Point Pleasant

Point Pleasant is a Jersey Shore borough. A survey showed that the median income from 2006-2010 was about $80,000. When spouses there pursue a divorce, they may be concerned about protecting their financial future. It is rare that couples agree on every aspect of a divorce. Whether it is a dispute about who should live in the marital home with the children, or whether one spouse should pay the other spouse alimony, it is vital to retain an experienced family law attorney to represent you. At the Goldstein Law Group, our Point Pleasant family law lawyers provide knowledgeable representation to spouses and parents and work hard to achieve a favorable outcome for our clients.

There are both no-fault and fault-based grounds to ask for a divorce in New Jersey. In no-fault divorces, both parties accept that the marriage should end, and neither blames the other or accepts blame. The most common No-Fault ground is known as “irreconcilable differences.” Another one is 18-month separation where the spouses live in separate homes for 18 months or more. When there is no possibility of reconciling, the spouses can divorce on the ground of 18 months of separation. However, some spouses would prefer to divorce right away, and they may choose to file for divorce on the basis of irreconcilable differences. This means that any problems in the marriage cannot be worked through, and there is no chance that the couple will resolve their differences. However, the problems must have lasted for at least six months. Neither party has to assert blame against the other Fault grounds for divorce will only affect the outcome of property division in extreme cases. Most of the time, fault is not used to influence property division, child support, or other issues. One of these fault grounds in New Jersey is adultery. You can file on this basis when your spouse has cheated on you. Abandonment may be the appropriate fault ground when a spouse has left the home for a minimum of 12 months. Alcohol or drug abuse can also be the basis of a fault divorce. However, you will need to show that your spouse was addicted to drugs or was habitually drunk for at least 12 months prior to filing.

You can also obtain a divorce due to a spouse's performance of a deviant sexual act upon you without consent, but this ground is hard to prove. You can also sue for a fault-based divorce if your spouse faces a jail sentence of 18 months or more after you married. Similarly, institutionalization for a mental illness that lasts 24 consecutive months after the start of your marriage can be the basis for a fault-based divorce.

Extreme cruelty requires a three-month waiting period if you are the spouse initiating the divorce. If your spouse has endangered your life or committed physical or mental abuse against you, you can file for divorce based on extreme cruelty. In a counter-claim for divorce, there is no waiting period on the basis of extreme cruelty.

A complex issue with which you may want the assistance of a Point Pleasant family law attorney is child custody. This is based on a child's best interests. New Jersey courts presume that frequent and continuing contact between a child and both parents is preferable. However, the court's decision is based on the child's best interests, and a court will consider many factors in making this determination.

Further complicating child custody matters in New Jersey, grandparents are entitled to apply to the court to compel visitation when a parent refuses to allow visitation. The court will look at the best interests of the child and consider eight factors, such as the relationship between the child and the grandparent.

We also handle minor criminal matters in the Municipal Court of the Borough of Point Pleasant. Although the cases handled in Municipal Court are less serious than those handled in county courts, you should take a charge seriously. In order to get the best possible outcome and avoid the possibility of more serious charges being levied in the future based on past offenses, you should retain an experienced attorney who understands the municipal court system.

At the Goldstein Law Group, we provide knowledgeable and compassionate legal representation to individuals and families regarding such matters as divorce, property distribution, child support, alimony, and child custody. Our family law attorneys understand how important your matter is, and we hold ourselves to a standard of the strictest personal and professional ethics. You can contact us at 732-967-6777 or by completing our online form.