Middlesex County Child Custody Lawyer

New Jersey’s custody statute no longer starts from the idea that a child should have as much time with both parents as possible. Child safety now comes first, before any question of equal time. Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC is a law firm focused on divorce and family law, and as a Middlesex County child custody lawyer team we represent parents in custody and parenting-time cases throughout Middlesex County and across New Jersey, alongside the business, real estate, and financial issues that so often travel with a family dispute.

On January 20, 2026, Governor Murphy signed Kayden’s Law, which rewrote N.J.S.A. 9:2-4. The old presumption favoring “frequent and continuing contact with both parents” is gone. Judges must now treat the safety of children as a threshold issue, and the list of best-interest factors grew to 15. If you filed for custody a few years ago, or if a friend told you how the process works based on their own case, much of that advice is out of date.

The practical effect is that your case will be judged by what you can show about your child’s day-to-day life, safety, and stability, and by what you can show about the other parent’s conduct, not by an assumption of a 50-50 split.

What the Amended Custody Statute Changes for Middlesex County Parents

Custody and parenting-time decisions in Middlesex County are made in the Family Part of the Superior Court, which handles divorce, custody, parenting time, child support, paternity, and domestic violence matters in one division. The judge who hears your case will now be applying the revised statute, and the revisions give judges less room to rely on instinct and more obligation to explain themselves.

Several changes matter most to parents. Safety is the first question. Where there is a history of domestic violence or child abuse, a parent who committed it cannot be given extra custody time on the theory that it will repair the relationship with the child. Courts also may no longer order reunification therapy unless there is generally accepted, scientifically valid evidence that it is safe and effective. And a judge cannot simply assume that a child’s reluctance to see a parent is parental alienation; the reasons for that reluctance have to be investigated.

In contested cases, judges must make detailed findings on the record, and mental health professionals who perform custody evaluations must be state-licensed, with specific training in domestic violence or abuse where those issues are present. For parents, this means the quality of your evidence and the credentials of any expert matter more than ever. A well-organized parenting plan with documented routines carries real weight.

Why Choose Sanvenero & Cittadino for a Middlesex County Custody Case

Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC represents spouses and parents in negotiated settlements, mediation, collaborative divorce, and contested litigation in the Family Part. We serve clients in Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Ocean County, and throughout New Jersey, including parents who are also dealing with a family business, real estate, or questions about estate planning.

Richard Sanvenero, our 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, so he has seen custody disputes from the bench side, and he is trained in mediation, arbitration, and collaborative divorce. That training matters in custody work, because many parenting disputes resolve better through a negotiated plan than through a trial, and some cannot be resolved any other way than a hearing. We prepare for both.

Joshua Cittadino, Founding Partner, brings experience in real estate, construction litigation, personal injury, employment matters, and business transactions, which helps when a custody case is entangled with a self-employed parent’s income or a jointly owned home. Mike Canarick, Of Counsel, is a tax and estate planning attorney who helps families update guardianship and estate arrangements once a custody arrangement is set. Our attorneys are admitted in New Jersey, New York, Florida, and the District of Columbia, and several have been recognized by Super Lawyers.

Clients tell us what they want most is to be kept informed. Our team communicates clearly, returns calls, and explains each step in plain terms, so you are not left guessing about where your case stands. Because the firm coordinates family, business, real estate, estate planning, and litigation attorneys under one roof, a custody case that touches other parts of your life does not require you to hire and brief several unconnected firms.

Custody Disputes We Handle in Middlesex County

• Initial Custody and Parenting Plans: Parents who are separating or divorcing must propose how decision-making and parenting time will be shared. We help build plans around real schedules, including commuter work hours along the Route 1 and Turnpike corridors, and present them in a way judges now expect: child-focused and specific.
• Contested Custody Litigation: When parents cannot agree, the Family Part decides under the best-interest factors, with safety as the threshold question. The judge must state detailed findings, so we build the record carefully through testimony, documents, and qualified experts.
• Domestic Violence and Custody: A restraining order case under the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act can shape custody for years. A temporary restraining order sets a hearing within ten days, and a final restraining order does not expire. We represent both people seeking protection and people defending against allegations.
• Parental Alienation Claims and Reunification Therapy: Since the amendments, courts must look into why a child resists contact before labeling it alienation, and reunification therapy is limited. We help parents on either side present the facts that now matter.
• Custody Modifications: A relocation, a new work schedule, a change in a child’s needs, or a safety concern can justify revisiting an existing order. The court generally looks for a substantial change in circumstances, and we help clients document it.
• Parenting Time Enforcement: When a former spouse withholds scheduled time or ignores a judgment, we pursue enforcement motions to restore the court-ordered arrangement.
• Custody Tied to Support and Property: Custody schedules influence child support, and child-related expenses such as medical bills, childcare, and college costs are frequent flashpoints. We handle these issues together so one outcome does not undercut another.
• High Net Worth Custody Cases: Where a business, professional practice, or complex compensation is involved, we work with forensic accountants and business valuation professionals so financial disputes do not distort the parenting discussion.

What to Do Right Now If Your Custody Dispute Is Heading to Middlesex Family Court

Start by writing things down. Keep a running record of who handles school pickups, doctor visits, homework, meals, and bedtime. Judges applying the amended statute want concrete facts about each parent’s involvement and about the child’s safety and stability, and a contemporaneous record is far more persuasive than memory. Save texts, emails, and parenting-app messages with the other parent, and keep your own messages calm and brief, because they may be read aloud in court.

If there is any safety concern, whether an act of violence, threats, substance use around the child, or a pattern of neglect, tell your attorney immediately and report it to police where appropriate. Domestic violence matters move quickly: a temporary restraining order includes a hearing date within ten days, and the outcome of that hearing can affect custody, housing, and firearm rights. A restraining order also requires surrender of firearms and revokes a Firearms Purchaser Identification Card. Violating one can be prosecuted as contempt.

Custody cases in Middlesex County are filed and heard through the Family Part, whose intake team works out of the Middlesex County Family Courthouse in New Brunswick. That same court handles divorce, support, paternity, and domestic violence, so a single judge or team may see several parts of your family’s situation. Expect early case management, a push toward settlement or mediation, and, in contested cases, possible custody evaluations and a hearing.

A few mistakes come up repeatedly. Do not move a child out of the home, or cut off the other parent’s contact, without legal advice; judges notice. Do not speak badly of the other parent to or in front of your child. Do not post about the case on social media. And do not agree to a parenting plan you cannot realistically follow, because a plan you violate becomes evidence against you later. Call us before you sign anything or before the first court date.

Frequently Asked Questions About Middlesex County Custody Cases

Does New Jersey still presume that parents should share custody equally?

No. The January 2026 amendments removed the presumption favoring frequent and continuing contact with both parents. Courts now begin with child safety and weigh the expanded best-interest factors. Shared arrangements are still common when they are safe and workable, but they are no longer assumed.

What is the difference between legal custody and physical custody?

Legal custody covers major decisions about a child’s education, health care, and upbringing. Physical custody concerns where the child lives and the parenting-time schedule. Parents can share one and not the other, and your plan should address both.

How many best-interest factors will the judge consider?

The amended statute expanded the list to 15 factors. Safety is the threshold issue, and the court also looks at things like each parent’s ability to meet the child’s needs, stability, and, with more weight than before, the child’s own preferences.

Will my child get to choose which parent to live with?

A child’s preferences now carry more weight, but the judge decides, and the weight depends on the child’s age and maturity and the reasons behind the preference. A child’s wishes are one factor among many, not a vote.

Can a judge order my child into reunification therapy?

Only in limited circumstances. Courts may not order it unless there is generally accepted, scientifically valid evidence that it is safe and effective. If a child resists seeing a parent, the court must investigate the reasons rather than assume alienation.

How does a domestic violence history affect custody?

Significantly. Safety is the threshold question, and a parent with a history of domestic violence or abuse cannot be given increased custody as a way to improve the parent-child relationship. A restraining order case and a custody case often overlap, so the two should be handled with a coordinated strategy.

What qualifications must a custody evaluator have?

Under the amendments, mental health professionals who provide evaluations must be state-licensed, and where domestic violence or abuse is at issue they must have specific training and experience in those areas. That affects who can credibly testify in your case and how their findings are challenged.

Can I change an existing custody order if my work schedule changes?

Possibly. The court generally looks for a substantial change in circumstances. A new shift, a job loss, a relocation, or a change in a child’s needs can qualify, but you will need documentation showing how the change affects the child and the existing schedule.

How long does a contested custody case take in Middlesex County?

It varies with the court’s calendar, whether evaluations are ordered, and how much the parents dispute. Cases that settle through negotiation or mediation move faster than those requiring a hearing, and the new requirement for detailed on-the-record findings means contested hearings are carefully built. We will give you a realistic timeline for your specific facts.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer if we mostly agree on custody?

Often yes. Even in agreed cases, the parenting plan becomes a court order that governs your family for years. A lawyer can make sure the language is specific, enforceable, and consistent with the new statute, and can address related issues such as child support and shared expenses.

Does my custody arrangement affect child support?

Yes. Parenting-time schedules can influence support calculations, and child-related costs like medical care, childcare, extracurricular activities, and college are often disputed. Support generally ends by operation of law when a child marries, enters military service, dies, or turns 19, unless a court order or approved agreement provides otherwise.

Can I handle custody mediation without a lawyer present?

You can attend, but you may agree to terms without understanding their long-term effect. Having an attorney who is trained in mediation and collaborative divorce helps you negotiate from an informed position and review any proposed agreement before you sign it.

Serving Custody Clients Across Middlesex County and Nearby Communities

We represent parents throughout Middlesex County, from New Brunswick, where the Family Part is located, and Edison, Woodbridge, and Piscataway to Old Bridge, Sayreville, South Brunswick, and East Brunswick. We also serve families in Perth Amboy, South Amboy, Metuchen, Carteret, Highland Park, Monroe, Cranbury, and Jamesburg, along with the surrounding communities that make up the county.

Our work extends into neighboring Monmouth County, including Red Bank, Rumson, Middletown, Holmdel, Colts Neck, Tinton Falls, Freehold, Long Branch, Asbury Park, and Shrewsbury, and into Ocean County, including Toms River. We also represent clients across the State of New Jersey. Wherever your family lives, we handle custody together with the support, property, and business questions that surround it.

Talk to a Middlesex County Child Custody Attorney Today

Custody decisions shape your relationship with your children for years, and the rules governing them have just changed. If you are preparing for a first filing, defending against a request for a change, or trying to enforce an order that is being ignored, a Middlesex County child custody attorney from Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC can review your situation and explain how the amended statute applies to your family. Call us to schedule a consultation and learn where you stand.