Articles Posted in Marriage

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On September 20, 2016, the Internet was buzzing with reports of Angelina Jolie-Pitt filing for divorce from her long time partner of twelve years and husband of two years, Brad Pitt. The demise ofJoliePitt Angelina Jolie-Pitt’s and Brad Pitt’s two year marriage raises questions about the division of their assets in divorce. “The couple have six children together–and more than half a billion dollars worth in cumulative earnings,” according to Forbes.com. “Since their marriage in 2014, the duo have earned a combined $117.5 million before taxes and fees, per Forbes’ estimates. Continue reading ›

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Although I can recall having heard about similar stories in the past, a recent news story caught my eye in which a Lakewood, New Jersey couple had been sentenced in a plot to extort a divorce. They, along with others, were accused of involvement in a scheme involving the kidnap and/or assault of husbands in an effort to force them to agree to give their wives a Jewish divorce, or Get. Although in our practice, we deal with “civil” as opposed to “religious” divorces, the inter-relationship of the two occasionally comes up. The subject of this blog post is to briefly address how the family courts of this State have dealt with these sorts of issues, and some practical considerations of how to deal with them so as to avoid the extreme situation noted above. Continue reading ›

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During a custody dispute over children, if the parties cannot reach an agreement between themselves as to the custody and parenting time arrangement that serves the best interest of the child(ren) at issue, the Court will then be called upon to make that determination for them. The Court is required to make findings as to , and will apply the 15 statutory factors of N.J.S.A. 2A:9:2-4, among which are factors that include the “fitness of the parents”, the “parents’ ability to agree, community and cooperate in matters relating to the child”, the “needs of the child”, and the “stability of the home environment offered”.   Continue reading ›

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The media remains abuzz on reports that the website, Ashley Madison, was the target of cyberhacking. For those who may not be aware, Ashley Madison is known as the leading website for persons looking to have an affair. It’s slogan is: “Life is short. Have an affair”. Continue reading ›

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One hundred and fifty two years ago, over the course of July 1-3rd 1863, the armies of the Union and Confederacy met in the sleepy town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and engaged in the largest military battle ever fought on the United States soil.  The Union’s victory at the Battle of Gettysburg and General Robert E. Lee’s retreat of the Army of Northern Virginia back south, under cover darkness on the evening of July 4, 1863 is often referred to as the turning point of the Civil War and the beginning of the end for the Confederate States of America.   Continue reading ›

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In a landmark decision issued today in the matter of Obergefell v. Hodges, Director, Ohio Department of Health, et. al., the United States Supreme Court ruled, in a 5-4 decision, that states must (a) no longer prohibit same-sex couples from marrying, and (b) must recognize same-sex marriages validly entered into.  Continue reading ›

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IMG_1446Parental disagreements as to a child’s upbringing are probably about as old as humankind.  Nowhere are these conflicts more prevalent than in today’s modern society where children are bombarded with content from the internet, television, phones and  computers.  Parents often disagree on what content is appropriate and inappropriate for their child to see and hear.  Rock and Roll has been a controversial subject dating back to the 1950s and remains one today.  While the burnings of records of the “Devil’s Music” are no longer taking place on Main Streets across America, many parents still struggle with the idea that the content of the music of the pop stars that their young children idolize is not age appropriate for their child.  The concept is  nothing new and can become further complicated when the parents are divorced. Continue reading ›

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The New Jersey Appellate Division this week published the case of Elrom v. Elrom, in which the Husband appealed the provision in the parties’ divorce judgment where the trial court imputed income to the parties for purposes of determining the amount of alimony and child support the Husband had to pay to his former Wife.  The Wife in this case was an attorney licensed to practice in New York and New Jersey.   Continue reading ›

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On occasion someone will ask me about the possibility of a way to end a marital relationship short of a divorce.  for instance ,is there a way to legally or formally separate?  In New Jersey, married couples do separate, but there is not a law providing for a formal, legal separation per se.   New Jersey, however, does have a provision for a “limited divorce”, which is called a “divorce from bed and board”, which is the State ‘s closest version of legal separation, as opposed to an “absolute divorce”, which permanently ends the marriage, and is what most of us think of when we hear the term “divorce”. Continue reading ›

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Months ago when NFL running back Ray Rice was accused of domestic abuse and a video surfaced purportedly showing him dragging his then fiancee unconscious from an Atlantic City casino elevator, it was the prevailing view of most that Mr. Rice had knocked her out during some sort of altercation on that elevator. Indeed, Mr. Rice was charged with aggravated assault as a result of this incident. Continue reading ›