New Jersey Legal Blog

When New Jersey parents decide to divorce, they usually both want to stay in their kids' lives. Furthermore, many parents work outside the home and lead active social lives. These are some of the reasons why joint child custody is increasingly common when parents decide to separate. While joint custody can benefit children in many ways, there are also some tensions and difficulties that can arise. When exes keep some key principles in mind, they can help to make shared custody a more successful endeavor.

Unsurprisingly, joint custody works best when both parents cooperate with one another and manage their emotional interactions respectfully. Parents have a responsibility not to speak poorly about their former partners in front of the children. Kids may feel like they are torn between their parents, and they may feel pressure to inappropriately choose sides in their parents' relationship issues.

Too often those charged with driving while intoxicated choose not to even attempt to fight these charges in court. While it may be daunting or intimidating to consider doing so, the penalties for DWI in New Jersey should be enough to make those charged with driving under the influence consider the option of fighting a potentially invalid charge.

Many drivers assume that the evidence against them is insurmountable. On the contrary, a skilled criminal defense attorney knows how to challenge each aspect of a DWI charge to ensure proper disposal of the case.

There are a number of reasons that New Jersey couples may decide to divorce, but therapists have identified one key sign that a marriage may be on the rocks. When one or both partners feel hopeless about the future of the relationship, it can be a strong indicator of the likelihood of divorce. People in strong relationships may feel more positive not only about their partnerships but about other aspects of their life. In fact, the relationship can be a shelter during stressful periods at work or with other family relationships.

One therapist said that when she assesses a couple's likelihood of divorce, she looks for hopelessness about the future of the relationship as a main indicator. People who feel hopeless are often committed to ending the relationship and beginning to come to terms with the fact that it is over. This backs up the findings of a study which found that disappointment and disillusionment in the marriage were most likely to predict a future split. Couples who reported hopeless feelings when the study began were likely to divorce within three years.

Unpleasant emotions typically accompany the decision to get a divorce. People in New Jersey who want to end their marriages could benefit by approaching the situation realistically. The terms of property division and child custody, if children are present, must be negotiated. Ideally, people will reach an agreement without prolonged and costly litigation. A flexible attitude could go a long way toward limiting conflict, and mediation may present a viable alternative to litigation in some cases.

The fact that divorce puts almost everything in a person's life on the negotiating table can be overwhelming. A willingness to bargain could help people overcome the urge to protect every single possession. One financial adviser recommends that people avoid setting their hearts on certain things. A successful negotiation involves a lot of give and take, and the final results matter more than specific issues. As long as the bulk of the agreement provides most of what a person needs to achieve, then it might serve the person's long-term interests.