The relationship between a child and his or her grandparent is an important one. Grandparents provide support and care for children alongside their parents, developing unique inter-generational bonds. When a child’s parents divorce, the grandparents are often understandably worried about what will become of their relationships with their grandchildren. If you are a grandparent, your right to visit and spend time with your grandchild is not guaranteed by law. In most cases, a child’s parents encourage their child’s relationship with his or her grandparents and foster visits and outings together. However, a parent may contest a grandparent’s right to spend time with his or her child on the basis of abuse, neglect, or toxic dynamics that would negatively impact the child. When this happens, the grandparent has the option to file a motion to the court to require that he…Read More
Yes. In New Jersey, a dog’s owner is legally liable for all damage the dog inflicts upon a victim, even if the dog has never bitten anybody or displayed aggressive tendencies toward humans. This is written into New Jersey’s dog bite statute, N.J.S.A. 4:19-16. There are certain circumstances under which you might not be held liable, though. For a dog bite victim to successfully recover money through a personal injury claim, he or she must be able to prove the following: He or she was bitten by the dog he or she claims to have been bitten by. The bite occurred while the victim was in a public place or lawfully on the dog’s owner’s property. Liability for dog bites, like other personal injuries, is determined by identifying the negligent party. When a dog bites a lawful visitor to its…Read More
Thousands of New Jersey couples successfully own and operate small businesses as their main source of income. In thousands more cases, individuals operate their own businesses while their spouses work traditional jobs or take on homemaking roles. In others yet, the small business contributes only a small part of the couple’s total household income. No matter how a small business figures into your family’s finances, it will need to be divided between you and your spouse if you decide to divorce. How your business is divided depends on your plan for it following the divorce. Talk to your spouse about your business’ future before you begin the process of dividing your assets. Selling the business, continuing to operate it jointly, or one partner buying out the other’s interest and continuing to run the business singly are all valid, possible futures…Read More
As graduation approaches for so many of New Jersey’s seniors, it seems appropriate for many to beg their parents for a party to celebrate their newest accomplishment. While this may seem like a harmless idea, when parents agree to allow their children to throw a party at their home it can quickly turn into a bad situation for everyone involved once alcohol is introduced. When a parent allows minors who are under the New Jersey legal drinking age of 21 to partake in alcohol consumption on their property, they, along with the minors, could be facing substantial legal and financial consequences. As to the minors, caught drinking underage on the premises, the standard charge is a violation of the 2C:33-15 (possession or consumption of alcoholic beverages by persons under legal age) and should not be taken lightly. This offense can…Read More
In the United States, a child reaches the age of majority on his or her eighteenth birthday. This means that he or she is a legal adult. Although many parents voluntarily continue to provide for their child at and beyond age eighteen, child support orders are generally designed to end at this age because the young adult is old enough to work full time and provide for him or herself. But what about young adults who suffer from significant mental or physical disabilities that prevent them from providing for themselves? If you are a parent of a special needs child, you may stipulate in your child support agreement that your spouse continue making payments for him or her after he or she becomes an adult. In fact, if you do not include this requirement in your child support agreement, the…Read More
As a homeowner or business owner, you have what is known as premises liability for your property. That means that you are responsible for properly maintaining your property to prevent injury-causing accidents for individuals who visit your property. Examples Of Injuries For Which A Property Owner May Be Held Liable Premises liability covers a wide range of potential injuries that a homeowner may be held responsible for. Some examples of these injuries include: Any injuries sustained in a slip or fall due to a wet, ice-covered, or broken walking surface. This type of hazard can range from a snow-covered path that has not been properly cleared to a broken sidewalk. Injuries sustained in a pool or other body of water on the property. Injuries caused by poorly-secured or falling objects. Dog bites that occur on private property or in a…Read More
Divorce is often a difficult topic to discuss with anybody. When your conversation partner is your child, the discussion only becomes more difficult. You might find yourself struggling to find the right way to tell your child that you are ending your relationship with his or her other parent and that one or both of you will be leaving the family home. Although you might feel anxiety about starting this discussion and catch yourself delaying it again and again, you need to have it with your child. Take the following into consideration when you decide to begin this series of discussions with your child. Do not think that talking to him or her about divorce is a one-time lecture – the healthiest, most productive way to talk to your child about any difficult topic is to make it a recurring…Read More
In 2014, New Jersey’s alimony laws when through an overhaul. The changes included in this bill modernized the current laws, taking into consideration the realities that couples today face, such as dual-income households and cohabitation with a new partner after a divorce without marrying the new partner. Alimony is far more complicated than one spouse simply making payments to his or her former partner for the rest of their lives. There are multiple types of alimony agreements available, each tailored to specific needs that couples face. In essence, alimony is designed to make the transition from married life to single life easier on the spouse who earned less money during the marriage, generally because he or she opted to leave the workforce to focus on the couple’s children and household. The following four types of alimony are available for New…Read More
As an individual with assets, you need to protect your right to those assets. One way you can do this is by signing a prenuptial agreement before getting married. Although it may seem unromantic or defeatist to sign this type of agreement, the truth is that is provides a framework for the division of your assets if you and your spouse choose to divorce. A prenuptial agreement can also be used to ensure that your children from any previous relationships and even previous spouses receive part of your estate following your death. This is why prenuptial agreements are especially popular with individuals entering their second or subsequent marriages – without such an agreement in place, one’s current spouse may take control of his or her estate after his or her death. A prenuptial agreement is a way to protect your…Read More
With the advancement of technology, it seems that everyone is somehow connected to each other either by phone, or through the internet. Now more so than before, it seems as though most teens have a cell phone, or some form of an electronic device capable of accessing the internet. While many teens have these devices to do schoolwork or to call their parents, many seem to have ventured towards more adult uses. This new use that has become overly popular with teens is called “Sexting”, or the act of sending nude or sexually provocative photos to someone else through an electronic device. While to some teens it may seem harmless, it can land both themselves and or anyone else they send these photos to in court impacting them for years to come. Most of the time, teens are sharing these…Read More
