Monmouth County Divorce Laywers in New Jersey

To obtain a divorce in New Jersey, one party must file a legal document in court called a Complaint. This establishes the legal grounds for divorce. The Complaint must state one of the following grounds, since the court cannot grant a divorce without it.

Adultery
Desertion
Extreme Cruelty
18 Month Separation (commonly known as a no fault cause of action - living separate and apart for 18 months in different homes)
Habitual Drug Addiction
Habitual Drunkenness
Institutionalized for Mental Illness
Imprisonment
Deviant Sexual Conduct
Irreconcilable Differences (must have existed for 6 months prior to filing)

The Court assigns the filing a Docket Number and the Complaint must be physically served on the other party, known as the Defendant, by a sheriff or process server. This Defendant then has 35 days to answer the Complaint.

Once the other party answers the Complaint, the court will assign the case several dates for specific legal events:

If children are involved, the first date will be a Parent’s Education Program where the parties will listen to a judge speak regarding the impact of the divorce on children. Most people find this a very valuable program.
The second date will be a Case Management Conference with the judge who will handle the case. At that meeting, a schedule is established to exchange financial information for your case.
The third date will be an Early Settlement Panel date in court. Two experienced matrimonial attorneys meet with both parties and their attorneys and make recommendations to help resolve the case.
Economic Mediation – If the case cannot settle at or after an Early Settlement Panel, the case will be transferred to an Economic Mediator who will assist in settling the case.
Very few divorces end up having trials. It is extremely expensive, stressful and paralyzes families.

Every divorce is difficult, but in all divorces, all issues involving your marriage, children, custody, child support, parenting time, alimony, property and attorney's fees will be examined and resolved before the divorce is final.

At Deitch & Perone, P.C., the Monmouth county divorce lawyers are experienced in handling all types of divorce cases and regularly attend seminars and subscribe to periodicals discussing the latest case law and strategies. They will be able to ensure you the best possible result with your divorce.

Monmouth County Divorce Lawyers