Florham Park New Jersey Family Law Blog

People in New Jersey who make the choice to separate from or divorce their spouse know that they will have many new concerns to contend with and decisions to make. In the midst of navigating complex negotiations about asset and debt division, child support, parenting time schedules and more, divorcing spouses should also take the time to focus on their health. There is a body of research that indicates a person's physical and emotional health is subject to a dip during this time, and perhaps even after.

MarketWatch indicates that a study of more than 5,700 people, the results of which were published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, found that participants who were separated or divorced had a 46% greater chance of death during the study period. The study did calibrate to factor in ages, genders, beginning health status and more. In general, it found that people who were married reported a higher satisfaction with their lives overall.

Financial security is important for children, especially if their parents are divorced. Living and moving between two different households can be hard for kids, but child support can make things easier by providing relatively similar standards of life. This is why it is extremely important that parents not only pay child support, but that judges order the correct amount.

The idea of paying child support can sometimes be uncomfortable. You might feel worried about paying your ex-spouse and wonder whether he or she will use the money exclusively for things pertaining to your child. Here are a few things you should know about child support that might make you feel better about having to pay.

When parents in New Jersey are not able to take care of their children, on either a short-term, long-term or permanent basis, it often falls to relatives, such as grandparents, aunts, uncles or cousins, to step up and care for the child. There are several different legal arrangements through which this can take place, including adoption and kinship legal guardianship. The two may resemble each other in many ways, but according to the NJ Department of Children and Families, there are several significant differences that you should be aware of if you intend to take responsibility for the care of a young relative. 

Both adoptive parents and kinship legal guardians have decision-making authority over a child younger than 18 whom the state has placed into their care. The main difference between KLG and adoption is that the latter terminates the rights of the birth parents regarding the child, while the former does not.

If you want to adopt a child in New Jersey, the first step is understanding the requirements. You may need to complete training and obtain a license prior to entering the state's adoption system. Additionally, there may be eligibility criteria that apply to the prospective child. If you decide not to continue working through the process with the state, you may choose instead to become a foster parent or pursue adoption through a licensed private agency.

Within New Jersey's Department of Children and Families, the Foster and Adoptive Family Services branch manages the adoption process. You may find basic information on the process by contacting the FAFS staff. If you decide to continue toward adoption after gathering the initial facts from FAFS, you may have one or more meetings with a Child Protection & Permanency Local Office Resource Family Recruiter. The recruiter may provide details on the circumstances of children in need of adoption and describe the requirements you must meet to get your license.