Marital Separation

Mediation is Better than Litigation for Your Divorce – A Judge’s Perspective

Published on: December 4, 2020 | Skoloff & Wolfe

I was a matrimonial Judge for 17 years and presided over approximately 21,000 divorces.

I myself went through a divorce before I became a Judge, and I have helped several of my children through their own divorces. Since leaving the bench, I’ve spent the last nine years mediating hundreds of divorce cases.

I am firmly convinced that mediation – regardless of which side of the divorce equation you are on – is much more preferable, easier, faster, and less expensive than litigating your divorce in a courtroom.

Filing for Divorce: Here’s What to Expect

Published on: July 16, 2020 | Skoloff & Wolfe

What to expect when filing for divorce
Being on the brink of divorce can be an intimidating and scary experience. If you find yourself seeking to initiate the divorce process, or you’ve suddenly been served with a complaint for divorce by your spouse, what’s next? The first step is to find an attorney. Many people have little to no familiarity with the court system and can easily be overwhelmed by the process. This is where having an experienced attorney like those at Skoloff & Wolfe, P.C. can benefit you. Once you have retained an attorney, what is the process like? What do you need to do? How long is this going to take? While a divorce has the possibility of being a long, arduous process, especially if a trial is needed, there are various steps throughout the process that provide the parties ample opportunities to settle and resolve most of, if not all of their issues. Below is a step by step outline of the procedure of obtaining a divorce so that you can be better prepared during your case.

The First Step of Divorce: Filing a Complaint

If you are the party seeking a divorce, one of the first landmarks during your case will be the filing of a complaint. If you are filing the complaint in your case, you will be referred to as the plaintiff going forward. A complaint is a document filed with the court that initiates your divorce case. It lays out the following:

Acceptable Grounds for Divorce in New Jersey

Published on: May 8, 2020 | Skoloff & Wolfe

Acceptable Grounds for Divorce in New Jersey
If you are a resident of New Jersey and contemplating a divorce, among the things you may want to understand is what you will have to tell a court in order to allow you to dissolve your marriage.

First, it is a generally a requirement that either you or your spouse must live here for more twelve months before you file a complaint.

Next, and perhaps most importantly, you have the option to file a complaint for divorce without escalating your conflict by having to point your finger at your spouse and make claims about what may have happened which contributed to the failure of your partnership.

Parenting Time Exchanges During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Practical Guide for Separated & Divorced Parents

Published on: March 25, 2020 | Skoloff & Wolfe

By: Thomas DeCataldo

Divorced parents COVID-19
The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has caused the tragic loss of life and spurred international panic. Adding insult to injury, the economic impact of this health crisis has thus far been devastating, with stock markets collapsing and many struggling to keep businesses afloat while being unable to work or attempting to do so remotely. As a result of the tumult caused by this virus, divorcing couples and separated parents find themselves attempting to cope with several accelerants to an already stressful situation.

Against this backdrop, in recent weeks many parents questioned the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on custody and parenting time arrangements, whether entered formally as Court Orders or informally by agreement of the parties. The pandemic presents many hotbed areas for disagreement among separated or separating parents, particularly for those in high-conflict situations.