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Despite the impact of COVID-19, we are open and continuing to meet the needs of our existing clients and new clients without interruption or change in the quality of our services. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any concerns, questions or requests for information about your matter. At this time we are offering appointments via telephonic and/or video conferencing.
To help out during these trying times we are offering Free Consultations. Click here to Schedule a Consultation.

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COVID-19 Information

Despite the impact of COVID-19, we are open and continuing to meet the needs of our existing clients and new clients without interruption or change in the quality of our services. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any concerns, questions or requests for information about your matter. At this time we are offering appointments via telephonic and/or video conferencing.
To help out during these trying times we are offering Free Consultations. Click here to Schedule a Consultation.

Make a Payment
Newsome O'Donnell | Family Law

We Listen. We Think. We Find Solutions.
973-692-6317

Let Our Experience
Help You Meet Your Goals

Photo of Lynn Fontaine Newsome and Edward J. O’Donnell
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Edward J. O’Donnell

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Location:

Morristown, NJ

Phone:

(973) 692-6317

Fax:

973-692-6377

Email:

Areas Of Practice

  • Family Law

Certified Legal Specialties

  • Certified Matrimonial Attorney, New Jersey Supreme Court, 1998

Bar Admissions

  • New Jersey, 1983
  • U.S. District Court District of New Jersey, 1983

Education

  • Seton Hall University School of Law, Newark, New Jersey
    • J.D. - 1983
  • Montclair State University, Upper Montclair, New Jersey
    • B.A. - 1978

Published Works

  • New Jersey Family Law Practice, (Contributing Author), NJICLE, 10th ed., 2001
  • Traps for the Unwary, (Family Law Chapter), Essex County Bar Foundation, 1997
  • Commentary, Baby M: A Disquieting Decision, Seton Hall Law Review, Vol. 18, No. 4, 1988
  • Surrogacy: A Cure for Infertility?, The National Law Journal, November 2, 1987

Representative Cases

  • Matter of Baby M., 109 N.J. 396, 1988, New Jersey Supreme Court, 1988017355
  • Matter of Jobes, 108 N.J. 394, 1987, New Jersey Supreme Court, 1987082583
  • Kamen v. Egan, 322 N.J. Super. 222 , 1999, App. Div., 1999140066
  • Boardman v. Boardman, 314 N. J. Super. 340, 1998, App. Div., 1998168084
  • Ruprecht v. Ruprecht, 252 N.J. Super. 230 , 1991, New Jersey Superior Court, Chancery Division, 1991209926
  • Lerman v. Lerman, 245 N.J. Super. 312 , 1990, New Jersey Superior Court, Chancery Division, 1991036262
  • J.S. v. L.S., 389 N.J. Super. 200 , 2007, App. Div., certif. denied 192 N.J. 295

Classes/Seminars

  • "Evidence for Family Lawyers", New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 2002 to 2002
  • "Issues Involving the Highly Compensated Litigant", New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Meeting, 2002 to 2002
  • "Best Practices and Experts", Essex County Bar Association, Family Law Bench Bar Committee, 2002 to 2002
  • "Settlement Techniques", New Jersey State Bar Association, Family Law Section Bench Bar Conference, 2002 to 2002
  • "The Top 40: Matrimonial Law's Greatest Hits", New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 2002 to 2002
  • "Baby M. Revisited", Bergen County Bar Association, 2002 to 2002
  • "Preparing Your Case for Trial Readiness", Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), 2001 to 2001
  • "How to Survive in the Courts", Essex County Bar Association, Young Lawyers Section, 2001 to 2001
  • "Evidence for Family Lawyers", New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 2001 to 2001
  • "Best Practices for Family Lawyers", New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 2001 to 2001
  • "Best Practices in Essex County", Essex County Bar Association Family Law Bench Bar Committee, 2001 to 2001
  • "How to Survive Traps and Minefields in Family Law Practice", New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 2001 to 2001
  • "Equitable Distribution: Tips, Traps & Techniques", New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 2001 to 2001
  • "Alternative Reproduction Technologies", Pennsylvania Bar Institute, Family Law Symposium, Philadelphia, PA, 2000 to 2000
  • "The Truth About Alimony", Essex County Bar Foundation, 2000 to 2000
  • "The New Alimony Statute", New Jersey State Bar Association Retreat, Baltimore, MD, 2000 to 2000
  • "Domestic Violence", New Jersey Family Law Inns of Court, 2000 to 2000
  • "Estate Planning Issues in Matrimonial Law", New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 1999 to 1999
  • "The Top 40: Matrimonial Law's Greatest Hits", New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 1999 to 1999
  • "Marital Agreements: Pre-Nuptial, Mid-Marriage and Property Settlement Agreement", New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 1999 to 1999
  • "Negotiating and Drafting Property Settlement Contracts, 'Doing It Right'", New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 1998 to 1999
  • "Third Annual Bench Bar Conference", Essex County Bar Foundation, Family Law Section, 1998 to 1998
  • "Trial of a Matrimonial Case" and "Custody Issues for the New Millennium", Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), 1998 to 1998
  • "Traps for the Unwary", Essex County Bar Foundation, 1998 to 1998
  • "Introduction to Equitable Distribution", New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 1998 to 1998
  • "Post-Judgment Lepis Applications", New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), Second Annual Family Law Summer Institute, 1997 to 1997
  • "Surviving the Practice of Family Law", Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA); Boardwalk Seminar, 1997 to 1997
  • "Settlement Conference", New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE); 1996 Family Law Summer Institute, 1996 to 1996
  • "The Top 40: Matrimonial Law's Greatest Hits", New Jersey Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 1995 to 1995
  • "Equitable Distribution: Cutting Edge Issues for 1995 and Beyond", New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE), 1995 to 1995
  • "Sexual and Domestic Violence Personal Injury Claims", The Canadian Institute, Toronto, Ontario, 1994 to 1994
  • "Hot Tips Seminar", Essex County Bar Foundation, Family Law Section, 1993 to 1993
  • "Documents and Writings in Evidence: The Hearsay Rule and it's Exceptions", Administrative Office of the Courts, Child Support Hearing Officer Program, 1991 to 1991
  • "Bioethics and the Law", United Jewish Federation of MetroWest, Business and Professional Women's Counsel, Panel Discussion, 1991 to 1991
  • "Sexual Abuse Allegations in Custody Litigation", Essex County Bar Association, Family Law Section, 1989 to 1989
  • "Equitable Distribution: What, When & How -- Asset Valuation & Use of Experts", Bergen County Bar Association, Family Law Section, 1988 to 1988
  • "Alternatives to Infertility and Unanswered Legal Questions", University of West Virginia, Charleston, West Virginia, 1988 to 1988
  • "Trial Tactics in the Baby M Case", Association of Trial Lawyers of America (ATLA), Family Law Section, Kansas City, Missouri, 1988 to 1988
  • "Surrogacy: Feminist Viewpoints", Women's Bar Association of the State of New York, Bolton Landing, New York, 1988 to 1988
  • "Surrogacy in the Aftermath of Baby M", University of Pittsburgh, School of Law, Women's Law Caucus, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1988 to 1988
  • "Surrogate Parenting and the Infertility Epidemic", Monroe County Citizens Day Conference on the Law, Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, 1987 to 1987
  • "Surrogate Parenting", University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1987 to 1987
  • "Surrogacy: An Alternative Means of Human Reproduction and the Baby M Case", Northampton County Bench/Bar Conference, Buck Hill, Pennsylvania, Panel Discussion, 1987 to 1987
  • "Surrogacy, A Cure for Infertility", National Association of Legal Secretaries, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1987 to 1987
  • "Court TV", New York, New York, 2002 to 2002
  • "Due Process", Court TV, New York, New York, 1998 to 1998
  • "Prime Time Justice", Court TV, New York, New York, 1994 to 1994
  • "Your Community Connection", WMTR, Morristown, New Jersey, 1994 to 1994
  • "The Jessee Freese Show", WMTR, Morristown, New Jersey, 1993 to 1993
  • "The McLaughlin Show", CNBC, New York, New York, 1990 to 1990
  • "Lawline", WHWH, Princeton, New Jersey, 1987 to 1987
  • "Legally Speaking", KSTP, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 1987 to 1987
  • National Public Radio, WNYC, New York, New York, 1987 to 1987
  • "Hour Magazine", Fox Television Network, Hollywood, California, 1986 to 1986
  • "A Current Affair", Fox Television Network, New York, New York, 1986 to 1986

Honors and Awards

  • Essex County Bar Association Family Law Attorney Achievement Award
  • Alfred C. Clapp Award for Excellence in Continuing Legal Education
  • Legal Services of NJ, Equal Justice Medal
  • AV rated – Martindale Hubbell

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Supreme Court of New Jersey, Appointee, District Ethics Committee, 2001 to 2002
  • New Jersey State Bar Association, Section of Family Law, Exec. Committee, 1995
  • New Jersey State Bar Association, Chair, Equitable Distribution Sub-Committee, 2001 to 2002
  • Essex County Bar Association, Trustee, 2000
  • Essex County Bar Association, Chair., Family Law Committee, 1996 to 2001
  • Essex Newark Legal Services, Trustee, 1996 to 1999
  • American Inns of Court, Master, New Jersey Family Law Inns of Court, 1993
  • American Bar Association, Family Law Section
  • Essex County Bar Association, President, 2008 to 2009

Past Employment Positions

  • Skoloff & Wolfe, P.C., Partner, 1984 to 2002
  • State of New Jersey, Law Clerk to Hon. Herbert S. Glickman, 1983 to 1984