There used to be a family judge, who, with his law clerk, spent a lot of time on Google, looking up property records, Zillow “values” and other information regarding the parties and their property. While most of the time it proved harmless, I was always concerned about the court relying on evidence that was not
Domestic Violence
I’m Not a Cat, But Can I Get Divorced Over Zoom Anyway?
One thing this pandemic has taught me about my fellow lawyers: we are adaptable.
Just take the lawyer trapped in a cat filter as an example. Despite his adorable faux pas, his reaction was not to jump off the Zoom call in shame. No – he said to the judge that he was willing to…
A Victim of Domestic Violence Need Not Have Disclosed the Abuse to Another to Establish a Predicate Act of Domestic Violence
Victims of abuse have many reasons for not reporting prior acts of domestic violence – either to friends, family, co-workers, etc. or the police. Logically, the failure to report does not negate the fact that the abuse happened. One would think that judges hearing domestic violence, more so than most people, would not that given…
If You Want to Keep Your Final Restraining Order, Maintaining a Sexual Relationship with the Defendant Is a Bad Idea
More than 11 years ago, I wrote a post on this blog entitled The Abuse and Misuse of the Domestic Violence Statute. From the statistics, we can see that this is still one of the most read items we have published, because the problem remains 11 + years later. I concluded that post by…
Statutes and Subsequent Qualification by the Supreme Court – They Both Matter.
In a recent decision, E.H. v. K.H., the Appellate Division made clear that a finding of harassment in connection with the entry of a domestic violence restraining order must be based upon a judge’s findings on all elements of the criminal statute incorporated in the New Jersey Prevention Against Domestic Violence Act, qualified by…
The Appellate Division Reaffirms the Basic Tenets of Who You Can Get a Final Restraining Order Against
It is important to understand the requirements to obtain a Final Restraining Order or to defend against the entry of one. Through case law and the New Jersey legislature, there are specific requirements that need to be met. In the recent unpublished decision, the Court reaffirms that both litigants and attorneys cannot stray away from…
The Modern Family Now Falls Under The Scope Of The Domestic Violence Act In New Jersey
The issue in the published trial court decision, S.C. v. J.D., reviewed what is a “household member” under the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act (“PDVA”) pursuant to N.J.S.A. 2C:25-17 to -35. The plaintiff, “Samantha”, filed a temporary restraining order against her half-sibling, “Jake”, alleging assault and terroristic threats. The two share the same father. …
New Jersey Appellate Division Examines the Meaning of “Dating Relationship” in Domestic Violence Cases.
I have written about the requirements of obtaining a domestic violence final restraining order (“FRO”) under the New Jersey Prevention Against Domestic Violence Act (“the Act”) previously on this blog. One of the three main criteria the Court must look at when determining whether to grant a final restraining order in such cases is the…
Coronavirus Stay at Home Requirements and the Enhanced Risk of Domestic Violence
There has been much news coverage about how China’s divorce filings spiked after their periods of quarantine and lock down ended including in articles and Bloomberg, the Daily Mail and many other publications. In fact, in response to our own stay at home orders/working from home/shut down of the courts in large part, in…
Appellate Division Examines Proofs Required to Establish Mental Incapacity and Lack of Consent Under the Sexual Assault Survivor Protection Act (SASPA)
In a recent published (i.e. precedential) decision, C.R. v. M.T., the New Jersey Appellate Division elaborated upon the legal standard proving that a sexual encounter during which one party was intoxicated was non-consensual under the Sexual Assault Survivor Protection Act (SASPA) N.J.S.A. 2C:14-13 to -21.
Although we have blogged frequently on domestic violence restraining…