Family Law & Divorce

Schenck Price’s Family Law & Divorce team has the skill and experience to provide effective counsel on sophisticated family law matters. Over 95% of our cases settle.

In every case, we understand that divorce can be a difficult process and that our clients have a great deal at stake. We work to guide our clients to have the best relationship with their children after divorce. We also believe that our clients should make all efforts to have a businesslike and fair resolution of their finances.  Most of the time, this can be done with proper strategies. If alternative dispute resolution does not work, we are prepared to litigate. We take a personalized approach to each case, developing a strategy tailored to your needs and ensuring that you are fully informed every step of the way. 

Our practice is based on several key cornerstones:  

• Community Reputation — Our lawyers have successfully handled thousands of family law matters for New Jersey clients, from the simplest matters to heavily contested high-net-worth divorces. Courts and adversarial attorneys know the high level of professionalism we bring to a case. We provide our clients with respect, practical guidance and strong advocacy during this difficult time. Practice Group Chair Tanya Helfand is a court-appointed mediator and a matrimonial law attorney certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey
•  Caring Counsel — You are never just a file. We care about you, your children and the financial security you’ve worked so hard to establish. Our mission is to listen to your concerns and provide effective guidance throughout your family law matter.
• Skillful Advocacy — Whether your legal challenge can be resolved through settlement or requires litigation to accomplish your goals, we can identify and execute the strategy that works best for you.  We work as a team with our clients.

For 25 years, we have guided thousands of clients to favorable results in matters involving:

• Custody/Parenting Time-Whether you are a father or a mother, our chief concern is your child’s health and well-being.  Whichever spouse we represent, we understand that custody and parenting time are of vital interest.  Reducing conflict for the children is a priority of the courts, a priority that we share.  If there are serious concerns regarding abuse or substance abuse, we must consider the children’s safety as our #1 goal.
• Alimony – Determining whether one spouse will provide financial support to their former spouse is often the most contentious aspect of divorce proceedings. There are many factors that go into this determination under New Jersey law, including but not limited to the length of the union, each spouse’s earning ability, the couple’s standard of living, and the health of and responsibility for the children. We can explain the different types of alimony available in New Jersey and how they apply to your circumstances.
• Child Support- There are guidelines that are used in calculating most child support.  However, there are often deviations or more individualized issues to address, including government benefits for children, special needs children, private schools, extreme income or variable income, and extracurricular activities, in addition to child support and second families. We are experienced at addressing all of these unique issues to ensure the children’s needs are covered in accordance with the law.
• Complex Financial Issues – We have experience handling complex cases involving division of businesses, stock options, RSUs, intellectual property, real estate, pensions, capital gains and investments. We are lawyers, but we understand business and value. In a free half-hour consultation, we will learn about your situation and outline the legal steps that are necessary to secure a favorable resolution through negotiation, mediation or litigation. We work with exceptional experts that help to resolve business and financial matters in the best way possible for our clients.

When it’s time to end a marriage, we all want a quick, amicable divorce. Sometimes this is possible.  Unless there is litigation or difficult conduct at the outset, we always try and work to help guide a businesslike resolution initially. Unfortunately, disagreements over parenting and financial terms often arise. We help spouses understand the laws relating to alimony, child custody, child support and asset protection. Our attorneys function as strong advocates and have helped clients overcome major obstacles during bitter battles over parenting plans and the division of valuable property, including real estate, investments and business assets.

 If you are not prepared to pursue a final divorce, we can help you with a plan for separation. It is very important to be prepared for a divorce or separation and think it out clearly and calmly in advance with guidance if possible.  You have to make the decision if you want to move forward.  It is our job to give you tools, a clear understanding and assistance through this process.

Ours is a full-service family law practice. In addition to divorce, our attorneys assist with numerous other family law concerns, including:

•  Payment of college expenses for children after divorce
• Child custody/parenting time modifications.
• Domestic violence incidents and restraining order representation
• Prenuptial agreements
• Father's rights/customized parenting arrangements
• Post-judgment modifications of child support and alimony due to change in circumstances such as loss of employment or retirement.

No matter what challenge you bring to us, we are clear and upfront about the law, the cost and the possible outcomes. Our mission is to give you the knowledge you need to make reasonable and informed decisions.

Please call for a consultation.