MEETING OPTIONS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS: The Law Offices of Peter Van Aulen understands your concerns regarding the spread of the Coronavirus, and now offers different meeting options to our clients and those seeking legal representation. All meetings, including initial consultations, can be handled either through the phone, FaceTime, Zoom, or in person.
How is cohabitation defined under the amended alimony statute in NJ? The amended alimony statute which was signed into law on September 10, 2015 defines cohabitation as a “mutually supportive intimate personal relationship” whereas the parties have taken on “duties and privileges that are commonly associated with marriage.” Does a…
What are the different types of alimony in NJ? There is Open Durational Alimony (replaced permanent alimony in the amended statute and applies to marriages twenty years or more), Rehabilitative Alimony (granted to a litigant for a short term to assist them to become financially self-sufficient through education and training),…
Definition of Emancipation of a Child Emancipation is the legal act of a minor becoming free from the custody and control of a parent or guardian. Likewise, the parent or guardian is free from responsibility toward the child. Emancipation does not automatically occur when a child has reached 18 years…
NJ Child support obligations are extremely serious, not just because it goes to give the child food, clothing and shelter, but because the consequences for failing to pay support can have serious impact on the payor’s life. MECHANISMS TO ENFORCE PAYMENT AND PENALTIES FOR NON-PAYMENT The court can give you…
New Jersey Child Support Guidelines are extremely complicated, put together in about a hundred pages of principles, standards and considerations. The schedule of child support obligations, which is one of many appendices to the statute, is merely a starting point in determining parents’ child support obligation. The premise underlying the…
College expenses cause financial difficulty for most families, but they can be especially burdensome for families with divorced parents, where the parent’s income supports two households. Even still, New Jersey Courts regularly require divorced or separated parents to contribute to the cost of a child’s college expenses. The Newburgh Factors:…
There are two types of divorces in New Jersey, what is often called a “no-fault” divorce and divorces that are based on fault which is a specialized wrong doing of one or both parties. For both types, there are certain requirements such as your being a resident of New Jersey…
When parents decide to change their child’s last name and are in agreement, the process of the name change is quite simple. That is not the topic of this blog. Rather, the topic is what to do and what happens when the parents cannot come to agreement and the court…
Do I have to be separated from my spouse for a certain period of time to file for a divorce in New Jersey? No. New Jersey in 2007 enacted a no-fault divorce statute. Under said statue you do not need cause or to be separated to file for a divorce…
Under New Jersey law parents have a duty to support their children financially. At the time of divorce, if the couple has children, a judge will most likely grant one spouse child support. The amount of New Jersey child support decided upon at the time of divorce may not be…