It has been thirty (30) years since the New Jersey Supreme Court issued its decision on the landmark case of In Re Baby M, which banned gestational carrier agreements. In the Baby M case, William Stern entered into a surrogacy agreement with Mary Beth Whitehead, the gestational carrier. Per the terms of their surrogacy agreement, Ms. […]
Raising children with someone you are no longer in a relationship with will require the coordination of multiple schedules, including both parents and the child(ren). Each parent’s schedule likely includes job-related responsibilities, vacations, birthdays, family gatherings, extracurricular activities, etc., and it is expected that each parent will want to include the child(ren) in many, if […]
Verbal and physical abuse are easy to recognize, but there is another, more covert form of abuse that can be just as emotionally damaging. Passive aggressive behavior often seems normal and nice on the surface, but beneath it lays repressed anger and resentment directed at a partner who may not be strong enough to withstand […]
In a report issued this month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the rate of children diagnosed with autism has increased nationally from 1 in 68 in 2016 to 1 in 59. See New Jersey Autism Prevalence Rate Rises to 1 in 34, Autism NJ, https://www.autismnj.org/prevalence-rates. Additionally, New Jersey continues to lead and substantially […]
There’s a new show on television called “Splitting Up Together”. It’s about a couple with three children who decide to get divorced but continue to parent their children on an equal basis. While one parent lives in the house for the week, the other parent lives in a fixed up, detached garage in the backyard. Then the next […]
In New Jersey, joint legal custody provides both parents with equal input as to major decisions regarding their child’s health, education and welfare. A common issue that arises as children approach their late teens is their desire to travel internationally, and how to handle this issue as co-parents. If a child is 17 years of age, then […]
Negative childhood trauma can significantly impact adult health. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can include physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Physical and emotional neglect are also covered under this term. Other situations that qualify as ACEs are having a parent who abuses drugs or alcohol, is in jail, is mentally ill, or is personally a victim […]
What can you do when you and your ex are unable to be in same room together, but you share children? Sometimes, despite our best efforts, interaction with an ex is the equivalent of oil and water: the two simply do not mix. However, finding yourself in this situation does not mean that both parents […]
Over the past few decades, technology has changed the divorce process in unsettling ways. With apps and trackers revealing a spouse’s online and in-person activity, technology offers more transparency than ever. However, experts believe that “digital spying” is essentially stalking and should have legal and criminal repercussions. GPS trackers are among the most common digital spying […]
If you have recently or not so recently entered into a divorce agreement that obligates you to pay a certain amount of alimony, you may find yourself in a bind should you no longer be able to meet your obligation. N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23 states that orders entered as to alimony “may be revised and altered by the court from […]
