Noah and Evelyn are a couple in their early 30s who were married in 2014. They each have a promising career and gave birth to a son, Hollis, in late 2017, with help from both sets of parents, the couple bought a townhouse. They seemed to be a typical, young New Jersey family.
But they were increasingly unhappy. They still liked each other but had fallen out of love. When Gov. Murphy issued the emergency lockdown as the state became a Covid-19 hotspot, being in the same house together all day every day brought all of their dissatisfaction to a head.
Not long ago, Noah booked a meeting with me in our Virtual Law Office. One of the first things he said was, “Evelyn is a great mother and we get along OK. But we don’t love each other any longer. If we don’t get divorced, we’ll end up hating each other and neither one of us wants that.”
He was justifiably concerned that with New Jersey courts effectively closed whether it was even possible to obtain a divorce now. After asking Noah a few questions, I suggested that he and Evelyn are perfect candidates for our unique E-Divorce service.
How E-Divorce Helps New Jersey Men and Fathers
E-Divorce is designed for couples like Evelyn and Noah because they do not have complicated assets, it will be easy for them to agree on how to divide the debts they had incurred while married, and can decide how to settle questions about Hollis’ custody and support.
Noah retained the Micklin Law Group attorneys to represent him; I explained that lawyers can only represent one party in a dispute but we would complete and file the court documents on behalf of both of them once they had ironed out all of the details.
For instance, since their incomes were nearly identical spousal support was not something they had to even discuss. Also, they quickly agreed to be co-parents with Hollis spending one week with his mother and the next with dad. When the boy starts school, they would continue to co-parent but Hollis would be with his dad every other weekend and during holiday breaks while dividing summer vacation half and half.
The debt the couple had taken on was mostly their mortgage. Because Evelyn would continue to live in the marital home, she agreed to pay 60-percent of the mortgage once the divorce was granted. The couple each had their own credit card for personal purchases but a third card was used jointly to buy things for Hollis and their home. After spending a few hours sorting through the statements for that card, the couple decided it’d be simpler to use the money in their household checking account to pay off the balance and close the credit card account.
Within a week, they had everything in order including where Noah would live. His parents have a second home on the Jersey Shore and that’s where he is going to move while the divorce process moves forward.
We took the information they provided and completed all of the forms needed by a court. These got emailed to them, Noah and Evelyn each signed the documents and affidavits, and returned them to us. In New Jersey, court filings have been electronic for some time so we submitted everything to the family court in their county.
A hearing with a judge via video conference will be scheduled. When it comes up on the calendar, we will explain to the judge that everything is ready for his or her approval. Assuming the court feels that the property settlement and custody matters are fair and in Hollis’ best interests, the divorce will be granted.
New Jersey E-Divorce is Simpler, Faster and Less Expensive Than a Traditional Divorce
Although it’s hard to predict when Noah and Evelyn’s case will come up on the court schedule, neither Noah or Evelyn will have to appear. The entire E-Divorce process is ideal for couples that can agree amicably to all of the issues involved when a marriage ends but don’t want to contend with a DIY divorce and value the advice of experienced New Jersey family law attorneys.
Our FAQ page explains our online E-Divorce service in New Jersey in more detail. It is designed for couples like Noah and Evelyn who are able to agree on all aspects of their divorce without having to use attorneys to negotiate the details.
The E-Divorce attorneys at the Micklin Law Group in New Jersey are working remotely so we are in touch with each other and the court as well as client files thanks to our electronic infrastructure. If you are a man or father in New Jersey and wonder whether E-Divorce is right for you, we can meet with you in our Virtual Law Office or we can discuss your situation by phone at either 973.562.0100 in Nutley or, in Montclair, at 862.245.4620.
To schedule an appointment, please request a day/time here.
