Retaining A Certified Attorney

Why should I hire a New Jersey Supreme Court-certified matrimonial law attorney?

When you need a matrimonial lawyer in New Jersey, it can be hard to know, based on attorney advertisements alone, exactly how qualified the attorney you’re considering really is. Your rights as a divorcing spouse and/or a parent are at stake, and if you pick the wrong legal professional, the outcome for your family could be calamitous.

To avoid such scenarios, the Supreme Court of New Jersey directed the state’s Board on Attorney Certification to create a certification program for matrimonial and family law attorneys. You can be assured that a certified matrimonial attorney is qualified to handle your case. To achieve certification, a lawyer must demonstrate competency in matrimonial law and have garnered the respect of their peers. They must also provide testimonials from the family law judges before whom they appear in court.

To become certified, an attorney must fulfill the following criteria:

• Submit testimonials from three matrimonial judges attesting to a high level of litigation skills and good character
• Pass a written examination (approximately six hours) in matrimonial law
• Submit evaluations by five other matrimonial attorneys attesting to that attorney’s high level of competence and good character
• Provide details of significant trial experience, including handling complex, high-income and disputed custody cases
• Complete continuing yearly significant legal education requirements
• Be a member in good standing of the New Jersey bar for more than five years

As of June 2012, only approximately 1,600 attorneys out of approximately 72,000 active lawyers in New Jersey are board-certified. Tanis Deitch is one of the few matrimonial attorneys who has achieved that distinction.