(973) 403-9200

Certified by The American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers’ (“AAML”) for Arbitration
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Certified by the Supreme Court of the State of New Jersey as a Matrimonial Law Attorney
Attorney Bio

Charles F.Vuotto, Jr., Esq was awarded the

Saul Tischler Award

on April 19, 2016
by the Family Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association

Domestic Violence Orders

Our Courts have rejected the suggestion that a one-year time period be engrafted onto New Jersey’s Domestic Violence Statute (N.J.S.A. 2C:25-29d) related to the duration of Final Restraining Orders. Such read more
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How to Locate the Best NJ Divorce Lawyer for You

If divorce is looming, it is highly advisable that you consult with an experienced family law attorney in or about the county where the marital home is located. Representing yourself read more
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NJ’s Child Support Guidelines

The premise of NJ’s Child Support Guidelines is that (1) child support is a continuous duty of both parents, (2) children are entitled to share in the current income of read more
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Civility Between Divorcing Parents is Key

Children have a paramount need to have functional rather than dysfunctional parents, who can civilly cooperate with each other and serve as positive role models for their children in the read more
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Mid-Week Visitation

As recently stated in an unpublished decision by Judge Jones from Ocean County, 1) A parenting schedule between divorced parents must reasonably consider a child’s best interests, including educational interests, read more
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Don’t Interfere with Other Parent’s Parenting

Don’t take sides or take issue with the day-to-day decisions or actions made by the other parent, especially in front of the children. For more information about your rights in read more
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Interventions for Children Going Through Divorce

“Current evidence suggests that the loss of contact with parents, economic difficulties, stress, parental adjustment and competence, and inter-parental conflict all contribute at least to some degree to the difficulties read more
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Determining Ability to Earn for Support Purposes

“One of the strongest indicators of a party’s ability to earn is the salary, which he or she was recently earning, especially when a party has been unemployed for only read more
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Voluntary Unemployment and Support

“A parent who voluntarily leaves the world of gainful employment for however a good reason, does not thereby foreclose inquiry into the need for child support and the responsibility for read more
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Imputation of Income and Support

There is no functional difference between imputing income to the supporting spouse earned from employment vs. that earned from investment. In both instances, the supporting spouse is required to earn read more
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Support and Income Generated by Assets

To the extent that income is generated by a dependent spouse’s inheritance or by any other asset, that income is crucial to the issue of that spouse’s ability to contribute. read more
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Conflict Hurts Children

Dr. Robert Hughes, Jr., Ph.D. of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign wrote a paper on the impact of divorce on children. He concluded, in part, that children in high-conflict read more
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Preparation and Divorce

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” (Benjamin Franklin) For more information about your rights in divorce, please contact Chuck Vuotto at cvuotto@starrgern.com or by phone at his read more
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Divorce and Fear

I have always said that the biggest thing impacting how a divorce will proceed is FEAR. As Ghandi said, “the enemy is fear. We think it is hate, but it read more
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Divorce and Anger

Forgive people in your life, even those who are not sorry for their actions. Holding on to anger only hurts you, not them. Anger will have a direct impact on read more
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Divorce is Not only an End But Also a Beginning

Divorce is not only an end, but also a beginning. Remember, “in life, the things that go wrong are often the very things that lead to other things going right.” read more
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Preparing a Marital History

In order to give your divorce attorney the information he or she needs, you should try to chronologically summarize all of the salient facts related to your relationship with your read more
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Significant Others and Children

Behave discreetly with other people in the children’s presence. For more information about your rights in divorce, please contact Chuck Vuotto at cvuotto@starrgern.com or by phone at his Roseland, NJ read more
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Plan Before the Divorce

Plan ahead for divorce. Remember, “it wasn’t raining when Noah built the ark.” (Howard Ruff) If you know that divorce is in your future, do your research, gather your information, read more
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Don’t Burden Children Going Through Divorce

Refrain from burdening the children with parental worries, especially parental financial, career or social problems. For more information about your rights in divorce, please contact Chuck Vuotto at cvuotto@starrgern.com or read more
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Cool Off Before Reacting to Ex-Spouse

Engage in a cooling off period before reacting to your spouses (or ex-spouses) upsetting communications. The worst thing you can do is to email/text back a nasty response hastily drafted read more
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Be Flexible in Visitation with Children

Be reasonably flexible in rearranging dates and time with the children to support important extended family events or activities important to the children. For more information about your rights in read more
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Review Your Divorce Lawyers Invoices

Divorce can be expensive. However, the cost can be unnecessarily increased by not reviewing the invoices that you receive from your professionals upon receipt. Don’t just look at the balance read more
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Calls With Children in Divorce

Use discretion as to the time and frequency of phone calls to the children. For more information about your rights in divorce, please contact Chuck Vuotto at cvuotto@starrgern.com or by read more
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Consistent and Predictable Roles in Child-Rearing

Take a consistent and predictable role in the children’s life, using time with the children to strengthen a relationship with him/her. For more information about your rights in divorce, please read more
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Don’t Argue in Front of Children

Refrain from fighting or arguing with the other parent in the presence of the children. For more information about your rights in divorce, please contact Chuck Vuotto at cvuotto@starrgern.com or read more
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Modifying Alimony

As to modifying an alimony obligation, it is the public policy of New Jersey that the legal obligation of the supporting spouse is superseded and ends on the remarriage of read more
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Joint Problem Solving in Divorce

Present a reasoned, open, cooperative, approach to solving problems and explicitly acknowledge the other parent’s concerns in family discussions. For more information about your rights in divorce, please contact Chuck read more
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Grandparent Visitation

Grandparent visitation: Pursuant to Moriarty v. Bradt, 177 N.J. 84(2003), cert. denied, 540 U.S. 1177 (2004), the New Jersey Supreme Court concluded that the need to avoid harm to the read more
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Parenting Decisions

Don’t take sides or take issue with the day-to-day decisions or actions made by the other parent, especially in front of the children. For more information about your rights in read more
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Give Adequate Notice of Changes in Timesharing

Give as much warning as possible to the other parent when requesting changes in schedules or plans. Except for emergencies, make changes in plans by mutual agreement with reasonable notice read more
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Can’t Bargain Away Child Support

Refrain from attempting to bargain away child support for other things that results in a lessening of support due for a child "[T]he right to support belongs to the child. read more
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Don’t Use Children as Messengers During Divorce

When in the midst of divorce or thereafter, don’t use the children as messengers between you and your spouse or ex-spouse. For more information about your rights in divorce, please read more
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Child Support Ends Upon Emancipation

Remember that "Emancipation of a child is reached when the fundamental dependent relationship between parent and child is concluded, the parent relinquishes the right to custody and is relieved of read more
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Avoiding Harm to Children in Divorce

Communicate with your spouse openly, honestly, and regularly to avoid misunderstandings which are harmful to the children, and to plan together as parents. For more information about your rights in read more
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Arbitration of Divorce Matters

Consider arbitration of your family law matter. The public policy of New Jersey favors arbitration. Arbitration is a process by which parties enter into a contract or agreement to have read more
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Encourage Love for the Other Parent in Divorce

Provide your children with an emotional environment in which she/he is free to continue to love the other parent. Encourage a good feeling from the children about the other parent read more
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How Proper Discovery Leads to Best Outcomes in Divorce

Learn About the Tools of Discovery: Very often, one spouse does not have complete knowledge of the other party’s assets, liabilities, income or activities. That is when “discovery” comes into read more
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Give Honest Answers to Children’s Questions About Divorce

Children of divorcing parents have the right to honest and age appropriate answers to questions about the changing family without placing blame on either parent. For more information about your read more
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Factors That are Considered When Establishing Alimony and Child Support

Summarize Your Education/Earnings & Employment Histories: There are many factors that are considered when establishing alimony and child support. These factors include, but are not limited to, the length of read more
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Don’t Involve Children in Divorce Disputes

Children involved in the divorce process have the right not to be perceived as a source of argument between the parents and particularly to be a willing or an unwilling read more
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Equitable Distribution in Divorce

List Assets & Liabilities: A major part of the case will be the “equitable distribution” of marital property. There are three main steps in the process of dividing marital property read more
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Present a United Front to Children Going Through Divorce

Remember that children have the right to be assured that the parents’ decision to divorce was not caused by anything in the children’s control. Once you’ve decided to divorce, try read more
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The Best Outcome in Divorce Starts with Information on Gathering

Gather Information & Documents: You can avoid many months of litigation and thousands of dollars by gathering and copying key financial records in advance including but not limited to: (a) read more
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Children’s Rights in Divorce

Children whose parents are divorcing have the right to continue to express love, affection and respect for each parent without having to stifle that love because of fear or disapproval read more
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Identifying Goals and Issues for Best Divorce Results

Identify Your Issues & List Your Goals (Wish List & Bottom Line): Once you have summarized your marital history to your attorney, identify your major issues (e.g., custody, time-sharing, alimony, read more
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Finding the Best Divorce Lawyer

There are certain attributes that you should look for in a divorce attorney. Of course, these attributes may vary depending on your needs and goals. However, primarily, you should look read more
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Children of Divorce

Children of divorcing parties have the right to continuing care and guidance from both parents and to learn about and appreciate what is good in each parent. For more information read more
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Marital Fault and Divorce

With certain limited exceptions, courts do not usually consider who was at fault in the break up of the marriage when dealing with financial issues. Therefore, as hard as it read more
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Marital Lifestyle and Alimony – Child Support

Marital Lifestyle is a statutory factor for various aspects of a divorce including child support, alimony, and property division. You need to give the underlying information to your attorney so read more
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Children’s Feelings and Divorce

Remember that children of divorcing parties have the right to a relaxed, secure and continuing relationship with both parents and to be able to experience regular and consistent contact with read more
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Divorce and Emotions

Keep emotions in check. Fear and other emotional reactions to the breakup of a marriage, while totally understandable, can derail your ultimate goal of a fair, economical and expeditious resolution read more
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