What Is a Guardian ad Litem (GAL)?
A GAL is a court-appointed attorney who represents the child’s best interests during a custody dispute. Judges use GALs when serious concerns—like parental alienation or abuse—arise. The GAL meets with both parties, interviews the child, and submits a report to the court. Learn more about GAL appointments from Nolo’s custody resources.How Best Interest Evaluations Help Determine Custody
Courts often order Best Interest Evaluations (BIEs) to assist in making detailed recommendations on custody and parenting time in New Jersey. A licensed psychologist conducts interviews with both parents and the child, observes interactions, and prepares a written evaluation. These reports often carry significant weight in custody decisions. For more on how BIEs differ from standard assessments, visit the APA’s guidelines on child custody evaluations.What Are Custody Neutral Assessments (CNAs)?
CNAs are preliminary evaluations that provide a snapshot of the dispute without extensive investigation. They’re typically conducted early in litigation and can help both parties better understand how a judge might view their case. While CNAs don’t replace formal evaluations, they can reduce unnecessary legal battles and guide more realistic negotiations.
Choosing the Right Approach
Each method has pros and cons. GALs are affordable and efficient, while BIEs are comprehensive but costly. CNAs offer speed but lack depth. Choosing the right option depends on your case’s complexity and budget. To see how these tools fit into real-life scenarios, read our article on post-divorce co-parenting.Conclusion: Navigating Custody and Parenting Time in New Jersey
If you’re involved in a dispute over custody and parenting time in New Jersey, understanding these evaluation tools can help you make informed decisions and prepare more effectively. Legal guidance is essential to protect your rights and your child’s future. Speak with a New Jersey custody attorney today
Understanding the Significance of Passive and Active Gains in a New Jersey Divorce
One of the issues that arises in a lot of divorces is that the value of assets usually changes during the course of the divorce process. When this happens, the courts look to whether those assets have experienced passive or active gains or losses when deciding how much each party…
What is a Nesting Agreement in a New Jersey Divorce?
Nesting agreements are a relatively new concept in New Jersey divorce law, and perhaps because of that, they are often misunderstood. This video explains what a nesting agreement is and is not, and its benefits and limitations. What follows is a transcript of the above video: “Hey, everybody. I hope…
Divorce Arbitration in New Jersey Explained
Arbitrations and mediations are two similar, but often confused concepts. Whereas a mediation is a collaborative effort designed to encourage settlement, an arbitration is basically a trial, where a neutral third-party will determine the outcome based on the evidence presented. Unlike a typical trial, however, you can choose the judge,…
Divorce Mediation in New Jersey Explained
Mediation is a method of resolving a divorce in New Jersey that is less acrimonious and painful than a trial, and is much less expensive and time-consuming. Unlike an arbitration, which is basically a more informal trial where a neutral third-party decides the outcome, the purpose of a mediation is…
What is an Uncontested Divorce in New Jersey?
What is an Uncontested Divorce in New Jersey? There seems to be a lot of confusion about what is and is not an “uncontested” divorce. The following video explains the difference between a contested and uncontested divorce in New Jersey. The transcript of the video is below. Hi everybody. I…
How to Divorce Someone You Can’t Find (Especially if They’re in Another Country)
Believe it or not, one of the more common problems divorce litigants have is just finding the person they’re trying to divorce, so that they can be served with the divorce paperwork. This is especially so in central New Jersey (in particular Middlesex County), where we have a large immigrant…
Misconceptions About Pre-Marital Assets in New Jersey Divorce Law
In this video, attorney Jordan Rickards dispels some of the myths about pre-marital assets under New Jersey divorce law, in particular as relates to houses purchased prior to a marriage, and financial assets brought into a marriage. The following is a transcript of the above video: Hey guys, Jordan here.…
What Does a Divorce Cost in New Jersey?
The following is a transcript of the above-video, discussing the cost of a divorce in New Jersey. Hi everybody. My name is Jordan Rickards. I’m a divorce attorney here in central New Jersey. I just want to do a quick video answering a very common question, which is “how much…
Ending or reducing alimony in New Jersey
Reducing or ending an alimony obligation in New Jersey is a complex endeavor. The above-video, and the transcript of it below, cover the basic standard used to reduce or eliminate alimony, and goes through the four most basic scenarios in which this is used: when an ex-partner remarries; when he…
An Overview of the Divorce Process in New Jersey
In this video, divorce attorney Jordan Rickards gives a basic overview of the divorce process in New Jersey, from the filing of the complaint, through the case management conference, the early settlement panel, economic mediation, the intensive settlement conference, and the trial process. He also discusses basic discovery procedures, such…
Alimony law in New Jersey, an overview
Alimony law in New Jersey is a complex, confusing, and emotional subject. The above video provides a general overview of the topic, the five types of alimony and their purposes, tax consequences, what factors into the amount and duration of the alimony, and touches briefly on the circumstances under…
Prenuptial Agreements in New Jersey Explained
Prenuptial agreements, also called “antenuptial” and “pre-marital” agreements, are complex arrangements with many intricacies and requirements. This video provides a brief overview of the law governing prenuptial agreements in New Jersey: what a prenuptial agreement can do, what it cannot do, what the requirements are, and how they can be…
