehicles such as Twitter and Facebook. On Monday, Twitter users began using the hashtag #MaybeHeDoesntHitYou to show that abusive relationships aren’t limited to physically violent ones. Domestic violence can come in many forms, including mental or emotional abuse. Read more

Want to Stop Paying Alimony Because Your Ex is Living with Someone? You Better Have Proof

Depositphotos_87970508_originalWhen does dating rise to the level of the legal ground for terminating or suspending alimony known as “cohabitation“? And what kind of evidence can prove that a spouse has entered into this deeper kind of relationship? A new court case takes a look. Read more

What You May Not Know About Divorce In New Jersey

filing for divorce in new jersey

Thinking about divorce is an emotionally confusing time in anyone’s life. Now, you are contemplating filing for divorce and are facing weeding through the somewhat complex laws that govern divorce in the Garden State. There is a lot of misinformation out there, to be sure. Here are a few things you may not know about divorce in New Jersey: Read more

Cohabitation and Alimony in New Jersey: The Quinn Case

cohabitation & alimony concernsSince New Jersey enacted the Alimony Reform Act in 2014, an ex-spouse no longer has to be living full-time in the same home with another person to be considered by the court to be “cohabiting” with that person. Prior to the Act, many divorced people would act as though they were married to their new partner, but would stop short of actually moving in with that person full time, in an attempt to keep their alimony. Now, a divorced spouse does not need to be living with a new boyfriend or girlfriend on permanent, full-time basis to have their alimony stopped. Read more

Divorce PTSD And How To Treat It

Post Traumatic Stress DisorderMany people don’t realize that the financial and psychological stress of a bad divorce, especially if it’s ongoing, can cause PTSD. Read more

What You May Not Know About Prenuptial Agreements In New Jersey

do you need a prenuptial agreement?Wedding bells will ring for many couples in New Jersey over the next few months, meaning that ’tis the season for spouses-to-be to start planning their future…including whether or not they need a prenuptial agreement! Read more

Mediation, Collaborative Divorce or Litigation: What’s Right For Me?

mediation, litigation, or collaborative divorce?Much like how every marriage is different, every divorce in New Jersey is different too. You may have just come to terms with the fact that you are ready to file for divorce. Now what? Should you come to an agreement with your spouse? Are you anticipating a divorce trial? Are you and your soon-to-be ex on amicable terms or are you expecting a fight on each and every issue? Do you have very complex issues that need to be resolved?

Depending on your circumstances, there are several possible ways to resolve your differences and become divorced in New Jersey. Which path is right for you? Let’s take a look. Read more