Jersey City Child Custody Attorney

Are you having a tough time dealing with child custody arrangements? Our Jersey City Child Custody attorney can help with the wide range of issues that come up in child custody and child visitation disputes. We are fully staffed with bilingual paralegals that are ready to assist you through every step of your case.

Making child custody and visitation arrangements is perhaps the most emotional part of divorce proceedings. At the Freeman Law Center, LLC, our Jersey City child custody attorney cares for our clients and their concerns while fighting hard in child custody battles. We will always concentrate on serving your children’s best interests.

For clients throughout northern New Jersey, our Jersey City child custody attorney offers free initial consultations. We can help with the wide range of issues that come up in legal custody and child visitation disputes, including:

• Joint legal custody
• Sole legal custody
• Residential custody
• Shared parenting, parenting schedules, and other divisions of parenting time
• Modifications to existing orders
• Grandparent rights: grandparent visitation, etc.

Our founder and head lawyer, Jersey City child custody attorney Brian Freeman, has spent more than 30 years helping thousands of people through complex family law issues. He has a comprehensive understanding of parents’ and children’s rights when fighting for child custody, and always makes sure his clients are well-informed.

We are a small law firm, with big firm experience, expertise and resources that can give each client personal attention, making sure they can reach a lawyer when they need one. But we also have the experience and skill to handle any case, taking your case to courts throughout New Jersey and vigorously defending your legal rights.

Divorce FAQs

> What are grounds for divorce in New Jersey?

Some of the most common grounds for divorce are:

• Mental cruelty
• Physical cruelty
• Desertion
• Adultery
• Irreconcilable differences

Some of these grounds for divorce can be difficult, time consuming, and costly to prove. Because of that, by far the most common grounds for divorces filed in New Jersey is “irreconcilable differences.” To prove this, the court only requires you to prove that you and your spouse have been unable to get along for six months.

> How long will it take to get divorced?

Time frames for divorce proceedings vary, and any cookie cutter estimates will be unreliable. A divorce could be finalized in under a month, or it could drag on well past a year. The amount of time a divorce takes will depend upon the facts of the case and the willingness of both parties to communicate and to compromise. An experienced divorce attorney will be able to give you a more precise and reasonable estimate after examining your circumstances at an initial consultation.

> What will my divorce cost me?

Time and cost are usually the first questions on anybody’s mind. In most divorce cases the two are related in direct proportion. It surprises some to know that the cost of a divorce isn’t necessarily tied to the value of the assets involved. A potentially complicated divorce involving many valueable assets, property, and children could be resolved inexpensively if the parties come to an agreement before filing, or early in the process. Because most attorneys bill by the hour, the longer two spouses drag on negotiations, the more expensive the divorce becomes for both parties.The cost of an uncontested divorce in New Jersey will typically start around $1,500.00, plus the filing fee. If the divorce is contested and there are assets and issues such as custody and child support, the initial retainer could range from $3,500.00 to $5,000.00, or more depending on the circumstances. A long and fiercely contested divorce could cost as much as $15-20,000.

> How do I respond to divorce papers?

In New Jersey, if you’ve been served with a summons of complaint for divorce, you should consult a family law attorney immediately. You only have 35 days to respond to the complaint – that means filing an answer and a counter claim. You cannot delay to protect your rights, including control over your assets and custody of your children. If your spouse has filed a complaint, that means he or she has already consulted with an attorney about the particulars of your shared lifestyle and finances, considered strategy and drafted a set of demands. You shouldn’t wait to get an experienced attorney on your side, too. Seek that counsel, and let your attorney handle the official response.

> Will I need to take my case to a trial?

Most divorce cases in New Jersey never make it to a trial. If the parties come to an agreement, one party can waive his or her right to an appearance, avoiding the need to go to court. Some New Jersey counties allow settlement without either party appearing in court. If there is a “default” case, when one party doesn’t answer the other party’s complaint, the filing party would have to make a very brief appearance in court to enter facts into the record before the judge comes to a decision.

> I’m unhappy with the result of my trial. Can I appeal?

In New Jersey, you have 45 days to appeal the verdict of a case. If you appeal, the Appellate Court will take on your case. The Appellate Court may “vacate,” or make legally void, the judge’s decision in your case. If you do not file an appeal within the 45 day window, the Martial Separation Agreement (MSA) spelling out the terms of your divorce will be final and cannot be overturned. You can revise an MSA and negotiate new terms, but that requires the cooperation of your former spouse.

Contact Our Jersey City Child Custody Lawyer

To sign up for a free case evaluation, or to learn about your child custody rights, contact our northern New Jersey child custody attorneys today. For your convenience, we accept credit cards and offer evening and weekend appointments. Freeman Law Center, LLC is fully staffed with bilingual paralegals that are ready to assist you through every step of your case.