A three-judge Appellate Division panel recently ruled out binding, nonappealable arbitration as a way to settle custody and parenting time disputes. Arbitration is a favored remedy for settling disputes, but parties can’t bargain away the court’s obligation under the principle of parens patriae to ensure the best interests of children,…
Paternity testing can cost up to $500, not including attorneys fees, should you desire representation. If the father of your child contests paternity, you should file a Paternity Complaint wherein a hearing will take place and a paternity test will be scheduled. N.J.S.A. 9:17-38 is known as the New Jersey…
Let’s say you and your ex have an agreement, whether verbal or written, that you will pay to your ex $300 in child support, when according to the Guidelines, you should be paying $800. Well, this is obviously agreeable to the payor. Your obligation will certainly change if your ex…
In a recent New Jersey case, a mother’s parental rights were reinstated after the New Jersey State Supreme Court found that DYFS failed to prove the mother was unwilling and unable to eliminate threats of harm (in this case, the presence of the child’s father). The Division of Youth and…
On June 15, 2007, former Baywatch star and singer, David Hasselhoff won full and physical custody of his two teenage daughters, 14 year-old Hayley and 17 year-old Taylor-Ann. His ex-wife, Pamela Bach, has been granted alternate weekends and on Wednesday nights for dinner. Mr. Hasselhoff also made it clear to…
Hamilton v. Mamroud, N.J.Super.A.D. 2007(unpublished opinion). The parties had one son together. They divorced agreeing to joint custody with mother having primary residence. Eleven years after the divorce, in November of 2001, the Middlesex County Board of Social Services notified both parties that either could seek a review of child…
Larry Birkhead, the biological father of Dannielynn, is not entirely done fighting. Debra Opri, Esq., Mr. Birkhead’s former attorney alleges she was not paid $620,492.84 in fees resulting from her representation of Mr. Birkhead during his custody dispute. On May 29, 2007, Ms. Opri allegedly filed court documents with the…
On April 26, 2007, Bobby Brown filed a lawsuit against ex-wife Whitney Houston in an attempt to change the custody terms as to their 14 year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina. In addition to the shared custody, he is seeking child support and spousal support. A court date has been set for…
N.J.S.A. 3B:12A-6 Appointment of caregiver as kinship legal guardian New Jersey Courts can appoint a child’s caregiver the legal guardian of that child. http://www.lsnj.org/keyRecentDevelopments/KinshipLegalGuardianship2.htm http://www.kidlaw.org/admin.asp?uri=2081&action=15&di=969&ext=pdf&view=yes N.J.S.A. 3B:12A-6(a) Appointment of caregiver as kinship legal guardian The Court makes the following considerations when determining whether to appoint the caregiver as kinship legal…
A custody hearing was conducted on April 13, 2007 to determine the custody of Anna Nicole Smith and Larry Birkhead’s baby, Dannielynn. The Court had unfortunately adjourned without a decision, and will resume in one week’s time. Despite this delay, Howard K. Stern reported that Mr. Birkhead is already doing…