Experts believe joint custody is in a child's best interests

On behalf of Mullen Law on Friday, January 11, 2019.

In some senses, the court has to determine what is in the child's best interests in every divorce case in which children are involved. There are just so many factors that come into it. Questions they ask include things like:

How old is the child?
What does the child want?
How can the parents support the child?
Who is the caregiver?
Do parents offer a safe living situation?

These are just a handful of examples, but courts could look at potentially hundreds of different factors to see what they feel gives the child the best possible future. It's important to know how this works.

Which families benefit from joint physical custody?

On behalf of Mullen Law on Wednesday, October 10, 2018.

The thought of spending one night away from you children may not feel entirely comfortable. However, if you're currently going through a divorce, that could be the reality you're facing.

Many parents fight tooth-and-nail to secure full custody of their children and they have a sound legal basis for doing so. Other parents, though, will need to settle for some kind of compromise in this area. That compromise may involve a 50-50 or "joint physical custody" coparenting relationship with the other parent of their children.

After divorce, you must protect your parenting time

On behalf of Mullen Law on Monday, July 16, 2018.

Your time with your child is one of the most precious things that you have and something that you must protect. Parents who do not make a priority to protect their rights to time with their children may find that the other parent slowly erodes these rights or refuses to respect them.

The court generally requires parents who divorce to create a parenting plan and reach a custody arrangement that respects the rights of each parent while keeping the best interests of the child the primary concern. If one parent refuses to act in line with the custody arrangement, this may constitute parenting time interference, which can result in penalties or even criminal charges.

What do courts consider when making an alimony decision?

On behalf of Mullen Law posted in blog on Monday, April 16, 2018.

The state of New Jersey offers certain ex-spouses the right to right to receive alimony payments from the other spouse to help make financial ends meet after a marriage comes to an end. The purpose of these alimony payments is usually a temporary means of financial support to pay for living costs and education costs. In most cases, alimony serves as a financial bridge so that the less-moneyed spouse can become economically independent.

When making a decision on alimony, New Jersey family law courts will look at a variety of factors to determine whether a spouse should receive alimony, how much those alimony payments will be and how long they will last. Here are the most important factors courts consider when making an alimony determination:

Is it time to modify your custody agreement?

On behalf of Mullen Law posted in blog on Tuesday, January 16, 2018.

When you divorce and petition the court for custody, you make the best arrangements for your children that you can at the time. The court is guided by the best interests of the children, and those interests, by necessity, change over time.

What that frequently means is that a custody judgment will need to be modified by the court at some future point.

How could the new tax plan affect my alimony payments?

On behalf of Mullen Law posted in blog on Monday, December 4, 2017.

People on both sides of the aisle have positive and negative feelings about the new GOP-proposed tax plans working through Congress. Regardless of those feelings, a new tax plan appears to be on the horizon, as the House and Senate plans both passed.

Now, the two chambers of Congress will need to go into conference to work out the differences in the two bills. If they come to an agreement, they will need to pass the new version before President Donald Trump can sign it into law.

Does a new school year mean a review of custody?

On behalf of Mullen Law posted in blog on Wednesday, August 30, 2017.

As summer becomes only a memory of trips down the shore, the heralding of a new school year is upon us. Whether your kids are heading off to elementary school or high school, each year brings new challenges—and new changes.

From football practice to dance lessons, new teachers and more homework, no two school years are the same. With all the moving parts, could fall be the time that you need to reevaluate your custody arrangements?

What to Do If Your Ex Husband Is Not Paying Alimony

By Mitch Mullen of Mullen Law posted in Spousal Support & Alimony on Monday, May 22, 2017.

If you were awarded alimony in your divorce settlement, your former spouse is required to make those payments as scheduled. We have attorneys who can help you take action if your ex is no longer fulfilling his or her legal obligation.

More couples splitting over political disagreements

On behalf of Mullen Law posted in Family Law on Friday, May 12, 2017.

Opposites attract - or do they? Married couples often have philosophical disagreements, but which ones are big enough to end the relationship? The political rancor in Washington D.C. appears to be never ending. Is the nation's political climate making personal disagreements harder to weather?

A new study shows that more couples than ever before, both married and unmarried, are ending their relationships due to political differences. Nationwide, 1 in 5 people said that a political disagreement has negatively impacted a relationship. This schism has led to 1 in 10 couples citing political differences as the reason for a split. The trend is even higher among Millennials, who split due to political differences at nearly twice the rate of older generations.

Can an alimony judgment be modified?

By Mitch Mullen of Mullen Law posted in Family Law on Tuesday, February 28, 2017.

Divorce proceedings are generally difficult for everyone involved. A lot of the stress that comes with a divorce often comes from a feeling of powerlessness in the face of a judge's legally binding judgment. If a judgment seems to be unfair, you may be left wishing you had a way to change the outcome of the proceedings.

Fortunately for individuals who are in such circumstances, there are legal ways to appeal a judge's decision and to potentially change the final ruling. While the process of judgment modification can also be difficult, it can sometimes be worth the time and effort. The question then becomes, when can someone get a judgment modified?