Hackensack Divorce Timeline

New Jersey is one of 9 states to allow equitable distribution, meaning that you can divide up property (and debts) fairly, instead of splitting it down the middle. This allows you to keep what’s important to you and give away what’s not. Property division means figuring out the costs of all the assets and debts you either owned in your name alone, with your spouse in joint names or with someone else in some manner.

Debts in joint names are divided 50-50 unless there is an agreement to split them differently (just like a property). Debts not in joint names would probably be divided based on how much each person added to the acquisition of debt.

Health insurance may also be considered an asset, even if it’s only in one name, so you might want to include that as well.

When do I start counting?

The date of separation is sometimes written into a settlement agreement between divorcing couples, but if not, the date you last had sex with one another is probably fair game. Assuming you don’t have an open relationship, this would be when having sex stopped being a regular thing for either of you.

How long is the divorce process in Hackensack NJ?

For many states, including New Jersey, no matter how complex your property division or debts are, you can usually get divorced in a few months, the same is true for Hackensack Divorces. You should have a trial date set up within 1-2 weeks of your initial filing, and after that, it can take another 1-2 months to get a final judgment.

After that, there’s the 30-day cooling-off period during which an appeal may be filed if either party doesn’t like something about the decision, but then it is truly over and the two of you will never have to be together again unless you want to.

What’s included in a divorce?

In a Hackensack divorce, if either party wants alimony (spousal maintenance), they must ask for it and make a showing as to why they deserve it and how much. The judge can modify the award at any time.

Children and Support

If you have children, child support is based on the income of both parents, how many kids there are, daycare expenses, medical insurance costs for the children, and additional charges if one parent has more parenting time than the other. Child support payments end when your child turns 18 (or 19 if they are still in high school, and the paying parent is still living), or they graduate from a secondary education program.

Support may be awarded on a monthly basis, or in some cases weekly. For example, if one party has custody of a child 100% of the time and the other party sees their child every other weekend and for some holiday periods, this would equate to 20% of the time. Each parent would then pay the child support based on their income for that period.

Alimony

There are several factors in determining how much alimony you will receive, but if one spouse earns far more than the other, it is reasonable to expect them to pay most or even all of your expenses (including attorney’s fees) if their income is at least twice as much.

Divorce can be a complex matter, it is important to speak with a qualified Hackensack Divorce Lawyer. Contact Erlina Perez for help now.