New Jersey Family Law Blog

Keep Divorce Trauma from Getting the Better of You

October 1, 2020 | Kearns Rotolo Law

No matter who initiates a divorce, it is a traumatic experience for all involved. After all, it represents the end of a lifestyle that you’ve envisioned for your future and the end of the family unit as you’ve come to know it. Unfortunately, divorce is not a quick process. It starts the moment you acknowledge the end of your marriage and continues through all the legal steps necessary to make the ending of your union official.

Rushing through your divorce to get it over with won’t help. Divorce trauma comes in waves and ignored, it can negatively impact your health and well-being. The best way to ensure that you’ll recover and be ready to build a new life post-divorce is to deal with each trauma as it hits. For some ideas on how to cope, read “How to Work Through the Trauma of Divorce.”

Separation and the COVID-19 Stimulus Payments – Who’s Entitled to the Funds?

September 1, 2020 | Kearns Rotolo Law

The stimulus payments many people received to help ease some of the financial hardships incurred as a result of restrictions stemming from the COVID-19 virus were based on information the government obtained from recently filed income tax returns, specifically information relating to adjusted gross income and filing status. As a result, married couples filing jointly received joint stimulus checks, if eligible.

What happens for married couples who divorce or separate between the time they filed their latest joint tax return and the time they received their stimulus payment? Does marital status change who is entitled to the money? For answers read, “We’re getting divorced. Can I keep my husband’s stimulus check?”

Are Shared Finances Standing in the Way of Your Divorce?

August 1, 2020 | Kearns Rotolo Law

Even when a couple grows apart, it doesn’t always mean they stop caring for each other, particularly if they had been in a long-term marriage. They may lead separate lives, both physically and emotionally, yet remained legally married because their finances are so intertwined that moving from shared to separate accounts is more complex than simply divvying up their assets. Fear and uncertainty prevent them from finalizing their divorce.

Understanding what to expect your financial future to look like after divorce, especially in terms of major issues like taxes, healthcare and even income, is the first step toward freeing yourself to move on with your new single life. To learn more, read “How To Free Yourself Financially From Your Ex-Spouse.”

These ‘Rules’ Might Help You Get Through Your Divorce

July 1, 2020 | Kearns Rotolo Law

People rarely think clearly or make their best decisions when emotionally upset and divorce ranks right up there as second on the list of life’s most stressful events. It’s no wonder because not only are you legally dissolving your marriage, but you also are experiencing an emotional separation from a way of life you’ve become used to. Sometimes that necessitates moving to a different house or neighborhood; cutting ties with extended family and friends or, at least, adjusting to the changing dynamics of those relationships; and learning to make decisions on your own where before you had a partner to help you weigh the options. All of this makes breaking up hard to do, as the song goes.

As hard as it may be, sometimes breaking up is inevitable. When it becomes obvious that divorce is the best – and quite possibly, the only – solution to marital problems, there are steps you can take to make the process a little easier so that you come out healthier on the other end. To learn more, read “6 Rules of Engagement for Your Divorce.”

How to Navigate Your Co-Parenting Arrangements Amid Social Distancing Restrictions

June 1, 2020 | Kearns Rotolo Law

For many divorced couples, a co-parenting agreement seemed like the perfect solution for raising their children under imperfect conditions. But then came COVID-19 and all of its related restrictions, which changed the co-parenting landscape especially for families where at least one parent is considered an essential worker. Even now as we begin to emerge from the constraints relating to this virus, we’re being encouraged to exercise caution and maintain our social distance whenever possible. This leaves divorced parents facing a lot of questions.

Technically, custody and child visitation agreements entered into prior to the recent pandemic are still valid. But what do parents do when they don’t feel comfortable with the precautions their ex-spouses are – or aren’t – taking? Today more than ever successful co-parenting requires a greater effort in cooperation. For some guidelines on how to manage your co-parenting arrangements during these unprecedented times, read “Better Safe Than Sorry: Co-Parenting in the Age of Social Distancing.”

How COVID-19 and Its Related Restrictions Can Impact Your Divorce

May 13, 2020 | Kearns Rotolo Law

If you filed for divorce immediately prior to or during this time of COVID-19, chances are good that your case is experiencing delays. The restrictions imposed to help stop the spread of this virus have caused the closure of a number of businesses, government agencies and many courts to all but emergency cases. Not only may these restrictions be causing a delay in the final judgement on your divorce, but they are impacting a number of related issues including financial settlements, spousal and child support requests and child custody matters.

The impact COVID-19 is having on divorces and related issues is discussed in more detail in the Forbes article, “6 Ways The Coronavirus Can Infect Your Divorce – And Simple Steps To Protect Yourself.”

Now’s the Time to Focus on Family, Health & Safety

March 23, 2020 | Kearns Rotolo Law

During these unsettling times, now is when you need to focus on your family and to make sure we all are doing everything we can to stay healthy. For information on how you can best protect your family from the Coronavirus, please visit the CDC website.

Please visit our website page for more information about Kearns Rotolo Law’s response to the Coronavirus.

Working together we can make a difference.

How to Prevent A ‘Gray Divorce’ from Spoiling Your Retirement

March 1, 2020 | Kearns Rotolo Law

“Gray divorces” are becoming more prevalent these days. That’s when couples in the 50+ age group call an end to their often long-term marriages. While divorce at any age can be difficult, these later-in-life breakups present their own unique challenges. For one thing, many of these couples are facing an end to their careers, which translates into a potentially lower income and less time to rebuild after a financial setback.

Divorce at this stage of life also puts the retirement picture in a whole new light. The financial resources that a couple has accumulated over many years of marriage now has to support two households instead of one. But divorce, even at this late stage, doesn’t necessarily mean an end to your retirement plans. There are steps you can take to salvage your relaxation plans when you finally decide to leave the workforce. For ideas on how to still enjoy retirement after divorce, read “5 Ways to Stop Divorce from Wrecking Your Retirement.”

Is the Marital House Worth Fighting For?

February 1, 2020 | Kearns Rotolo Law

The distribution of assets is one of the biggest hurdles, after matters pertaining to children, that a divorcing couple faces. While it may be easy to assign ownership to certain assets, big-ticket items like the family home are a different story. Some couples just want a clean break. They sell the house, split the proceeds and move on. For others, it is not that simple.

There are a number of reasons someone would want to keep the house following divorce, the main one having to do with not uprooting the children. Another reason is not wanting the added challenge of adjusting to a new home, with or without children. Whatever your reason, once you decide you want the house, the next step is to figure out how to make this happen — buy out your ex, take out a loan, swap another asset for the ex’s share of the house. For a guideline on what to consider before fighting for the house, read “Follow These Steps To Keep The House After Divorce” and make sure you can afford it.

Learning How to Face the Unique Challenges of Co-Parenting

January 1, 2020 | Kearns Rotolo Law

One of the difficult end-products of divorce is learning to navigate the unique challenges of co-parenting. Coordinating schedules and synchronizing parenting styles with your ex while dealing with your own mixed emotions and lifestyle adjustments is hard but necessary for the sake of the children.

The good news is you’re not alone; many parents before you have gone through the same situations and faced the same challenges – and you can learn from them. “8 Tips for Better Co-Parenting After Divorce” offers real-life advice from two moms who have been there.