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THE BERNARDS-RIDGE CONNECTION
SEPT/OCT/NOV 2017
Jeralyn L. Lawrence jllawrence@nmmlaw.com 400 Crossing Boulevard . 8th Floor Bridgewater, NJ 08807 t: 908-252-4278 • f: 908-722-0755 www.nmmlaw.com I knew as early as the sixth grade that I wanted to be a lawyer. My father is a retired juvenile detective, and I developed my love for the law through him. Law school proved challenging, requiring round-the- clock studying, but this diligence allowed me to graduate second in my class. Throughout law school and to this day, I have remained intrigued by how the law changes, whether it be in case decisions writ- ten by judges or by statutes enact- ed through the legislature and then signed by the governor. Either way, the laws, and the daily lives of my clients, are impacted by any change. Having the popular childhood car- toon “School House Rock – How a Bill Becomes a Law,” as my only prior experience of the legislative process, I certainly was not pre- pared for how significant the influ- ence of the legislative and execu- tive branches can be on the law. Practitioners of divorce and family law still grapple with the recent legislative changes to the alimony laws. The legislature saw fit to move a bill instituting changes to alimony, and in 2014, the governor signed the bill into law. Since that time, alimony payers and recipients have been analyzing the law and how it impacts their individual cir- cumstances. The new law deals with the length of time alimony is paid as well as changes in circum- stances that are used to modify alimony. It is an important statute that is being interpreted and, unfortunately, misinterpreted, daily. Further legislative action was recently taken concerning child support. New Jersey receives feder- al funding based on how many open child support accounts the probation department maintains. To cut down on unnecessary open accounts, the legislature drafted, and the governor ultimately signed, a bill providing for a termination of child support by a set age. This ter- mination, however, is not the same as emancipation; even in light of this new statute, if a child is not self-sufficient, child support may continue. When dealing with a divorce or family law matter, it is important to be aware of any changes to the law as a result of a judge’s decision, but equally important to have an understanding of the legislative process and bills the governor signs into law and how they impact your individual situation. A LOOK INTO THE LEGISLATIVE IMPACT ON FAMILY LAW By: Jeralyn L. Lawrence, Esq. Norris McLaughlin & Marcus, P.A. www.theconnectionsnj.com