Middlesex County Divorce Cases
Aggressive Middlesex County Divorce AttorneysA Divorce is nothing more than a division of assets and liabilities accumulated during the marriage. If there are children involved, the issues of custody, visitation and support must also be resolved. Divorces become difficult and expensive when emotions cloud the judgment of normally rationale people. Otherwise, they do not have to be expensive. A good divorce lawyer can help protect you without breaking the bank. Please contact Jack Venturi & Associates for more information about our services and how our attorneys can help you with your Middlesex County divorce case. The Divorce Process in Middlesex County: -Initial Consultation Our initial consultations are free. You can meet with one of our divorce attorneys at our New Brunswick office which is just blocks from the Middlesex County Family Court or one of our other three locations in New Jersey. You will either be filing a Complaint for Divorce or you will have to file an Answer to a Complaint that has been filed against you. We will discuss all of the issues that are important to you and your case. We will also provide you will all of the necessary forms which you will have to provide to the court. Other than these forms, the attorneys will draft all of the divorce pleadings for you. Common Issues in a Divorce Case:
-Costs The costs of a divorce case are always a big concern. There is a common misperception that a divorce must be expensive and drawn out. While there are some case that do get quite expensive, there are far more cases that can be handled for less that what some attorneys charge for a DWI ticket in municipal court. Because each case is so different, there is no price list that our attorneys can consult. The retainer for each case is set based upon a number of factors such as the amount of issues in dispute, such as the number of assets, the number of liabilities, the number of children and any other matters that may need to be litigated such as support and custody. Effective negotiation and mediation can significantly reduce costs for both sides. Many of our clients have used the these tools to not only save costs but to achieve a great result in their case. The goals for our attorneys in any divorce case are to always protect you and reach a good settlement for your case while keeping the costs as low as possible. -Divorce Complaint/Answer The Divorce Complaint lists the cause of action or reason for the divorce. Recent changes in the law in New Jersey now allow divorce for irreconcilable differences. This is important because the use of other causes of action forces one party to make serious and upsetting allegations against the other party. This usually starts the case off on the wrong foot. The Divorce Complaint also lists the relief sought by the party filing for the divorce. The Answer responds to the allegations, usually denying most of them and also sets forth what the other party desires. The party filing the Answer also has the ability to file a Counter-Claim. Thus, the Plaintiff generally enjoys no greater power over the Defendant in the case. Our attorneys will draft all necessary pleadings for you. Regardless of whether you are filing a Complaint or Answer, the initial pleading must be filed with the Middlesex County Superior Court. In Middlesex County, pleadings are filed at the Middlesex County Family Court House which is located at 120 New Street in New Brunswick. Please note that this is a separate court house. The Middlesex County Superior Court for all other county court matters is located a few blocks away on 56 Paterson Street in New Brunswick. -Judges in Middlesex County In Middlesex County, there are nine judges that handle all family matters, including divorce. The judges are Glenn Berman, Jane Cantor, Heidi Willis Currier, Fred Kieser Jr, Roger Daley, Diane Pincus, Michael Toto, James Hyland and Arthur Bergman. -Case Management Conference This is the first court appearance in the case. In Middlesex County, this appearance is usually waived when each side has an attorney. The Case Management Conference sets the table for the rest of the case by identifying the issues and setting due dates for various items such as discovery and ESP dates. -Discovery Like any civil case, there are no surprises in a divorce case. Each party enjoys the opportunity to ask written questions of the other party or interrogatories, ask for documents to be produced, as well as take depositions of the other party and witnesses. Not all divorce cases require a lengthy period of discovery. Once discovery is complete, the lawyers on both sides and both parties should have a good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the entire case. Our attorneys will draft your discovery requests to get the most important information that we can use to your advantage. -Early Settlement Panel ESP is the first real chance to get into court and try to settle the divorce case. It can take four to six months to get to ESP in Middlesex County, especially due to the large volume of cases in Middlesex. Due to this delay, our attorneys will try to settle your case before the ESP date to save you time and money. ESP is a meeting with one to two lawyers that are volunteering their time to work with both sides to try to settle the case before any real divorce trial preparation starts. This not only reduces the limited resources of the divorce court, but it brings closure and lower bills to all sides. -Settlement Once a divorce settlement is reached, it has to be drafted. A carefully drafted settlement can stand up to a challenge several years later. Because our attorneys help many people get out of settlements years after a divorce, we will carefully draft a settlement that will protect you. -Trial If the divorce case does not settle, it has to go to trial. Divorce trials are expensive; there is just no way around that. A good divorce lawyer can prepare your case for trial without breaking the bank by focusing on the important issues of the case. Time can also be saved by drawing upon past experience from other divorce and family law cases. Because our Middlesex County divorce and family law practice is 100% focused on litigation, our team of lawyers are fully prepared to take your case to trial and fight to get you the best outcome. -Post-Judgment Unfortunately, the litigation doesn't end for many when the divorce is over. For some divorce cases, they return to court almost immediately; for others, it may take years before the case returns to court. The reasons are many: changed circumstances, one party has not lived up to their end of the bargain or one party changes their mind. In addition, a poorly worded or incomplete property divorce settlement agreement is subject to attack at any time making either party vulnerable. Our team of attorneys have both successfully enforced and defended the terms of property settlement agreements as well as defeated property settlement agreements that were once thought to be ironclad. Regardless of the complexity in your divorce case or the location of the court, you need representation you can trust to get results. We are attorneys with the experience in Middlesex County courts along with the skill, and dedication necessary to protecting your finances and the future of your family. Contact Jack Venturi & Associates now to speak with an experienced Middlesex County divorce lawyer regarding your case.Free Initial Consultations
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