Hudson County is located just west of the lower Hudson River and New York City. This area of New Jersey has a population of over 600,000 residents, and its largest community is Jersey City. The County is home to several museums and exhibition spaces, including Ellis Island and Liberty State Park and Science Center, the Bayonne Firefighter’s Museum, the Kearney Museum, and the Hoboken Historical Museum. The Waterfront 9/11 Memorial is also a point of interest located in downtown Jersey City. As with anywhere else in the state, individuals in Hudson County sometimes decide to undergo the process of dissolving a marriage. Knowledgeable Hudson County divorce attorney Brian D. Iton aims to handle these cases in an efficient and cost-effective manner. He tries to turn what can be protracted and contested cases into uncontested cases in which spouses can finalize their divorce at a low cost.
Divorce is the legal termination of a marriage. Whether a divorce case starts off contested or uncontested, once the issues are settled only one court appearance is required to finalize the divorce and make it official. In most New Jersey counties only one person is required to appear to finalize a settled or uncontested divorce case. However, in Hudson County, and a few other smaller counties, the court allows an uncontested or settled divorce to be presented to the court “on the papers” with no oral testimony taken in court.
To dissolve a marriage in the state of New Jersey, either party must be a resident of the state for at least one year preceding the filing. It is important to note that you do not need to live at one address for that entire year, but instead you can move anywhere within the state over the course of that one year. Your residency status is shown through a sworn complaint. Also, assuming that you have met the residency requirements, once your divorce complaint is filed in the State of New Jersey, the court has jurisdiction of your case, and you can immediately relocate out of state.
New Jersey is an equitable distribution state, which means that the marital estate will be divided in an equitable but not necessarily exactly even manner. If the husband and wife cannot agree on a settlement of their issues, the court will determine what is reasonable and fair in the situation by considering a number of factors, including the length of the marriage, the age and health of each spouse, the income of each spouse, the debts and liabilities of each spouse, and the education and earning potential of each spouse. Some more complex issues that may also be relevant include the tax consequences of the proposed division of property, how much time each spouse spent at home and with the children, other contributions by each spouse to the family unit, and the standard of living maintained by the couple over the course of the marriage. Prior agreements that the spouses have arranged regarding the division of property may be reviewed and considered, but they are not necessarily decisive.
Brian D. Iton has helped many individuals in Hudson County and beyond resolve a range of complex family law matters, such as contested and uncontested divorces. We know that this can be a difficult time for our clients, and we are committed to giving you the time and attention that you need. We can answer your questions regarding divorce and help you understand the nuances of related issues, such as alimony, child support, and property division. Our firm assists individuals from throughout New Jersey, including in Hackensack, Paterson, Jersey City, and Newark. For a free consultation with a Hudson County divorce lawyer, contact us online or call our toll-free number at (844) 431-3380.