That’s what a man from Middletown told me when he finally called.
He told me that he had been living in limbo for months.
That he kept putting it off —
Not because he wasn’t ready…
But because the process felt overwhelming.
“What if I screw this up?”
“What if I lose my kids?”
“What if I get taken to the cleaners?”
He wasn’t just looking for a lawyer.
He was looking for a plan.
In a Monmouth County divorce, what you do early on matters:
📄 What you agree to before speaking to a lawyer
💬 What you say in texts, emails, and conversations
🏠 Whether you move out or stay put
👨👩👧👦 How you handle the kids in the meantime
People make huge mistakes because they’re scared, rushed, or reacting emotionally.
They give up too much.
They move out without a plan.
They trust verbal promises that later get twisted.
One client agreed to let his wife “stay in the house for now” —
but she later claimed he had abandoned the home and the kids.
Another signed a quick financial agreement just to keep the peace —
and spent the next two years fighting to undo it.
These early decisions don’t just affect your case —
they shape the rest of your life.
👋 I’m Steve Kaplan, a divorce lawyer based right here in Monmouth County.
For over 37 years, I’ve helped thousands of people in our local courts
navigate divorce with strategy and clarity — not panic.
That’s why I created Steve Kaplan’s Divorce Course —
a free, private email series that walks you through:
✅ What to do before you hire a lawyer
✅ The biggest legal traps in early divorce talks
✅ How to protect your kids, your money, and your credibility
✅ What matters most to Monmouth County judges — and what doesn’t
✅ How to stop reacting emotionally and start thinking strategically
Whether you're just starting to think about divorce
or you’re already deep into it…
You need a clear head, a steady hand, and a solid plan.
📩 Enter your email in the form on this page to get your first lesson now.
It’s free. It’s confidential.
And it could save you from one of the most expensive mistakes of your life.