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How To Find The Best Divorce Attorney in NJ

Published on: May 15, 2020 | Skoloff & Wolfe

How to find the best divorce attorney in NJ Divorce is a major life event that can be very stressful. Therefore, it is not surprising that selecting a divorce attorney can often be a daunting process. Given the personal nature of this extremely important decision, it is critical that you choose someone with whom you feel comfortable because good communication with your attorney is essential to successfully navigating your divorce.

Before choosing an attorney, you should research the prospective matrimonial attorneys based on referrals, reputation, location or any other considerations that are important to you. Once you have selected one or more lawyers to interview, you should obtain copies of your recent tax returns if you have access to them, and you should also compile a list of assets and liabilities to the extent you have this information. This will allow the attorney to give you a preliminary opinion about the possible outcome or outcomes of your case in your initial consultation, in addition to giving you a general overview of the divorce process.

Below are general questions to help you in your selection of an attorney to best accomplish the goals for your case. They fall into three major categories: experience, practice style and cost.

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.

Building the Financial Aspects of a Divorce Case: Discovery and Analysis of Hidden Income and Assets

Published on: March 18, 2020 | Skoloff & Wolfe

By: Jonathan W. Wolfe

Previously published in American Journal of Family Law, Spring 2010, Volume 24.

Attorneys representing parties in divorce frequently are faced with the difficult challenge of discovering and proving the existence of hidden income or assets. Although most prevalent in the context of private business owners, spouses from all career paths are capable of engaging in divorce planning designed to minimize their income and avoid parting with their assets in divorce.

Examining Retained Earnings in Divorce: Prudent Business Practice or Support Dodge?

Published on: March 9, 2020 | Skoloff & Wolfe

By: Jonathan W. Wolfe

This article was previously published in New Jersey Law Journal, Vol. 212 – No 12.

There are many legitimate reasons for a business to retain earnings. However, for a spouse in a divorce — or contemplating divorce — leaving money in the business may be viewed as a tool to shield income to avoid support. For shareholders of an S corporation, even though earnings have not been distributed, they will appear as “phantom income” on the owner’s personal tax returns. Given how frequently these issues arise in our practice, there is surprisingly little New Jersey precedent addressing the treatment of retained earnings in the context of divorce.

How Family Trust Funds May Impact Your Divorce Case in NJ and Other States

Published on: February 19, 2020 | Skoloff & Wolfe

By: Jonathan W. Wolfe

Matrimonial attorneys who handle high-asset cases are confronted with a variety of complex legal and factual questions when either their client or the client’s spouse is a beneficiary of a trust. When considering family trust funds and divorce answer these questions:

Getting Started with the Divorce: What You Need to Be Prepared, According to Top New Jersey Divorce Attorneys

Published on: February 13, 2020 | Skoloff & Wolfe

By: Richard F. Iglar

You have come to a decision which you may have been dreading, or which may make you feel relieved. You are taking the ﬁrst step toward a decision which will allow you to take control of the direction of your future life. You are going to start interviewing top New Jersey divorce attorneys (and hopefully you have made the wise decision to hire a seasoned, wise and practical AAML attorney to guide you through the difficult divorce process). What is your matrimonial attorney going to need from you do his or her job effectively? What can you do to provide your attorney with the background and tools he or she will need to represent you in the effort to obtain the best possible outcome for you? What can you do to convey that information to your attorney in a practical and efﬁcient way and put you ahead of the curve?

Your attorney is going to explain to you the three major issues before you in the divorce case: 1) custody and parenting time; 2) equitable distribution of the marital assets; and 3) the ﬁnancial support issues of alimony and child support.