Frequently Asked Questions

What makes The Law Office of Rajeh A. Saadeh, L.L.C., different?

We are client-centered and take pride in providing quality, diligent representation and excellent customer service. Our attorneys and staff keep our clients fully informed of their options and likelihoods so that they understand where their matter is and in which direction it can go.

What kind of legal issues can the law firm help me with?

Our primary practice areas are high-stakes divorce and family matters, commercial and residential real estate transactions and litigation, criminal defense, municipal court, and appeals. We have a number of other skill sets where we can provide assistance to your legal matter. If you are unsure whether we can help with your matter, call us. If it is not within our practice area, we can refer you to an attorney in our network.

Do I need to go to the law firm in person to start my case?

Most of our clients never come to the office in person. Even before the pandemic, we have been well equipped to provide video and telephone conferencing to help you wherever you may be, and we do our best to encourage courts and others involved in your matter to do the same.

How often can I expect to be contacted about my case?

You can expect to be contacted about your case as frequently as required. In active cases where there is heavy, ongoing action, there will be frequent client communication, which can even be multiple times per day, including by phone and email. In a more passive point in a matter, you will not be contacted about your case because there is nothing to discuss at that time. But as soon as activity recommences, you will be promptly notified.

How is custody determined in New Jersey?

Custody, parenting time, and visitation decisions in New Jersey are determined based on what is in the best interests of the children. There are two kinds of custody. Legal custody allocates the right to be involved in major decisions, and physical custody determines how much time each parent has with the children. Both parents are presumed to have equal parenting rights with one another, but that is only a presumption. It can be rebut by showing that it is in the children’s best interest for one parent to have more custodial rights, more parenting time, and more visitation than the other.

How long does a divorce take?

In New Jersey, a divorce that is not resolved by and between the divorcing spouses by way of agreement is supposed to take no more than one year to resolve by a judge in court. But, in some counties, there is significant backlog in the divorce docket, and there is a significant shortage of judges. Because of that, depending on where you are getting divorced, if you don’t reach an agreement with your spouse to settle your matter, it can take you over a year and a half to finally get divorced and have your matter decided.

How is property divided in divorce?

Unlike community property states, where all marital assets and debts are divided equally, New Jersey is an equitable distribution state. That means that any and all marital assets and debts are divisible between the spouses, but that division does not have to be equal. Although marital property and debt division are often equally divided, it does not have to be. A judge has a number of factors to consider in deciding how to divide marital assets. Nonmarital assets, including premarital assets, inheritances, and gifts received from others (i.e. not given from one spouse to the other), are not divisible in a divorce.

How is alimony determined?

In New Jersey, alimony may be awarded from one spouse to the other upon a divorce. Other terms for alimony include spousal support and maintenance.

There are different kinds of alimony, including limited durational, rehabilitative alimony, open durational, and reimbursement alimony. There is no such thing in New Jersey as permanent alimony or lifetime alimony. Here are the different types of alimony in New Jersey.

• Limited durational alimony is spousal support that has a specific duration and, therefore, a set expiration date. Once that date is reached, limited durational alimony ends.
• Rehabilitative alimony is designed to be temporary and to enable the supported spouse to gain the experience, skills, and education to again become self-sufficient and not need any or as much alimony otherwise.
• Open durational alimony is spousal support that does not have a specific duration or set expiration date. Usually, open durational alimony terminates upon the request of the payor to the court after reaching Social Security retirement age.
• Reimbursement alimony is not alimony at all. It is actually an amount calculated to reimburse a spouse for their reduced standard of living while the other spouse was pursuing education or training for a certificate or degree.

Contact Us To Get Your Questions Answered

The Law Office of Rajeh A. Saadeh, L.L.C., is dedicated to helping you and your loved ones understand these life-changing matters. We take great pride in the representation we provide to our clients, and we look forward to guiding you through these matters with the care and personal attention you deserve. Call our law office at 908-396-8330 to arrange a consultation. You may also fill out an online form and we will be in touch with you soon.