New Jersey Family Law Blog

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On Friday, April 13, the documentary “Bully” hits theaters across the country. The film aims to bring to light the growing epidemic of bullying that threatens our children. To help stem this epidemic, New Jersey six months ago passed the toughest legislation in the nation to fight bullying in its public schools. (1) If, after reading the following, you need a Hunterdon County lawyer to assist you with a bullying incident involving your child, contact the family law attorneys at The Rotolo Law Firm in Lebanon, N.J.

New Jersey’s Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, which went into effect last September, strengthened earlier laws on the State’s books by requiring all public schools to develop comprehensive policies against bullying. Previously schools were only encouraged to do this. (2) This law was passed largely in response to the Tyler Clementi suicide. Clementi was a freshman at Rutgers University; Clementi jumped from the George Washington Bridge after learning that his college roommate, Dharun Ravi, streamed video of Clementi’s tryst involving another man and invited others to watch. Last month, Ravi was convicted of multiple charges against him including bias intimidation, invasion of privacy and witness tampering. He faces up to ten years in prison and possible deportation when sentenced on May 21. (3)

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Under most circumstances (with the possible exception of surrogacy situations), establishing maternity of a child is obvious. Establishing paternity is another matter. But is this uncertainty enough to require genetic testing for all new parents and babies? If, after reading the following, you need assistance from a Hunterdon County lawyer regarding paternity issues, contact the family law attorneys at The Rotolo Law Firm located in New Jersey, Clinton Township.

A New Jersey Assemblyman recently put forward a bill that, if adopted, would require all new parents and their babies to undergo genetic testing to establish parentage. Because maternity is usually easier to prove, the bill, admittedly, is geared more to determining paternity. The thinking behind such a bill is that establishing paternity from the start would alleviate the potential for future court battles and the heartbreak associated with them. (1)

When a couple divorces, it is easy to understand why some may want to erase all evidence of the failed relationship. That’s one reason behind women reclaiming their maiden names as part of their divorce settlements. But when children are involved, such decisions are not so easy. If, after reading the following, you need assistance with custody-related issues, contact the family law attorneys at The Rotolo Law Firm in Lebanon, N.J.

The New Jersey Appellate Court recently reversed a ruling by a Burlington County Superior Court judge granting a mother permission to change her children’s surname following her divorce from their father. While the couple shares legal custody of their two children, the mother is the parent of primary residence. (1)

The couple divorced in 2010, ending an 11-year marriage. Shortly thereafter, the mother changed the children’s surname to a hyphenated version of her and her ex-husband’s last names without consulting the children’s father. The father filed with the court to have his children’s name changed back. The mother countered with her own petition to change the children’s name to her own. (1)

In an article dated January 5, 2012, Matt Friedman, Statehouse Bureau reported on the Assembly panel approval of a bill that removes the State’s two-year statute of limitations for lawsuits for child sexual abuse. Victor Rotolo’s 2008 landmark case paved the way for this change. Read Matt Friedman’s article here.