By now, many of you may know that Jeff Bezos, the founder and CEO of Amazon, and his wife, MacKenzie Bezos, a novelist, are divorcing after twenty-five years of marriage. With four young children and wealth estimated at approximately $140 billion, this divorce is already one of the highest profile divorces in recent memory.…
E! News reports that Jenni “JWoww” Farley recently filed a temporary restraining order against Rodger Mathews. Farley filed for divorce in September 2018. Police responded to the couple’s home late in the evening on December 13th. Mathews was escorted from the home by law enforcement around 2 a.m. Mathews discussed details of the incident in…
Case of Dever v. Howell If you wish to relocate with your children out of New Jersey, you must follow proper protocol Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 9:2-2, which dictates that a child cannot be removed from the State of New Jersey unless agreed upon by the parties or permitted by Court Order. However, as recently demonstrated…
Family lawyers at this time of year know that with the holiday season comes custody and parenting time disputes. As suggested in my last blog post, getting a jump on these disputes before the midnight hour is the often the best way to proceed. Sometimes, however, it simply cannot be done and the family court…
Believe it or not, the time is here. Summer is no longer in the rearview mirror and Halloween is behind us (although the leftover candy remains). Thanksgiving, Chanukah, Christmas and New Year’s Eve are just around and the corner. Turkeys and pies, gifts, ugly sweaters, holiday music, decorations, parades, and champagne are just some of…
Most family law practitioners have heard the speech many times from judges, usually at an initial Case Management Conference. You know the one: settle, settle, settle. If you don’t settle, some person in a black robe will have to decide important issues about your life and you will probably be unhappy with the result. The…
Drafting settlement agreements require careful language considerations to ensure that the intent of the parties can be determined based upon a plain reading of the agreement. In a recent unpublished Appellate Division decision, we briefed the issue of whether the plain meaning of the terms of a settlement agreement should be strictly construed. In Fanelli…
Many parties today want to attend mediation in an attempt to be cost effective in their divorce. This makes sense, and meditation is often a successful tool utilized to reach an amicable resolution. At the conclusion of a mediation, many mediators will draft a Memorandum of Understanding, reflecting the terms discussed. Following receipt of the…
For many divorcing couples, particularly those who own or have an interest in a closely held family business, cash very often reigns supreme. Often times access to cash, particularly by way of a business, serves to supplement, or enhance a couple’s marital lifestyle far beyond that which may be classified as reported income for income…
New Jersey’s rule governing venue in family court matters, R. 5:7-1, has, until recently been a much overlooked, pro forma, check of the proverbial box when filing a client’s Complaint for Divorce. The overwhelming majority of the time, venue never arises as a “issue” in a matrimonial proceeding, as the Complaint for Divorce is filed…