Your Right to Your Baby. Your Right to a Lawyer.
Posted July 30th, 2016 by Mark S. Guralnick.
Categories: Child Custody, Family Law.
The Supreme Court of New Jersey has again recognized the important constitutional right to appointed counsel in a parental termination case – this time in a case involving a contested private adoption. In The Matter of the Adoption of a Child by J.E.V. and D.G.V., decided July 26, 2016, Chief Justice Rabner, writing for a […]
Read MoreMore Training for Lawyers on Domestic Violence
Posted July 30th, 2016 by Mark S. Guralnick.
Categories: Domestic Violence, Family Law.
Most experienced family lawyers are skillful at handling domestic violence cases, but some of the people on court committees and legislative panels think it may be time for some retraining. They may not be wrong. After all, on August 10, 2015, the New Jersey Prevention of Domestic Violence Act was expanded to include two more […]
Read MoreDon’t make private deals that alter the custody order, without obtaining a new court order.
Posted July 30th, 2016 by Mark S. Guralnick.
Categories: Custody Tips, Family Law.
Here’s a real case that’s happening in my office right now: A father and a mother went to court fighting over custody of their son. They were never married, and had not lived together for an extensive period of time. They were quite young. By all appearances, their anger and uncertainty over the breakup of […]
Read MoreHold a meeting of witnesses a few days before trial.
Posted July 29th, 2016 by Mark S. Guralnick.
Categories: Custody Tips, Family Law.
Child custody trials are usually dominated by the testimony of witnesses. Family members, friends and neighbors, teachers, counselors, church leaders and community members may all be called to the witness stand in a contested case. Unlike civil cases which may rely heavily on documentary evidence or criminal cases which may rely on tangible real evidence […]
Read MoreIf the other parent makes a ridiculous request, ask for attorney’s fees.
Posted July 28th, 2016 by Mark S. Guralnick.
Categories: Custody Tips, Family Law.
Often, one of the parents in a child custody case makes an utterly ridiculous motion. It may be the non-custodial parent asking the court to transfer full custody of the children to him because he heard a rumor that the custodial parent wasn’t feeding them well. Or, it may be the custodial parent asking the […]
Read MoreBefore you die….know this: You can’t give your kids away in your Last Will and Testament.
Posted July 27th, 2016 by Mark S. Guralnick.
Categories: Custody Tips, Family Law.
Many people have the strange belief that they can give their kids away in their Last Will and Testament in the same way they would bequest a car or a piece of valuable jewelry. Children are not property, however, and you cannot simply “will them” to your next of kin or your most trusted friend. […]
Read MoreI Can’t Pay My Bills! Which Spouse Is REALLY In the Better Financial Position?
Posted July 26th, 2016 by Mark S. Guralnick.
Categories: Family Law, The Calculating Lawyer.
Husband and Wife have split up. Now they’re living in two households. And each of them is complaining that they don’t have enough money to pay their bills. Molly, the wife, wants alimony because she cannot pay her rent or her credit card bills in order to sustain her marital lifestyle. Henry, her husband, says […]
Read MoreDoes it really matter who has the most money? Who has the biggest house?
Posted July 26th, 2016 by Mark S. Guralnick.
Categories: Custody Tips, Family Law.
The economic circumstances of the parents are a consideration in determining who gets custody of the children, but they are rarely the main consideration and frequently not even a major consideration. It really doesn’t matter who has the biggest house, the most lucrative job, or the greatest access to financial resources. What matters is whether […]
Read MoreI’ve Been Rear-Ended! How Fast Was That Other Car Going? Here’s the Formula.
Posted July 25th, 2016 by Mark S. Guralnick.
Categories: Personal Injury, The Calculating Lawyer.
So you’re sitting there in your car at the stop sign, obeying the law, and then….whack! You’ve been rear-ended by another driver who was texting his friend about tonight’s important gathering at the local pub. Upon impact, your car careens across the intersection. How fast was the other driver going? Here’s how to figure that out. […]
Read MoreWhat you need to know about the federal parental kidnapping law.
Posted July 25th, 2016 by Mark S. Guralnick.
Categories: Custody Tips, Family Law.
You may be familiar with the Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act (PKPA), a federal law that turns 36 years old this year. You might think that because the PKPA is a “kidnap prevention” act, it can prevent a parent from abducting a child in violation of a court order. You might also think that the law […]
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