Ocean County Divorce Cases
Honest and Aggressive Ocean County Divorce AttorneysA Divorce divides the assets and liabilities accumulated during the marriage. If there were children born of the marriage, custody, visitation and support issues must also be resolved. Divorces can be difficult and expensive when emotions take control of the case. However, we will help you stay calm and rationale so that the case does become expensive Please contact us for more information regarding your Ocean County divorce case. The Divorce Process in Ocean County: -Initial Consultation Our initial consultations are always free. You can meet with one of our divorce attorneys at our Toms River office or one of our other three locations in New Jersey. We will discuss all of the issues that are important to you and the case. We will also provide you will all of the forms which you will have to provide to the court. Other than these forms, the attorneys will draft all of the divorce pleadings on your behalf. The Common Issues in a Divorce Case include:
-Costs How much a divorce case will cost is always a major concern. Some people avoid filing for divorce because they think a divorce case 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 DUI in municipal court. Since each case is so different, there is no set price list that our attorneys can consult. Rather, each retainer is set based upon a number of factors such as the issues in dispute, the amount of assets and liabilities, the number of children and any other matters that may need to be litigated such as visitation or custody. Alternative dispute resolution such as negotiation and mediation can significantly reduce costs for everyone. Many of our clients have used mediation to not only save costs but to achieve a great result in their case. Our goal is to always protect you and reach a good settlement while at the same time keeping the costs as low as possible. -Divorce Complaint/Answer The Divorce Complaint sets forth the causes of action or reasons 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 used to force one party to make serious and upsetting allegations against the other party. This would start the case off on the wrong foot. The Divorce Complaint also includes 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 relieft sought by the other party. The party filing the Answer also has the ability to file a Counter-Claim although this is usually unnecessary. This is because the Plaintiff generally enjoys no greater power over the Defendant. 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 court. In Ocean County, pleadings are filed on the second floor of the Ocean County Justice Complex which is located at 120 Hooper Avenue in Toms River -Judges in Ocean County In Ocean County, there are four teams that divide cases based upon a regional assignment: North, South, East & West. As such, there are four judges that handle divorce cases in Ocean County. They are Presiding Judge David Millard, Judge Francis Hodgson Jr, Judge Arnold Goldman and Judge Sheldon Franklin. Judge Millard's court is in the Ocean County Justice Complex. The other judges are all at the 125 Washington Street Building which is across the street from the Justice Complex. -Case Management Conference This is the first court appearance in the case. In some counties, this appearance is usually waived when each side has an attorney. In Ocean County, this appearance is usually attended by the attorneys as it is a good way to discuss the matter with each other as well as the judge. The judges in Ocean County make themselves available to meet with the attorneys in chambers. While they never attempt to force a settlement on either side, their wisdom and objectivity are often helpful in breaking logjams and crafting settlement agreements. As a result, it is not uncommon for some cases in Ocean County to settle at the case management conference. -Discovery There are no surprises in a divorce case. Each party enjoys the opportunity to ask written questions of the other party which are called interrogatories. They can also ask for documents to be produced, as well as take depositions of the other party and witnesses. However, not every case requires a lengthy period of discovery. Once complete, the lawyers on both sides should have a good idea of the strengths and weaknesses of the entire case. The discovery requests are drafted by the attorneys to get the most important information in the case. -Parenting Time Mediation If your Ocean County divorce case involves a custody issue, chances are that you will be referred to parenting time mediation. The Ocean County court system has a great mediation program. The mediation takes place at the court house and usually does not involve the attorneys. This mediation program has been very successful with our cases that appeared to have tough custody issues. -Early Settlement Panel ESP is usually the first chance to get into court and try to settle the divorce case. It can take several months to get to ESP, although in Ocean County, this time may be earlier depending on the complexity of the divorce case. Regardless, our lawyers will attempt 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 Ocean County Court system, but it brings closure and lower bills to all sides. In Ocean County, there is usually only one ESP panelist. The ESP coordinator in Ocean County is Judy Holmes. While settlements are important, they should not be forced upon a party. Our lawyers stand ready to fight for you and will never pressure you into a divorce settlement when you do not believe it is fair. -Settlement Once a divorce settlement is reached, a property settlement agreement has to be drafted. A carefully drafted settlement can stand up to a challenge several years later. Because our attorneys help many people challenge settlements years after a divorce, we will carefully draft a settlement that will protect you. -Trial If your 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 attorney 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 Ocean County divorce and family law practice is 100% focused on litigation, our team of lawyers is 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 case is over. For some people, they return to court almost immediately while others returns many years later. The reasons for this are many: changed circumstances, one party has not lived up to their end of the bargain or one party changes their mind. A poorly worded or incomplete property divorce settlement agreement is subject to attack at any time which makes either party vulnerable. Our team of tough, smart divorce 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 Ocean 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 divorce lawyer regarding your case.Free Initial Consultations
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