Saddle River Divorce Lawyer

If you are considering divorce or have been served with papers by your spouse, the decisions you make in the first few weeks will shape the rest of the process. Our Saddle River, NJ divorce lawyer helps clients think through custody, support, property division, and timing before anything gets filed or signed.

At Kantrowitz, Goldhamer, Graifman, Perlmutter & Carballo, P.C., we’ve handled matrimonial matters for Bergen County clients since 1975. Schedule a confidential consultation to talk through your situation.

Why Choose KGG Law for Divorce in Saddle River, NJ?

Five Decades of Matrimonial Practice in Bergen County

Our firm was co-founded in 1975 and has built its reputation in part on divorce and family law.

Randy J. Perlmutter is a partner at the firm and focuses his practice primarily on divorce and family law. He’s practiced in this area for over twenty years, having joined KGG in 2002. Randy has been repeatedly selected as a Super Lawyer in the New York Metro area across multiple years, and serves as an Early Settlement Panelist in Bergen County, where he reviews pending family law cases and advises parties on settlement possibilities. That Panel service sharpens the case assessment he brings to his own clients’ matters.

Barry S. Kantrowitz is the Managing Attorney at KGG Law, admitted in New Jersey, New York, and Florida, and before the United States Supreme Court. He’s practiced for over 40 years and holds the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell. His oversight of the firm’s complex civil litigation informs how our matrimonial practice handles issues that overlap with business valuation, real estate, and commercial disputes.

Responsiveness

Divorce is emotionally draining, and unanswered questions make it worse. We return calls. We explain what’s happening and what comes next.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Randy Pearlmutter & his entire team were amazing. They helped navigate what could have been a difficult situation & made the whole process much smoother. We appreciate the lawyers as well as the staff that worked so hard to get us such a positive outcome. Thank you Kantrowitz, Goldhamer & Graifman P.C.!!” — Jaclyn Smith

Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.

Types of Divorce Matters We Handle in Saddle River

No two divorces look alike. Some are resolved in a few months with minimal conflict. Others involve years of contested litigation over custody, assets, or support. We handle the full range:

• Contested divorce. When the parties can’t agree on custody, support, or property, the case proceeds through discovery, motions, and potentially trial. We prepare every contested case as if it’s going to trial, because preparing that way often produces a better settlement.
• Uncontested divorce. When spouses have worked out the terms and just need the paperwork and court process handled correctly, we move the case efficiently through the Bergen County Family Division. Uncontested doesn’t mean unimportant. The agreement you sign will govern your life for years.
• High net worth divorce. Cases involving business interests, executive compensation, investment portfolios, and multiple properties require forensic accounting, tax analysis, and detailed asset tracing. We handle these regularly.
• Prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Whether drafting, enforcing, or challenging a premarital or postmarital agreement, the details matter. Proper disclosure, independent counsel, and the circumstances of signing all affect whether an agreement holds up.
• Alimony and spousal support. New Jersey recognizes four types of alimony, each with different rules on duration and modification. Whether you expect to pay or receive support, we work through the analysis with you before positions get locked in.
• Child custody and parenting time. Courts decide custody and parenting time based on the best interests of the child. The factors the court considers are specific, and how they apply to your family matters.
• Child support. New Jersey’s child support guidelines produce a baseline figure, but deviations happen in cases involving high income, special needs, or shared parenting arrangements.
• Division of marital assets. New Jersey is an equitable distribution state. Fair doesn’t mean equal, and getting to a fair result on the division of marital property requires documentation, valuation, and sometimes hard negotiation.

New Jersey Legal Requirements for Divorce

New Jersey law sets specific requirements for filing for a divorce and for the issues that come with it. Under N.J.S.A. 2A:34-10, at least one spouse must have been a bona fide resident of New Jersey for twelve consecutive months immediately before filing. The only exception is for divorces based on adultery, where the twelve-month requirement is waived.

New Jersey recognizes both no-fault and fault-based grounds for divorce under N.J.S.A. 2A:34-2. The most commonly used ground is irreconcilable differences, a no-fault basis requiring that the couple has experienced a breakdown of the marriage for at least six months with no reasonable prospect of reconciliation. Fault grounds include adultery, extreme cruelty, desertion, and separation of eighteen or more months. Most divorces in New Jersey proceed on no-fault grounds because proving fault generally doesn’t affect the financial outcome.

Property division follows equitable distribution under N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23.1, which directs courts to consider sixteen factors when dividing marital property. These include the length of the marriage, each party’s age and health, the standard of living established during the marriage, each spouse’s economic circumstances, and the contributions of each party, including as a homemaker, to the acquisition of assets. Pre-marital property, inheritances, and gifts to one spouse generally remain separate unless commingled.

Alimony in New Jersey was significantly restructured by the 2014 alimony reform legislation. The statute at N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23 now provides for open durational alimony (generally reserved for marriages of twenty years or more), limited duration alimony, rehabilitative alimony, and reimbursement alimony. For marriages under twenty years, the duration of alimony generally cannot exceed the length of the marriage.

The New Jersey Courts divorce resource guide provides background information, though self-help materials don’t replace strategic advice tailored to your circumstances.

Important Aspects of a Saddle River Divorce Case

Grounds and Filing

The case begins with a Complaint for Divorce filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Family Division, in the county where one of the spouses resides. For Saddle River residents, that’s Bergen County. The complaint identifies the grounds, provides basic information about the marriage, and requests specific relief. Missteps in filing can cause delay, so the complaint should be drafted with care.

Early Settlement Panel

Bergen County, like other New Jersey counties, uses an Early Settlement Panel in contested divorces. Volunteer attorneys review the case and offer non-binding recommendations on economic issues. Many cases settle at or shortly after ESP. Preparing thoroughly for ESP often changes the trajectory of the case.

Discovery and Financial Disclosure

Both parties must exchange detailed financial information through the Case Information Statement and supporting documents. Tax returns, pay stubs, account statements, debt records, and business documents all come into play. Complete and accurate disclosure isn’t optional, and hiding assets, when discovered, damages credibility and can lead to sanctions.

Custody Determinations

Custody decisions turn on the best interests of the child, weighing a statutory list of factors that includes the parents’ ability to cooperate, the child’s relationship with each parent, the safety of the child, the child’s needs, and where applicable, the child’s preference. Legal custody (decision-making) and physical custody (residence and parenting time) are separate concepts and often determined differently.

Equitable Distribution in Practice

Identifying marital property, valuing it, and dividing it fairly requires methodical work. Retirement accounts, pensions, investment accounts, and real property each have their own rules and tax considerations. The home, in particular, is often the most emotionally charged asset and benefits from realistic conversations about what keeping it really costs.

Support Orders

Child support in New Jersey follows a guideline calculation based on each parent’s income, the number of overnights, and certain adjustments. Alimony is more fact-specific and depends on the statutory factors. Both orders can be modified based on changed circumstances, but modifications require a formal application and supporting proof.

Contact KGG Law

If you’re facing a divorce, the sooner you understand your legal position, the better your decisions will be. We offer confidential consultations for clients in Saddle River and throughout Bergen County. Bring what you have, including recent tax returns, a list of major assets and debts, and any agreements you’ve signed, and we’ll give you a straight assessment.

Contact us to schedule your consultation.