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juvenile-justice-400-04059447dNew Jersey Gov. Chris Christie last month signed into law a bill that would reform the State’s juvenile justice system. Among the reforms are significant changes to the use of solitary confinement as a punishment and a raise in the minimum age at which a juvenile offender could be prosecuted as an adult. Supporters of the bill have stated that while they believe additional reforms are needed, this bill goes a long way in making New Jersey’s juvenile justice system both fairer and safer.

For highlights of the changes to be enacted under this new law, see “New Jersey Juvenile Justice Reform Coalition Applauds Enacted Juvenile Justice Reform Bill” on www.businesswire.com.

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divorce-and-child-weightDivorce can be a stressful event for the whole family. For children, it can affect not only their emotional health, but their physical health as well. In fact, a new study has revealed that children of divorce are at greater risk of being overweight. The study pointed to a number of factors that could contribute to this, including stress, which can lead to emotional eating, and changes in financial circumstances, which can result in poor diets.

An article on www.parenting.com titled “Divorce Can Impact Children’s Weight by Lauren Gaines,” looks at the results of this study and offers suggestions for what parents can do to hopefully help lessen their child’s risk of excessive weight gain or incurring other health issues as a result of their divorce.

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smoking-in-carLawmakers in New Jersey are considering a bill which would make it illegal to smoke in vehicles in an effort to protect children from the effects of second-hand smoke. The bill covers not only cigarettes but any tobacco product including pipes and cigars, as well as electronic cigarettes. The smoking violation would be a secondary offense, meaning drivers would have to be stopped for a different moving violation, such as speeding, before they could be cited for this infraction.

By now, most people are aware of the health risks associated with smoking, including the risks of second-hand smoke. However, opponents to the proposed legislation have cited concerns about this law violating individuals’ privacy rights and have suggested that the majority of parents would tend to use good judgment when it comes to protecting their children’s health without government intervention.

For more details about the proposed law, see the www.njfamily.com article, “NJ Smokers May Face Penalties for Smoking in Cars with Kids.”

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divorce-expensesWhen people talk about the expense of divorce, they are referring not only to support payments and legal fees. Sure, those are contributing factors but there are many other, often overlooked, issues that can add to the expense of your divorce.

In an article for U.S. News & World Report titled “How You’re Making Your Divorce More Expensive,” Geoff Williams reveals other ways couples unwittingly add to the costs of their divorce. In the article, Mr. Williams explains how such things as forgetting about the tax impact, underestimating the expense of keeping the house, spending emotionally, overcompensating for the children, and even trying to “stick it to” your ex can add to your bottom line.

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teen-employment-lawsSchool, for the most part, is over for the year, which means teens throughout the State are faced with the daunting task of finding summer employment. Whether they are just looking to earn some spending money, buy books, or pay a portion of their college expenses, there are certain things teens – and their parents – should know before embarking on that job search.

State law places certain restrictions on teen employment, such as age requirements, limits on hours worked, and mandated breaks during the workday. Dino Flammia’s article, “What you should know about working teens,” reports on some of the major rules regulating teen employment in New Jersey.

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marriage-waiting-periodCouples looking to marry in the State of New Jersey must apply for a marriage license and sit out the 72-hour mandatory waiting period before the license is issued. For most couples, that three-day waiting period is a minor interruption in their quest to begin their new life together as a family. However, there are certain emergency situations, such as illness or military assignment, where the delay can be a major hindrance. Under circumstances such as these, the waiting period can be waived by a Superior Court Judge.

The process for applying for a waiver is feasible under most conditions, but if one of the partners is suffering a terminal illness, the time it takes the other partner to seek the waiver can be significant. That may soon change as a result of a new bill, approved earlier this month by a State Assembly panel, that would make it easier for a couple dealing with a terminal illness to obtain a waiver. Read Matt Friedman’s story, “Don’t make terminally ill patients wait to get married, N.J. Assembly panel says” for details.

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Statistics show seat belts help save lives in accidents and that message seems to have made an impact. Reports state a majority of people – 87% nationally and 87.6% in New Jersey – use seat belts for their protection. But how do you protect young children?

new-car-seat-lawSeat belts offer insufficient protection for infants and toddlers so the law requires the use of car seats and/or booster seats. Unfortunately, about two-thirds of parents use car seats incorrectly, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP offers guidelines for switching children from rear-facing car seats to front-facing seats and from car seats to booster seats but only about 23% of parents nationally follow these guidelines. State laws and car seat manufacturers offer their own guidelines which, in some cases, conflict with those offered by the AAP. This conflict can result in confusion, causing the incorrect use.

Last month, New Jersey lawmakers took steps to alleviate this confusion by adopting a new car seat law that includes age and height requirements more closely in line with AAP guidelines. To learn how to properly use car seats and booster seats under New Jersey’s new law, read “The Big Changes to the NJ Car Seat Law: What You Need to Know.”

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A recent article on msn.comsplit-custody disclosed that Jon Gosselin of the former TLC television series, Jon and Kate Plus 8, was seeking emergency custody of one of his eight children. Currently, Mr. Gosselin’s ex-wife, Kate, has custody of all eight children. If his petition is granted, it would put the Gosselin children in an arrangement known as split custody.

Split custody is uncommon, but not unheard of. It is an arrangement under which different siblings live with different parents. Generally, courts view this type of arrangement as being especially hard on children because not only are they separated from a parent, but they are separated from their brothers and sisters as well. The article, “Splitting Up the Kids,” by retired family law attorney Brette Sember, looks at the negative impacts of split custody, as well as situations where this type of arrangement could be warranted. The article also offers suggestions on how to make the best of a split custody arrangement should the court deem it necessary.

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joint-custodyDivorce ranks among the top five most stressful life events. Not only are the adults involved affected by this stress, but their children can suffer as much if not more. Despite this, there are times when divorce is inevitable. Keeping emotions in check, though difficult, can help reduce stress levels. How you react to the process and the choices you make along the way, particularly regarding child custody matters, have a great impact on how your children fare through this experience.

A study published last week in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community explored various living arrangements and the affect they have on children. In an article titled “Study: Joint Custody After Divorce Least Stressful on Children,” which appears on www.wsaz.com, author Brad Myers reports the study found that living arrangements where children can spend equal quality time with each parent were least stressful on the child.

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facebook-divorceThere is little question that for many people social media has become a popular way of communicating milestones and accomplishments with close friends and family as well as with distant relatives and others they have lost touch with over the years. People don’t hesitate to post happy events like new jobs, births, weddings and engagements, but less joyous events like divorce are another story. Usually such news is announced with a subtle change in status, but that may soon shift considering a recent ruling by a New York judge allowing Facebook to be used to notify an absentee spouse about a pending divorce. (For details, read “Judge rules that you can now divorce your spouse on Facebook.”)

Under ordinary circumstances, a person seeking a divorce files a petition with the court to terminate his or her marriage. The court then serves the other spouse with notification of the intentions, giving that person the opportunity to contest the divorce. There are instances, however, when the whereabouts of an estranged spouse are unknown and the person filing for divorce must make a diligent effort to locate him or her before the divorce proceeds. An earlier blog published on this site, “Divorcing an Absent Spouse Requires Detective Work,” outlined the basic steps to take when divorcing an absent spouse. In light of the court ruling mentioned above, posting to Facebook can now be added to that list.

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