New Jersey Child Custody Representation

Getting a divorce is no small matter, especially for couples with children. If you live in Monmouth, Ocean or Middlesex County, or anywhere in New Jersey for that matter, the laws of New Jersey will be applied to your child custody case. You may benefit from having an experienced attorney to explain the nuances of the law and help you through this process, which can be confusing and emotional. It is important to have good counsel now, so you are not getting stuck with a custody agreement you do not fully understand or which may not truly be in your child’s best interest. If you are faced with the difficult process of splitting up with your soon-to-be ex-spouse or parent of your child, then you should consider hiring a New Jersey child custody lawyer as soon as possible.

Fortunately, there are some instances where couples are able to work together and come to a child custody agreement that works for their family, without fighting back and forth or litigating the matter in court. However, this does not necessarily mean that it is not beneficial to still hire a child custody lawyer to review your agreement or explain how different considerations can impact child custody. In some instances, a New Jersey child custody attorney will draw up a legal agreement that reflects the choices made by both parties. If the parties then sign the agreement, this makes the agreement formal and ensures that one party cannot simply change his or her mind later on. If the parties file the agreement with the court, the agreement will have the same force as if the court entered its own order, and either party can ask the court in the future to enforce the agreement.

If both parties cannot come to an agreement between themselves, a child custody lawyer in New Jersey may act as an intermediary and will communicate with the other party’s lawyer to try to help you and your ex reach an agreement. If this is not possible, then your lawyer can turn to the court and ask the judge to order full or joint custody on your behalf.

The type of custody you request will naturally be based on factors that are specific to your case. It is important to make sure you are fully honest with your divorce lawyer, as he or she will need to know everything about your divorce and relationship with your children in order to provide proper representation. Your New Jersey child custody attorney will listen to your needs and concerns in confidence and can give you advice based on what you are looking to accomplish in the type of custody arrangement that you are seeking.

New Jersey family courts determine child custody based on many factors. These include your relationship with your children (both prior to and since the separation), your and your ex’s job responsibilities, each parent’s place of residence, if anyone has a criminal record, the parental fitness of your ex-spouse (or lack of it) and, in the case of older children, sometimes the children’s preferences and desires. Your relationship with your ex-spouse will also be considered, as many judges look to see how the parents are able to communicate and cooperate with one another regarding matters related to the wellbeing of the children – the court wants parents to be able to work at least fairly well together in raising their kids.

An experienced child custody attorney in New Jersey can help you to formalize an already-made child custody agreement, work out such an agreement outside of court, or provide you with legal representation if you do need to litigate your custody dispute. The attorneys of Goldstein Law Group have a great deal of experience in dealing with child custody issues. The firm has offices conveniently located in both Metuchen in Middlesex County and Brielle, in Monmouth County. Our firm serves clients in Monmouth, Middlesex, Ocean, Somerset, and Union counties, as well as in other communities throughout the State of New Jersey. Goldstein Law Group specializes in family law matters and will help ensure you have access to your children, both now and in the future. Give us a call at 732-967-6777 or fill out our online form to request a Free 10 Minute Case Evaluation* with one of our knowledgeable attorneys.