Protect what you’ve built on the water and off it.
A Brick divorce means dividing a life, not just a household. Get an attorney who knows the Ocean County courts and how to keep your case moving.
Eric B. Hannum, Esq. represents Brick Township residents in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Ocean County Family Division, from an office just across the Manasquan River.
Experienced Divorce Lawyer for Brick, NJ Residents
Divorce Lawyer Brick NJ
Why Brick Divorces Need an Ocean County Strategy
Brick is the largest township in northern Ocean County, home to roughly 76,000 people and almost 30,000 households, and it has a divorce profile all its own. The median age here is over 42, more than one in five residents is 65 or older, and a large share of homeowners have spent decades building equity in neighborhoods like Herbertsville, Lake Riviera, Shore Acres and the barrier-island sections along Route 35.
That means Brick divorces are often about the second half of life: long marriages, alimony questions, pensions and retirement accounts, waterfront homes that carry flood insurance and seasonal rental income, and adult children who still expect Thanksgiving at the lagoon. Younger Brick families face a different set of questions, but with the same stakes: custody, child support and who keeps the house on Drum Point Road.
Every one of those cases goes to the Ocean County Family Division in Toms River, not to Monmouth County, even though Brick sits on the county line. The Law Office of Eric B. Hannum Esq., LLC has represented Brick residents in that courthouse for years. Mr. Hannum is a member of the Ocean County Bar Association’s Family Law Committee and the Monmouth-Ocean Family Law Inns of Court, and his Manasquan office is about 15 minutes from most of Brick via Route 70, Route 35 or the Parkway.
Eric B. Hannum
Founder & Attorney
What Our Clients Say…
Divorce Law for Brick, NJ Residents
New Jersey divorce law applies statewide, but the Ocean County Family Division applies it in its own way, and Brick’s demographics push certain issues to the front.
Where Brick Divorces Are Heard: Brick Township divorce complaints are filed with the Superior Court of New Jersey, Ocean Vicinage, Family Division, at 120 Hooper Avenue in Toms River, about 15 minutes south on the Parkway or Hooper Avenue. Venue follows where the parties live, so a Brick case belongs in Ocean County regardless of where your attorney’s office sits. Domestic violence matters run through the Family Division’s Domestic Violence Unit at the same location, while municipal charges that sometimes accompany a separation are handled at Brick Township Municipal Court on Chambers Bridge Road.
Grounds for Divorce: Most Brick divorces are filed on irreconcilable differences that have existed for at least six months. New Jersey also recognizes 18 months of separation in different residences, adultery, extreme cruelty, desertion of a year or more and several other fault-based grounds, but fault rarely changes the financial result and often adds cost and conflict.
Alimony in Long Brick Marriages: New Jersey’s alimony statute weighs the length of the marriage, each spouse’s income and earning capacity, the marital standard of living and the age and health of the parties, among other factors. For marriages of 20 years or more, the court may award open durational alimony; for shorter marriages, alimony generally cannot exceed the length of the marriage absent exceptional circumstances. In Brick, where long marriages are common, alimony is frequently the most contested issue in the case.
Dividing the Waterfront and the Retirement Accounts: Brick’s median home value sits near $488,000, and many riverfront, bayfront and lagoon properties are worth considerably more. Equitable distribution requires an accurate appraisal, an honest look at flood insurance and carrying costs, and a plan for any rental income. Pensions, 401(k)s and IRAs accumulated over a career are divided through qualified domestic relations orders, and a mistake there can trigger taxes and penalties that cannot be undone.
Custody and Support for Brick Families: For parents, the Ocean County Family Division sends contested custody to court-run mediation before a judge decides anything, and both parents complete the Parents Education Program. Child support follows the New Jersey guidelines, adjusted for parenting time, health insurance and childcare, with school schedules in the Brick Township Public Schools shaping most parenting plans.
A Divorce Lawyer Brick NJ Residents Can Rely On
Eric B. Hannum has focused on family law for more than two decades. He began his career as law clerk to the Presiding Family Part Judge in Mercer County, practiced at a prominent Princeton firm, and has run his own family law practice for well over a decade, representing Ocean County families throughout. Those Ocean County roots matter in Toms River, where knowing the court’s settlement programs and expectations can shorten a case by months.
Ocean County Courthouse Experience
Regular appearances in the Ocean County Family Division, plus membership on the county bar’s Family Law Committee, mean we know how Toms River handles Early Settlement Panels, economic mediation and custody referrals.
Alimony and Retirement Division
For Brick’s many long-term marriages, we build alimony positions around the statutory factors and handle pension and retirement-account division correctly the first time.
Mediation and Collaborative Options
As a Rule 1:40 qualified mediator and collaborative attorney, Mr. Hannum offers Brick couples a way to settle privately and affordably, with litigation held in reserve.
What We Do for Brick Clients
Value and divide shore property fairly. From Normandy Beach to Baywood, we work with appraisers who understand waterfront values, flood zones and seasonal rental income, and we negotiate buyouts, sales or deferred sales that fit your finances.
Resolve alimony on the right terms. Whether you expect to pay or receive support, we document income, earning capacity and the marital lifestyle so the outcome reflects the law, not the louder voice in the room.
Protect retirement and pension assets. We prepare the orders that divide pensions and retirement accounts without tax consequences and make sure survivor benefits are addressed.
Craft workable parenting plans. For Brick parents, we design custody and parenting-time schedules around school, work and the geography of a 26-square-mile township.
Handle domestic violence and restraining orders. When a divorce overlaps with a restraining order, we coordinate both matters in the Ocean County Family Division so nothing falls through the cracks.
Step by Step: Divorce in Ocean County Family Court
Knowing what comes next takes some of the uncertainty out of a Brick divorce. Every case in the Ocean County Family Division follows the same basic sequence; uncontested divorces can wrap up in a few months, while cases with disputed alimony, property or custody usually take a year or more.
Strategy Meeting
Complaint Filed in Toms River
Financial Disclosure
Settlement Track
Agreement or Trial
Speak With a Brick Divorce Lawyer
Whether your marriage lasted five years or thirty-five, the choices you make now about the house, support and your children will follow you for years. Brick residents deserve counsel who knows the Ocean County courts and takes the time to understand what matters to you.
Eric B. Hannum, Esq. brings more than 20 years of New Jersey family law experience, deep roots in the Ocean County family courts, and qualified mediator and collaborative credentials to every Brick divorce. Our Manasquan office is minutes across the river, with flexible scheduling for working clients and retirees alike.
Why Brick Residents Choose Our Firm:
- More than 20 years representing families in Ocean and Monmouth counties
- Member of the Ocean County Bar Association Family Law Committee
- You work directly with Eric B. Hannum on your case
- Qualified mediator and collaborative divorce attorney
- Straightforward fees with payment plans available
Don’t leave your future to chance.
Call the Law Office of Eric B. Hannum Esq., LLC at 732-370-9596 for a free 20-minute phone consultation with an experienced divorce lawyer serving Brick, NJ.