Divorce & Family Law
Family Law Related Practice Areas
At Dalena & Bosch, we guide and support our clients before, during, and after various family law disputes, which is why our firm’s motto is “Holding your hand when you need it most.” When life is not going as planned, we are there to hold your hand — sometimes literally — and help you find a path forward. We have helped hundreds of families in Morris County and beyond navigate the most challenging times of their lives with dignity and purpose, and we are ready to help you too.
Divorce
Every divorce is different. Some are amicable splits where everything is negotiated and a settlement is rubber-stamped by the judge. Others are bitter disputes that end up going to trial. No matter where your divorce falls on that spectrum, the Dalena & Bosch team is here to help.
We know that getting divorced was probably not part of your long-range plan, but splitting up is not a mark of failure. It is an opportunity to live a better life, and that is exactly how we approach every case. We focus on the future instead of dwelling on the past, or getting bogged down in petty battles.
The best path forward depends largely on your life circumstances and the relationship you have with your spouse. After hearing your story, we can guide you toward litigation, or help you manage the breakup through mediation, arbitration, or a collaborative divorce process. You deserve a divorce that fits your life, and that’s what we help you figure out and accomplish.
Contested Divorce
When you know your spouse is going to fight you on every little issue, or when your spouse does something to hurt you — either physically or financially — we recommend filing for divorce and preparing to litigate. Someone that disrespects and demeans you is not going to come to the negotiating table in good faith to try and hammer out an amicable settlement agreement.
The attorneys on our team are experienced litigators who will fight to protect your interests. We are not afraid to take on challenging cases, such as complex litigation that involves high net worth assets or bitter custody disputes.
Collaborative Divorce
If you and your partner are committed to working together to bring a peaceful end to your relationship, collaborative divorce may be right for you. Collaborative divorce is a relatively new method of divorce that emphasizes the ability and willingness of the couple to work together to heal and move forward. The Dalena & Bosch staff are trained in collaborative divorce, and have used this method to help many couples separate quickly, efficiently, and amicably.
Post Divorce Appeals & Modifications
It is rare for parties in a divorce to maintain their post-divorce lifestyles for the rest of their lives. People get remarried, they move, they take and leave jobs, and they buy and sell property and businesses. When either party to a divorce makes a big lifestyle change, it is a good idea to check in with a family law attorney to confirm that the existing divorce decree still makes sense. If it doesn’t, you may seek a modification of your agreement.
Our firm has helped people increase and decrease child support and spousal support payments by requesting modifications and appealing unfair decisions. We have also gotten the courts to okay modifications to child visitation agreements, and approve relocations both inside and outside the state of New Jersey.
Child Custody & Support
Divorce is an emotional battlefield, and the biggest fights almost always concern the care of the couple’s children. We prefer helping couples negotiate a child custody and child support agreement that is fair, and that resolves this contentious issue without parading your dirty laundry before the court, but we understand that isn’t always possible.
When an agreement cannot be reached through negotiation, New Jersey judges apply a best interest of the child test to determine who a child’s primary caregiver should be, and how often other adults in the child’s life should have access to the child or be involved in important child-raising decisions.
Rather than getting into emotionally fraught disputes over who loves who the most, we focus on gathering concrete evidence a judge can use to make a decision that will truly be in your child’s best interest.
Once custody is decided, the courts use a formula to calculate child support obligations. But it is often a good idea to discuss support that goes beyond the minimum requirements, especially if your child has special needs that will require long-term care, or your expect to pay for your child’s post-secondary education.
Alimony & Spousal Support
In New Jersey, alimony, or spousal support as it is known today, is money that one spouses pays to another before, during, or after divorce in order to ensure that the hardships of divorce do not fall disproportionately upon one spouse. Spousal support may also be awarded in cases where a partner will be unable to maintain a similar lifestyle to the one they enjoyed pre-divorce without some sort of assistance.
If you were in a committed, long-term relationship, but never got married, you may be eligible for/have to pay palimony.
The spousal support/palimony you must pay/will receive depends largely on your lifestyle, the length of your relationship, your ability to support yourself financially, and the financial contributions and sacrifices you and your partner made over the years.
We have helped many clients negotiate and litigate fair spousal support agreements.
Domestic Violence
Abuse comes in many forms. It can be physical, emotional, or financial. Abuse does not discriminate. It happens to men and women, and people of all ages, races, and income levels. If you have been abused, we can help protect you. If you have been wrongly accused of abuse, we can help defend your good name.
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
Our family law firm works with lots of couples in the tri-state area who want to ensure the seamless merger of their households by drafting prenuptial or postnuptial agreements. These documents help modern couples — who unlike generations past, are not getting married right out of high school — structure their lives and set expectations for the future. Contrary to popular belief, these documents are not drafted in anticipation of divorce, but rather with the expectation that the couple will build a long life together.
Holding Your Hand When You Need It Most
If you need someone to guide you through a divorce or other difficult family law dispute, please contact our office to schedule a consultation. We are here to listen, support you, and hold your hand when you need it most.