Yesterday, the New Jersey Supreme Court issued a unanimous opinion in the case of Anthony C. Major v. Julie Maguire. The case dealt with grandparents of a child (the parents of the father) who were petitioning the court for visitation rights to see their grandchild....
The holiday season and the New Year often make people reflect on how their life is progressing, whether they are they meeting their goals and what changes they would like to see in the upcoming year. Hence things like “New Years Resolutions” (that so many...
An interesting case was recently decided by the Supreme Court of New Hampshire. Terrie Harmon and her husband Thomas McCarron were granted a divorce by the NH Courts due to irreconcilable differences following a 24-year marriage. After the court issued the final...
What happens to alimony or child support when an ex-spouse isn’t working? Generally, the presumption of the law is that each party should work in a way that maximizes their income. If a spouse wants to retire early, quit their job for no reason, or reduce...
[Updated at the end for the Supreme Court decision] An interesting case was heard by the New Jersey Supreme Court last week on whether an impending divorce can be a cause for employment termination. Plaintiff Robert Smith worked for the Millville Rescue Squad (MRS)...
Retired New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and Supermodel Hannah Davis reportedly got engaged in the past few days. I am a huge Yankees fan and have been a fan of Derek Jeter since his arrival in the majors in 1996. He was a most eligible bachelor, apparently...
Public policy in New Jersey has long favored the ability of parties to resolve their disputes (including elements of a divorce and parenting) on their own, so long as the agreements are fair and equitable. But what happens when domestic violence is part of the...
“You’ve been served!” Most of us are aware of that TV phrase. For most cases, that is how a complaint is “legally” given to a defendant. It is the official way of putting them on notice they are being sued (including for a divorce) and...
A mediated divorce often costs less than 1/3rd of a litigated divorce
Mediation can finalize a divorce in much less time than litigation -- months versus years
You lose none of your rights by mediating
Mediation is confidential
Make decisions about your future for yourself
Parties are more satisfied with terms they agree to in mediation than terms imposed by a court
Agreements obtained through mediation are far less likely to end up back in court
Mediation is a forward-looking process (where do you go from here)
Mediation can be used to resolve many types of disputes, including the dissolutions of gay and lesbian (same-sex) relationships, civil unions, domestic partnerships and commercial and community disputes
Mediation allows you to get on with your life more quickly
