What happens if your spouse wants to permanently move your child to a state other than New Jersey?

Our NJ statutes have made it clear for decades that either the other spouse's consent or an order of a NJ Superior Court Judge is required before such a permanant move can be allowed to occur.

Since 1988, the NJ Courts have been making it easier for custodial parents to make such a move. That may have changed dramatically last week.

On August 8, 2017 the New Jersey Supreme Court rewrote the law on what is required when one parent wants to move children from the state of New Jersey on a permanent basis without the other parent's consent.

What happens if your spouse wants to permanently move your child to a state other than New Jersey?

Our NJ statutes have made it clear for decades that either the other spouse's consent or an order of a NJ Superior Court Judge is required before such a permanant move can be allowed to occur.

Since 1988, the NJ Courts have been making it easier for custodial parents to make such a move. That may have changed dramatically last week.

On August 8, 2017 the New Jersey Supreme Court rewrote the law on what is required when one parent wants to move children from the state of New Jersey on a permanent basis without the other parent's consent.

I get asked all the time, "What is joint custody in NJ? What does it really mean in practical terms to me?"

The bottom line is that in New Jersey, there are two broad types of custody.

Physical custody deals with where the child lives, and legal custody deals with who makes major decisions for the child.

Child custody has been a very difficult issue since biblical times. King Solomon had his hands full.

Judges today still have their hands full.

First it was custody evaluations by a psychologist. $20,000 plus each.

Then came the Custody Neutral Assessment. A poor man's version of the custody evaluation. 

Now many judges just start with an assumption that 50/50 joint custody is in the child's best interest. Well, that was easy...but is it really right?

Here are my top 10 ideas about custody in New Jersey. I hope that they are useful to you:

1. This first article will teach you a little about JOINT CUSTODY.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

What exactly is an emergency that justifies a New Jersey Divorce Lawyer bringing an emergent Order to Show Cause in Court?

Of all of the thousands of people that I have consulted with over the past 28 years as a New Jersey Divorce Lawyer, not one has ever said to me that one of their goals as part of the divorce action was to screw up their kids.

When I began my career as a New Jersey Divorce Lawyer 35 years ago in 1987, moms almost always ended up with physical custody, the parents shared joint legal custody, and dads would usually have visitation every other weekend, plus Wednesday night for dinner.

Joint custody in NJ is way too often, in my view, a big cop-out.

We all know the common line: a supporting spouse has a duty to continue to support the other spouse and children commensurate with the standard of living that the family enjoyed during the marriage.

Intentional or unintentional (more often intentional) parental alienation is all too common in New Jersey Divorces.