U.S. State Considers Controversial Bill to Make Divorce More Difficult

We don’t practice family law in Oklahoma (or anywhere close to Oklahoma), but here at South Jersey-based DeMichele & DeMichele, P.C., we keep an eye on national happenings and trends in the family law field because sometimes those changes eventually impact our clients. I wouldn’t bet on this particular effort to reach New Jersey but it’s worth discussing nevertheless. New Jersey is like most U.S. states; we transitions many years ago to “no fault” divorce. In Oklahoma late last month, an extremely controversial divorce-related bill began working its way through that state’s legislature. One major change? The “guilty” party would bear liability at the time of divorce. “For example, if a woman proves in court her husband is impotent, she’ll automatically get 75 percent of everything they own,” is just one of the many reported hypothetical scenarios. Some local attorneys believe that the effort, designed to make couples think before entering into the divorce process, would do far more harm than good by ramping up the cost (and financial and emotional) associated with divorce. For example, divorcees in Oklahoma might need to return to the days of proving adultery to get a leg-up on the other party in the courtroom. No such legislation is currently being contemplated in N.J. We’ll let you know if there are any developments from Oklahoma’s ongoing debate. Do you have questions about your New Jersey divorce case? Help is only a quick phone call or e-mail away. Navigating difficult family legal disputes is our passion! We’re here to walk you through the process and achieve a best-case outcome given the facts of your case. If you have any questions regarding divorce generally, alimony, equitable distribution, the determination of income for child support, custody, parenting time, or any other family court matters in New Jersey, please contact us online today or call (856) 546-1350 for a confidential consultation with one of our skilled New Jersey family court lawyers. _____