Bergen County Domestic Partnerships Attorney
Are you considering entering or terminating a domestic partnership in northern New Jersey? The experienced and knowledgeable Bergen County domestic partnerships attorneys at Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers can help you with your legal needs. Contact our law office today at (201) 487-1199 to discuss your case.
Our attorneys have 150+ years of experience handling all aspects of family law matters – including complex domestic partnership issues.
We know that any legal dispute in the family can be stressful, and we strive to make the process of finding a resolution as easy as possible for our clients.
We’ll work hard to get you the results you deserve, in the process.
Our Hackensack, NJ, law office maintains a select caseload. We offer personal legal assistance to each client, starting with free consultations. Reach out today to get started.
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How Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers Can Help You Handle Domestic Partnership Disputes
A reputable New Jersey divorce attorney can help you in many ways beyond giving legal advice. The precise way in which our Bergen County divorce attorneys handle your case depends on its unique facts.
We offer free consultations to each prospective client.
We know that it is important that our prospective clients get to know us before we create an attorney-client relationship. We want our clients to be comfortable with their choice.
What Can I Expect If I Hire Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers?
We provide tailored services according to our client’s individual needs. But every client can expect a high level of personal interaction from Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers domestic partner lawyers. When you hire Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers, here’s what you can expect:
- Personal communication. When you contact our office, you will speak to an attorney.
- Thorough investigation. In litigation, we work for complete exposure of all the relevant facts. We demand full financial disclosure and we work with expert forensic accountants and mental health professionals to uncover any latent issues.
- Expert guidance. Our attorneys know how emotionally sensitive domestic partnership matters can be. We offer counsel, guidance, and practical advice based on our years of experience.
- Client-centered representation. When we meet with clients to begin our work, we listen to their concerns and issues. Then, we work together to develop a client-centered strategy for addressing each issue and concern. We seek client feedback and satisfaction.
- Skilled courtroom advocacy. Often, clients desire to resolve disputes outside of court. We negotiate to get what our client has prioritized, when possible. Otherwise, we are fully prepared to take your case to the Superior Court of New Jersey.
- Ongoing support. Our services don’t end after the termination of a domestic partnership. If needed, we offer post-dissolution conflict resolution services.
If you are in need of a domestic partnerships attorney, you want to make sure you find one that will meet your needs.
Our Bergen County, New Jersey law office is ready to offer your free consultation. Contact us today to move forward.
What is a New Jersey Domestic Partnership?
Before same-sex marriages were approved by the Supreme Court of the United States, the state of New Jersey recognized domestic partnerships.
As originally enacted, New Jersey’s Domestic Partnership Act applied to couples in which both partners were 62 years of age or older as well as same-sex couples.
Entering or Ending a Domestic Partnership or Civil Union
When a client is preparing to enter a domestic partnership or civil union, we assist them in getting their affairs in order.
New Jersey law currently requires domestic partners to each be 62 years of age or older.
Many prospective domestic partners have established property interests and may have children from a prior relationship.
Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers offers a full complement of services for clients preparing to enter a domestic partnership or civil union. Importantly, we help clients navigate the preparation of prenuptial agreements. These agreements can ease the stress of later-in-life relationships by setting clear expectations for finances between partners.
We also represent clients who wish to end their domestic partnerships. Contact our office to learn more about how we can help you terminate your domestic partnership on your own terms.
Same-Sex Couples and Same-Sex Marriage
After the enactment of the New Jersey Domestic Partnership Act, it was amended to apply only to partners 62 years of age or older.
However, couples who elected a domestic partnership before the amendment, including same-sex partners, were not affected by the change.
The amendment permitted domestic partnerships to be converted to civil unions.
The change to the Domestic Partnership Act did not terminate existing domestic partnerships. Thus, for clients who entered into a same-sex domestic partnership under the law and now wish to end their partnership, we provide termination of domestic partnership services.
In October 2013, New Jersey legalized same-sex marriage. Not unlike heterosexual marriages, some same-sex marriages end in divorce. We guide our clients through the process, letting them know what to expect in a same-sex divorce.
Legal Reasons to End Domestic Partnerships in New Jersey
The reasons to end domestic partnerships in New Jersey are like the grounds for divorce.
The grounds for ending domestic partnerships include:
- Adultery, defined as voluntary sexual intercourse between a person who is in a domestic partnership and an individual other than the person’s domestic partner.
- Willful and continued desertion for 12 or more consecutive months
- Extreme cruelty
- Separation for at least 18 or more consecutive months, when there is no reasonable prospect of reconciliation
- Voluntarily induced addiction or habituation to any narcotic drug or habitual drunkenness for a period of 12 or more consecutive months after establishment of the domestic partnership and before the termination proceeding
- Institutionalization for mental illness for a period of 24 or more consecutive months after establishment of the domestic partnership and before the termination proceeding
- Imprisonment of the defendant for 18 or more consecutive months after establishment of the domestic partnership and before the termination proceeding
Some of the grounds for ending a domestic partnership have complex legal definitions.
Our Bergen County divorce and family law attorneys at Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers have extensive experience helping clients end domestic partnerships on all of the applicable grounds for termination. Regardless of which situation you find yourself in, give us a call or complete the contact us form to move forward.
What Happens When a Domestic Partnership Ends?
Not unlike a divorce proceeding, the termination of a domestic partnership may require the resolution of several matters. These matters include partner support, division of property, and more.
Partner Support (Alimony) for Domestic Partners
Like heterosexual divorces, one partner or the other may seek alimony. Alimony is financial support paid by one partner to the other to allow the receiving partner to continue to live as they did during the marriage.
Whether you expect to claim and receive alimony or your spouse has asked a New Jersey court to order you to pay alimony, our domestic partnership attorneys can let you know what you need to know about New Jersey alimony.
When applicable, we also help domestic partners seek to terminate alimony. Most often, this occurs when the partner receiving alimony begins cohabitating with another.
Division of Assets in Domestic Partnership Termination Proceedings
In New Jersey divorces, courts divide assets based on the principle of equitable distribution. Equitable distribution requires the fair, but not necessarily equal, division of assets.
New Jersey courts are authorized to complete a division of assets when a domestic partnership ends. When New Jersey courts handle termination of domestic partnership proceedings, they are not required to adhere to the principle of equitable distribution.
Child Custody and Support in Domestic Partnerships
For same-sex couples that entered a domestic partnership before New Jersey’s law changed, other issues may need to be resolved in a termination proceeding. Some same-sex couples may have to deal with issues of child custody and child support.
Pet Custody
One interesting, but not unusual, issue that arises in domestic partnership terminations is custody of the partners’ pet or pets. No issue is too small for our domestic partnership lawyers to resolve for our clients. When necessary, we help clients make their best case for pet custody.
Resolving Issues in Domestic Partnership Terminations
Once a partner files for termination with a court, there are multiple paths that the partners can take to resolve their issues. The family law attorneys at Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers are skilled navigators of all the possible paths.
We help our clients understand the differences between litigation, mediation, and arbitration. Then, we decide, with the client, which method of dispute resolution is preferable.
Our attorneys have in-depth knowledge of the mediation process. We also have years of experience negotiating. Many clients wish to resolve their domestic partnership issues without going to court. If possible, we work to resolve issues for our clients outside of court.
Of course, it is not always possible to reach a settlement agreement. In cases that require litigation, we are ready and willing to go to court for our clients. Our attorneys maintain a regular trial practice, allowing us to stay abreast of changes in legal procedures.
Domestic Partnership Attorneys Available Throughout Northern New Jersey
At Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers, our attorneys offer legal counsel and services to clients across Bergen County, including:
- Teaneck
- Englewood
- Ridgewood
- Tenafly
- Franklin Lakes
- Upper Saddle River
- Allendale
- Old Tappan
- Hohokus
- Saddle River
If you are thinking about entering a domestic partnership or have decided that it’s time for you and your partner to call it quits, please don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and give us a call. We have offices conveniently located in Madison and Hackensack, and we’d be more than happy to sit down with you and address the concerns you have.
Reach Out to Our Bergen County Domestic Partnerships Attorneys
If you’re looking to establish an attorney-client relationship for the purpose of dealing with a legal issue relating to your domestic partnership, consider Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers for your legal needs. Call our office today or complete the contact form to hear back from one of our Bergen County domestic partnership lawyers. Your initial case evaluation is always free – so get in touch today.
Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers also provides:
- Divorce Lawyers in Bergen County, NJ
- Bergen County, NJ Child Custody Lawyers
- Bergen County, NJ Child Support Lawyers
- Spousal Support Lawyers in Bergen County, NJ
- Prenuptial Agreements Lawyers in Bergen County, NJ
- LGBT Divorce Lawyers in Bergen County, NJ
- Pet Custody Attorney in Bergen County, NJ
- Postnuptial Agreements Lawyers in Bergen County, NJ
- Paternity Lawyer in Bergen County, NJ
- Property Division in Bergen County, NJ
Visit Our Divorce & Family Law Firm in Hackensack, NJ
Arons & Solomon Divorce Lawyers – Hackensack Office
1 University Plaza Dr Suite 400, Hackensack, NJ 07601
(201) 487-1199