South Jersey Divorce Law

South Jersey Divorce Attorney

In South Jersey, divorce cases are heard by a superior court judge in the county where you or your spouse resides. That is why retaining an experienced, local divorce attorney to represent you is crucial.

Assessment – Our initial 1-hour consultation will provide you with an assessment of your case. That will include (but may not be limited to): Possession and control of your marital home, your financial obligations or requirements, your custody and visitation rights, your claim or right to health insurance benefits, your privacy rights and your future outlook.

Document Preparation and Discovery – When we draft your divorce complaint, we make sure that your claims (what you want from your spouse) are preserved if your case ever goes to trial.*

In order to make an accurate assessment of the “value” of your case, we need accurate information on your spouse’s income, current assets, bank accounts, business assets, short and long term investments, retirement assets, and property holdings should be collected and analyzed. The process of uncovering this information, either through research or subpoena is called Discovery. If the case is complex, we use experts in forensic accounting to prepare financial reports. Finally, your spouse may need to be personally interviewed, under oath, in a deposition to uncover valuable facts in order to aid negotiations or prepare for trial.

Negotiation and Trial – Any time during the process that we are satisfied we have information that we need to move forward, we will either prepare a proposal to share with the other party, or arrange a 4-way conference for clients and attorneys to meet to resolve outstanding issues. The New Jersey court system provides an opportunity for the Parties to resolve their matter and get divorced by scheduling an MESP or matrimonial early settlement panel. We prepare a memo for the panelists and I will argue your case before New Jersey attorneys with years of family law experience. If negotiations at that point fail, the Judge will assign a trial date to resolve your outstanding issues.

If all other means fail, the issues in your divorce will be decided by a New Jersey judge. A trial can be the most expensive part of your divorce. It takes a great deal of time to properly prepare the evidence, review the facts of the case, put together a strategy and successfully deliver your message. It may involve the use of expert reports and testimony. Most New Jersey attorneys will tell you, if you want to go to trial just to tell your side of the story, or have your day in Court, it is just not worth it.

*Only two percent of all divorces go to trial. Many are settled on or before the trial date itself.

CALL TO SCHEDULE A CONSULTATION (856) 845-7851