Worrying about finances is a natural response for those on the edge of divorce. The divorce process itself can be expensive, and couples generally have to divide their resources. That means losing home equity, part of the balance in a checking account and some of the household furniture. When couples have set resources aside for retirement, it is only natural… The post Can couples avoid taxes and penalties when splitting a 401(k)? first appeared on Mullen Law, LLC ..read more

Sharing custody or parental rights and responsibilities is a challenge. Parents typically have to outline very clear rules regarding how they divide parenting time and decision-making authority. New Jersey parents have the option of either settling with one another to establish their own custody arrangements or litigating and asking a judge to settle their disputes. Once they have a custody order in place, both parents have an obligation to uphold that order to the best of their abilities. Sometimes, parents come to realize that the current arrangements may not work for them anymore. For examp ..read more

Some divorces processes are simple and straightforward. The spouses may have already entered an agreement with one another about what happens when they divorce or they have minimal assets to divide. Other divorces are more complex, possibly because of financial success or longer-term marriages. Those preparing for a complex divorce may have hundreds of thousands of dollars in marital resources to divide, which can make property division negotiations more of a challenge. There is more incentive in such cases than in the average divorce for one spouse to hide assets or otherwise try to manipulat ..read more

Parents in New Jersey who share parenting rights and responsibilities need to work with one another. Whether they set the terms of their custody order themselves or litigated in family court, they must cooperate to uphold the custody order for the benefit of their children. A custody order typically describes a specific breakdown of parenting time to minimize conflict between the adults about spending time with the children. Custody arrangements can also address decision-making authority. Parents usually share both authority and time with their children, and they need to cooperate with one ano ..read more