The state of NJ began its lock down in or about the 2nd week of March ( or about 5 1/2 months ago). In the later part of March / early April, there were many people who sought legal advice / filed emergency applications with the court as a result of their former partners actions regarding parenting... View More

Believe it or not, there is a law applicable to your inquiry called the Uniform, Child Custody & Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, applicable throughout the country, which states that the state that entered the initial order for custody of the child, retains exclusive and continuing... View More

At 17, you have the right to sit down with your parents and discuss where you want to live and why. A parent of guardian may not be happy with your decision but they are gong to be hard pressed to stop you..... but that does not mean that their feelings will not be hurt. Be respectful and... View More

Thank you for your question. This situation must be very stressful for you. The short answer is that you need to file a motion to modify the prior order to give you custody and adjust child support accordingly. That being said, your case has a lot of moving parts, so you should consult with an... View More

I do not practice NJ law and this should be posted in the NJ section unless the order of support is a NY order. If the order is a NY order, you cannot ask for a DNA test as there is already an order and you were found to be the father. Even if there was no order, the fact that you have identified... View More

The short answer is no, but by age 14, the court is to give deference to the wishes of a mature 14 year old. Translated, while the decision where a 14 year old should live still rests with the court, as long as the child shows maturity and an understanding of the decision making process, most... View More

Since your son is only 17, I presume that he is going into his senior year of high school as opposed to starting college in September. So, lets play this out for you.

Under the terms of your divorce agreement, you are the primary custodial parent and your ex has parenting time with him.... View More

The best advice I can give you is to schedule a consultation with this office to discuss the legal and factual issues outstanding in your application for a change in the custody plan currently in place and currently before the NJ family court. Its impossible for any lawyer to tell you whether... View More

From the information you have provided, 4 years ago, there was an application filed with the court system to take physical custody of the children from you based on claims of abuse or neglect. You were given notice of and the details of the claims made against you and you failed to appear for that... View More

lets start off addressing the easier question- When you turn 18, you will have the right to determine where you will live, regardless of the agreement or court order entered into by your parents.

Now, lets address the bigger issue - the custody and support plan that is best for you. Even... View More

Given the current pandemic rules in place, the family court system is handling motion practice, case management and some forms of trials through Zoom videoconferencing, so the cost of the retention of counsel is easier since we dont have to drive back and forth to Burlington County.

Our... View More

For safety purposes, since a HIPPA release form was not signed by the parents, the facility should have a court order in its file authorizing and directing it to comply with the turnover of specific healthcare records. If it does not have a court order directing the turnover of specific healthcare... View More

The short answer is that you can file an FD complaint for visitation and have a family part judge enter an order for parenting time. But if you and she have been apart for 5 years, maybe its time to file the divorce action and then the application for parenting time as part of the divorce.

My practice and my firm specialize in divorce and family law matters in north & central NJ and I am a certified divorce & family law trial lawyer by the NJ Supreme Court and an accredited family law mediator and arbitrator. If you would like to schedule a consultation with me or my partner... View More

Thank you for your question. I am sorry that you and your children have to deal with such a distressing situation. The short answer is you can file a motion. The specifics are more complicated than that, and would be tailored to your specific situation. A change in primary custody in New Jersey... View More

Its rare for a court to award sole custody to a parent today, so im sure that the doctors office is on "auto pilot" and does not know how to interpret it.

Under the laws applicable in New Jersey, when parties are divorced and there is a joint legal or a joint physical custodial... View More

You are not going to like my response.... but I dont think I have ever met a 16 or 17 year old ( including myself when I was that age) who did not argue / fight with his / her parents. The fact that you and your parents are fighting does not mean that you are wrong or that they are wrong.... simply... View More

Thank you for your question. We are seeing this same issue again and again, and we understand that there is increased anxiety all around for people who are co-parenting in these difficult times.

In general the courts are not considering "what if" scenarios, they are enforcing... View More

A: Im not sure where the 50 / 85 mile radius issue is coming from, but beware of taking advice from friends.

Some states actual do have a radius requirement for relocation purposes with children in their custody and parenting time plan statutes - New Jersey does not and there is nothing in... View More

It can constitute harassment and a retraining order if well documented. It is difficult to make such a case, but there is case law permitting it. It is not favored by police for obvious reasons (we want people to report crimes). To have any reasonable chance you would be wise to consult with an... View More