South Brunswick Family Law

South Brunswick is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Of its approximately 15,000 households, about two-thirds are married couples, and close to half have children living with them. Unfortunately, some of these marriages will end in a divorce, which means that family law matters may arise that have an impact on each spouse's future and the future of their children. If you are contemplating a divorce, the experienced South Brunswick family law attorneys at Goldstein Law Group may be able to help you protect your interests.

Many family law matters can be settled short of trial, with the help of litigators who are also experienced at mediation and settlement negotiations. The disputes vary depending on the individual family's circumstances, but commonly the following issues must be discussed and resolved during divorce: property division, child custody, child support, and alimony. In some cases, issues can be settled easily, while others must proceed to trial. When the marital estate is especially complex, involving a thriving business, stock options, or retirement accounts, it may be necessary to retain an expert appraiser or accountant to analyze and make determinations about the value of these assets.

For many divorcing couples, the division of property is a contested topic. In New Jersey, each spouse keeps his or her separate property, but marital property is split "equitably." This does not necessarily mean the marital property is split 50-50. Instead, the court considers many factors in determining what would be fair. For example, it may consider the length of the marriage, the standard of living the couple had, the income and earning capacity of each spouse, written prenuptial agreements, physical custody of the children, tax consequences, and other factors.

Child custody is another area that can be particularly fraught with tension. There are two parts to child custody: physical custody, which involves how much time a child spends with either parent, and legal custody, which involves a parent's ability to make important decisions for a child. These types of child custody can be "joint" or "sole." A family law lawyer can advocate for South Brunswick residents in pursuit of the custody arrangement that they desire.

When a parent has sole physical custody, for example, the child has fewer than two overnights with the other parent and will live with the sole custody parent most or all of the time. Even when a parent has sole physical custody, New Jersey courts recognize the importance of both parents being involved in parenting a child. In most cases, parenting time is only restricted when a parent has a history of domestic violence.

Child custody can affect a child support calculation. If a child spends more than two overnights per week with each parent, one parent may be the parent of "primary address," but the other will be the parent of "alternative residence." When the parent of alternative residence is very involved and has a certain number of overnights per year, the court will assume that both parents are paying equally for a child's daily basic needs. In most cases, the alternative residence parent will pay less child support to the other parent than he or she would pay if the primary residence parent were the sole custodian of the child.

At Goldstein Law Group, we understand how difficult dissolving a marriage can be. Our knowledgeable South Brunswick family law lawyers can help you handle a broad range of matters that may arise. We also represent people throughout Monmouth and Middlesex Counties, including in Old Bridge, Manalapan, Rumson, and Red Bank. Contact us at 732-967-6777 or via our online form for a Free 10 Minute Case Evaluation* with a divorce attorney.