Why Should I Hire a Divorce Attorney
Why Should I Hire a Divorce Attorney?
Before any divorce can be legally granted and resolved in New Jersey, whether it be through pre-trial negotiations, courtroom litigation, mediation, or even an uncontested divorce, agreements will need to be reached for the specific issues of child custody, child support, alimony, and the division of marital assets and debt.
Considering the impacts such agreements can have on the financial, legal, and familial lives of all involved, it is highly recommended that any person going through any kind of divorce retain experienced legal counsel. While this may be fairly obvious when divorces are particularly contentious and reasonable agreements seem difficult to reach, even for divorcing couples who are generally on the same page, hiring a qualified and experienced divorce attorney is the best way to ensure that the divorce is resolved in a fair, accurate, and well-thought out manner.
At Jacobs Berger, we work hard to mitigate the many financial, emotional, and practical stresses that can arise during divorce, and seek to find resolutions which protect the stability of the entire family and help to build solid foundations moving forward.
Call our Morristown office at (973) 354-4551 to discuss your unique needs, concerns, and situation when it comes to any kind of divorce matter in a strategic planning session with our legal team today.
Filing for Divorce
Beyond helping you to resolve specific divorce issues, perhaps one of the most important reasons to retain legal counsel during a divorce is the simple act of helping you to file and follow the many different forms and regulations required by the NJ family courts.
For example, a divorce must be filed for in the county courthouse of the town where the reason you are stating for the divorce occurred. Sometimes this might mean that you need to file for divorce in the county courthouse where you used to live, and in other cases may mean in the county courthouse of the town where your estranged spouse currently lives.
If a divorce is filed for in the wrong courthouse, or any of the information submitted is incorrectly, the divorce will most likely be denied, and you will have to start the entire process over again. This is just one of the many areas in which having a divorce attorney can help you to successfully navigate the divorce process, and ultimately achieve a fair and favorable resolution.
Responding to Divorce Complaint
Most often only one spouse will file for a divorce, it is rare that both parties will file for a divorce simultaneously. So while one spouse will for the divorce, it will be up to the other spouse to actually respond to the divorce complaint.
There are many different ways to respond to a divorce complaint, but perhaps the most important takeaway is that a response is actually made. By first speaking with a knowledgeable Randolph divorce lawyer, you can make a much more informed decision in regards to how actually to respond to a divorce complaint, and how to proceed with the divorce process.
It should be noted however, that some couples do work out a Marital Settlement Agreement before the divorce is actually filed for. This would be with the intention of purposely not responding to the divorce complaint in order to begin the uncontested divorce process, however, considering the long-term financial, legal, and parental impacts any Divorce Settlement Agreement can have, it is still recommended that you at least speak with a divorce attorney before choosing to not respond to a divorce complaint, and proceeding with an uncontested divorce.
Divorce Settlement Agreement
Finally, and most importantly of all, before your divorce can be resolved agreements will need to be reached on the issues of child custody, child support, alimony, and equitable distribution (taken together known as a Divorce Settlement Agreement or Marital Settlement Agreement).
There are many different ways of reaching a final agreement, whether it be through pre-trial negotiations, actual courtroom litigation, or alternative means such as mediation or arbitration, but regardless of what method is used to resolve your divorce, the issues that are being decided are of extreme importance to the lives of all involved parties.
For this reason especially, it is highly recommended that you work with an experienced Florham Park divorce attorney when resolving these key divorce issues. The laws regarding each of these specific issues and how they are decided in New Jersey and constantly changing. Additionally, it is important to understand the “big picture” of how proposed agreements in these areas will affect your finances, family relationships, and parental rights for years to come.
Contact our Divorce and Family Law Attorneys Today
At Jacobs Berger, our divorce and family law attorneys understand that it can be tempting to go through your divorce without legal representation. However, our clients have found that the many short and long term benefits of securing the services of a qualified and experienced divorce attorney have more than outweighed the costs. We take pride in offering dynamic and personalized legal solutions for our divorce clients from Morris County towns such as Morristown, Denville, Randolph, Madison, East Hanover, Florham Park, Tewksbury, and all of Northern New Jersey.
Please contact us online or through or Morristown offices by calling (973) 354-4551 today for a strategic planning session regarding your divorce or other family law matter.
