Salem County is one of the southernmost counties in New Jersey and the county has a population of over 65,000. In Salem County, matters pertaining to the law are resolved by the Salem County Superior Court. The Family Division handles all issues of Family Law within Salem County, including cases of child support and alimony. While these issues are commonly associated with divorce, child support can be assigned outside of a divorce case.
Child Support In Salem County
When a parents are engaged in a custody battle, one of the most hotly debated issues is the support of the child. Child support is a payment from one parent to another with the intent of supporting the child financially. In Salem County, child support can be filed in one of two ways. Depending on the custody order, child support can be filed with either a Sole Parenting Worksheet or a Shared Parenting Worksheet. Typically, a child support order for a sole parenting custody arrangement, under New Jersey law, will have a higher level of financial support than a shared custody order. Also per New Jersey law, child support orders are typically drafted with some type of expiration date. If an expiration date is not provided, then the supporting parent can request termination or modification when circumstances change or when the child is old enough.
Alimony In Salem County
Alimony is financial support for a spouse during or after divorce proceedings. In Salem County, alimony typically fits in to one of five different categories. The most common type of alimony that can be assigned is alimony pendente lite (APL), sometimes called "temporary alimony." This is meant to support a spouse while the divorce proceedings are taking place. Another common type of alimony is limited duration alimony, which supports a spouse for a brief time after the divorce, usually until the spouse can support themselves. Rehabilitative alimony can sometimes be assigned when a spouse must go to rehabilitative services for a substance abuse problem. Reimbursement alimony can be assigned when one spouse helped the other through education, but the divorce happened before they could fully reap the benefits of that education. Finally, permanent alimony will be assigned for cases where one of the spouses sacrificed significant career or educational opportunities in order to keep the marriage intact. Permanent alimony is rarely assigned. Factors that contribute to a judge's decision of whether or not to assign alimony include the length of the marriage, age of the spouses, the incomes of both spouses, and in a "fault" divorce scenario, the faults of the wrongful spouse will also be considered in an alimony order. The judge may also consider other factors, depending on what each spouses individual needs are.
Contact a New Jersey Family Law Attorney
If you or a loved one is involved in child support or alimony proceedings in Salem County, NJ, contact attorney Joseph D. Lento today.
