Shrewsbury Family Lawyer

Most people who call a family lawyer want the same thing: a clear path to a settled home life, a workable schedule with their kids, and finances they can plan around. Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC is a law firm centered on divorce and family law, and as a Shrewsbury family lawyer team it represents spouses and parents in divorce, custody, support, prenuptial agreements, post-judgment disputes, and domestic violence cases. The firm serves Shrewsbury and surrounding Monmouth County communities, along with clients in Ocean and Middlesex Counties and across New Jersey.

Family cases in this part of Monmouth County rarely involve only a marriage. A divorce may sit on top of a family business, a restaurant lease, a real estate portfolio, or royalties from creative work. A custody dispute may be tangled up with a restraining order. The sections below walk through how these cases actually work in New Jersey, what the courts look at, and what to do first.

Why Choose Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC as Your Shrewsbury Family Law Firm

Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC is a full-service firm whose practice is centered on divorce and family law. The firm represents individuals, families, and business owners throughout Monmouth County, including Shrewsbury, Red Bank, Rumson, Middletown, Holmdel, Colts Neck, Tinton Falls, Freehold, Long Branch, and Asbury Park, as well as clients in Ocean County, Middlesex County, and elsewhere in the state. Clients are communicated with clearly, calls are returned, and each step is explained in plain terms.

Richard Sanvenero, the firm’s Managing Partner, is a New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Matrimonial Attorney. He previously served as a law clerk in the Family Part of the Superior Court of New Jersey, which means he has seen how these cases look from the bench side, and he is trained in mediation, arbitration, and collaborative divorce. That range matters because not every family case belongs in a courtroom, and not every one can stay out of it. Joshua Cittadino, Founding Partner, brings experience in real estate, construction litigation, personal injury, employment matters, and business transactions, which becomes useful when a marital estate includes property or a company. Mike Canarick, Of Counsel, is a tax and estate planning attorney who helps when a divorce raises tax consequences or requires updating wills, trusts, and beneficiary designations.

The firm’s attorneys are admitted in New Jersey, New York, Florida, and the District of Columbia, and several have been recognized by Super Lawyers. Because the firm works alongside colleagues in business, real estate, estate planning, and litigation, a client with overlapping issues gets one coordinated team rather than several disconnected firms.

Family Law Issues We Handle for Shrewsbury Clients

• Divorce and Equitable Distribution: New Jersey divides marital property under an equitable distribution standard, which aims for fairness and does not automatically mean a 50/50 split. Homes, retirement accounts, business interests, and stock compensation are all examined.
• High Net Worth Divorce: Cases involving closely held businesses, professional practices, executive compensation, trusts, inherited wealth, or royalty income often call for forensic accountants and business valuation professionals working with the legal team.
• Child Custody and Parenting Time: Custody turns on the best interests of the child. The state’s custody statute was amended to make child safety a threshold issue, give children’s preferences more weight, and limit court-ordered reunification therapy, so parenting plans now get examined with that lens.
• Alimony: Duration is tied to the length of the marriage, and permanent alimony no longer exists. Disputes frequently center on income, lifestyle evidence, and claims that a spouse is earning less than they could.
• Child Support: New Jersey uses an income shares model, where both parents’ incomes shape the award. Self-employment income, bonuses, and commissions are common points of conflict.
• Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements: Agreements must be in writing, supported by full financial disclosure, and give each side the chance to consult independent counsel, or they risk being challenged later. Business owners, second marriages, family wealth, and artists with intellectual property are typical clients.
• Post-Judgment Modification and Enforcement: Job loss, a business downturn, retirement, cohabitation, emancipation, and unpaid child-related expenses all bring clients back to court after the divorce is final.
• Domestic Violence and Restraining Orders: Whether you are seeking protection or defending against an allegation, the restraining order case often shapes custody, housing, and finances at the same time.

What to Do in the First Weeks of a Divorce or Custody Case

Start with residency and timing. At least one spouse generally must have been a New Jersey resident for a year before a divorce complaint is filed, with adultery as the exception. New Jersey has no general mandatory waiting period after filing, so the speed of a case depends on how quickly the issues get resolved, not on a calendar.

Next, gather documents before anyone feels pressure to hide or move anything. Tax returns, pay records, bank and retirement statements, mortgage and deed paperwork, business financials, and a list of debts will drive nearly every decision about support and property. If you run a business or have creative income, bring contracts and statements that show how money actually flows in.

Family Part matters for Monmouth County residents are filed in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Chancery Division, Family Part, at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold. If you live closer to the Ocean or Middlesex County line, your case may belong to the Family Division in Toms River or the Family Courthouse in New Brunswick instead, so venue is worth confirming at the start.

A few mistakes come up again and again. Moving out of the home without a parenting plan in place can affect the custody conversation later. Posting about the case on social media hands the other side material. Making large purchases, opening new credit, or moving money between accounts can look like dissipation of marital assets. And agreeing to a quick informal arrangement with your spouse, such as a verbal custody schedule, leaves you with nothing enforceable if it falls apart. A conversation with counsel early on, before positions harden, usually costs far less than repairing a bad first move.

If safety is the concern, the timeline is much shorter. After a temporary restraining order is issued, the final hearing is scheduled within ten days. A defendant who does not appear risks having the court decide the case without them, and a final restraining order does not expire on its own; it continues until a court changes it, and a defendant can ask the court to vacate it by motion. Recent law also made coercive control a factor a Family Part judge must weigh in these cases, though it is a factor and not a standalone offense.

How Alimony and Child Support Work in New Jersey

Alimony reform in 2014 replaced permanent alimony with open durational alimony, which is available only when the marriage or civil union lasted 20 years or more. For marriages under 20 years, total alimony generally cannot exceed the length of the marriage except in exceptional circumstances. For a marriage of more than 5 years and up to 10, the term may not exceed 60 percent of the marriage’s length in months; over 10 and up to 15 years, 70 percent; over 15 and up to 20 years, 80 percent. Courts may deviate in the interests of justice, and judges must consider how the cost of maintaining two households affects each side’s ability to live at a comparable standard.

Child support follows the income shares model and is calculated using a state schedule that is updated periodically. Support does not simply end at 18. By operation of law it generally terminates at 19 unless a court order sets a different age, which cannot go beyond 23. It also ends on marriage, death, or entry into military service. A parent who wants support to continue past 19 must make a request showing, for example, that the child is still in high school or a full-time post-secondary student. Probation sends termination notices roughly 180 and 90 days ahead, and if the request lacks proof, support ends at the 19th birthday. Missing that paperwork is one of the more avoidable ways parents lose support they were entitled to.

Shrewsbury Family Law: Questions People Ask

How long does a New Jersey divorce take?

There is no fixed waiting period after filing, so the timeline depends on the issues. An agreed divorce with simple finances can move quickly. A case with a business to value, a custody dispute, or contested support can take considerably longer, especially if it goes to trial in the Family Part.

What are the grounds for divorce in New Jersey?

The most commonly used no-fault ground is irreconcilable differences that have caused the marriage to break down for at least six months with no reasonable prospect of reconciliation. Separation for 18 consecutive months in different residences is another no-fault ground, and fault grounds such as adultery also exist.

Is marital property always split 50/50?

No. New Jersey uses equitable distribution, which means a fair division based on the circumstances, not an automatic half and half. Length of marriage, each spouse’s contributions, and the nature of the assets all matter.

Does my spouse have to agree to the divorce?

No. If one spouse files and the grounds are met, the case can move forward even if the other spouse objects. A spouse who does not respond risks the case proceeding without their input.

How does a judge decide custody?

The standard is the best interests of the child. Under the amended custody statute, child safety is a threshold issue, a child’s preference carries more weight than before, and courts are limited in ordering reunification therapy. Judges look closely at the parenting plan each parent proposes.

Can I get alimony after a short marriage?

Possibly, but the duration is capped by the length of the marriage except in exceptional circumstances. For example, a marriage of seven years falls in the bracket where alimony generally cannot run longer than 60 percent of the marriage’s months. The court also weighs need, ability to pay, and each party’s earning capacity.

My ex lost their job. Can support be changed?

Courts generally require a substantial change in circumstances, and the change must be supported with documentation such as termination papers, job search records, and updated financials. A temporary dip or a voluntary decision to earn less may not be enough, so the details matter.

Does a prenup really hold up in New Jersey?

It can, if it meets the statutory requirements: a written agreement, full financial disclosure, and a real opportunity for each party to consult independent counsel. Agreements that skip disclosure or are signed under pressure are the ones most exposed to challenge.

What happens to a family business in a divorce?

The business may be treated as a marital asset subject to equitable distribution, depending on when and how it was acquired and built. It usually has to be valued, often by a business valuation professional, and the owner’s income for support purposes is scrutinized as well.

Can mediation or collaborative divorce work if we disagree on a lot?

Often yes, because the process is built for people who disagree but want to keep control over the outcome. Richard Sanvenero is trained in mediation, arbitration, and collaborative divorce. If those paths stall, the case can still go to the Family Part for a decision.

Can a restraining order affect my custody case?

Yes. A restraining order hearing can influence parenting time, who stays in the home, and financial arrangements. Because the final hearing comes so quickly after a temporary order, it is worth speaking with a lawyer right away, whether you are the one seeking protection or the one responding.

Do I need a lawyer if my divorce seems amicable?

An amicable divorce can still involve retirement accounts, a house, support terms, and a custody schedule that will govern your life for years. Having a lawyer review the agreement before you sign catches problems that are expensive to fix after a judgment is entered.

Serving Family Law Clients From Shrewsbury Across Monmouth County and Beyond

The firm’s family law work begins with Shrewsbury and the communities around it, including neighboring Red Bank, Tinton Falls, Middletown, Rumson, Holmdel, and Colts Neck. From there it reaches west to Freehold, east along the shore to Long Branch and Asbury Park, and into the many other Monmouth County towns whose families file in the Family Part at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold.

Clients also come from Ocean County, including Toms River, where family matters are heard in the Ocean Vicinage, and from Middlesex County, where the Family Part sits in New Brunswick. The firm represents clients statewide when the case calls for it. Whether the matter is a divorce with a business at stake, a custody dispute, a support modification, or a restraining order hearing, the same coordinated team is available across the region.

Talk With a Shrewsbury Family Law Attorney About Your Next Step

If you are weighing a divorce, trying to settle a custody schedule, or dealing with a support order that no longer fits your life, a conversation with a Shrewsbury family law attorney at Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC can clarify where you stand and what comes next. Call the firm to schedule a consultation and get answers specific to your situation, your finances, and your family.