A Look at the Superior Court of New Jersey – Divorce / Family Part Court Process in Hudson County

As a New Jersey divorce attorney, I have seen a lot happen in the courtroom and in and around the courtroom. Sometimes the court is so civilized and orderly, other times it seems like the Jerry Springer Show is being taped live in the courtroom. This article focuses on the Hudson County neighborhood located at 595 Newark Avenue, Jersey City, New Jersey.

Divorce Cases in Hudson County, New Jersey

While each county court must abide by the rules of the New Jersey court, each county has its own approach. Today’s article focuses on the Hudson County Family Court.

The presiding judge for the family is Judge Maureen Sogluizzo. Judge Sogluizzo manages the family part bank and also handles a heavy load of marriage / divorce cases. The Judge is impartial and does not tolerate alienation from parents and has great respect for the people of the Armed Forces. Through his leadership, a very important program during divorce litigation is the expansion of the Advance Resolution Panel, which gives people who have attorneys a great opportunity to resolve their cases without going through the expense and stress of a trial. .

Judge Daniel D’Alessandro

The next judge, Judge D’Alessandro, is a lifelong Jersey City and Hudson County resident. For many years he owned his own law firm on Kennedy Blvd in Jersey City, New Jersey, before being appointed Superior Court judge in the Hudson neighborhood. Judge D’Alessandro is a very calm judge who rarely raises his voice and is someone who takes his time to make decisions. The judge focuses his calendar primarily on divorce cases, child custody, and post-divorce motions.

Judge Maureen Mantineo

Judge Mantineo is the former presiding judge of the family division until she went to work on civil cases for a brief period. The bench and the bar warmly welcome you. Judge Mantineo is someone who is focused, works very hard and is easy to like and will like him if he is sincere. Judge Mantineo values ​​the relationship between mother and son and father and son despite the problems parents may have.

Quick Synopsis of New Jersey Contested Divorce Timeline

• Divorce is filed and the opposing party is notified
• The opposing party files a response or appearance.
• A case management conference is held in which the attorneys present the issues in dispute to the judge and the amount of time they need to carry out what is called discovery.
• Discovery begins: Each party has the right to request information from the other party based on the issues in dispute. Examples of requested or requested items are: bank statements, tax returns, retirement asset statements, debt statements, employment records, loan documents, and more.
• Once the discovery is complete or nearing completion, the parties attend the Advance Settlement Panel (ESP) in the local Superior Court, where each side presents its positions to the panelists who will issue a non-binding opinion of the case and how it should resolve.
• After the ESP, the parties appear before the Judge and explain if the matter is resolved and if not, they must choose an economic mediator to try to resolve it there for the last time. A test date can be given at this post-ESP conference.
• If the parties do not resolve all the issues, the remaining issues will be judged before the judge for a decision. Family Court trials are trials by Judges, not by Jury.
• The decision is made. The parties have 45 days to appeal.