Monmouth County Family Lawyer

Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC represents spouses, parents, and business owners across Monmouth County who are working through divorce, custody, support, prenuptial agreements, and the other family law questions that reshape a household. Our firm’s practice is centered on divorce and family law, and we serve clients in Red Bank, Rumson, Middletown, Holmdel, Colts Neck, Tinton Falls, Freehold, Long Branch, Asbury Park, and Shrewsbury, along with families in neighboring Ocean and Middlesex Counties.

Searching for a Monmouth County family lawyer usually means one of two things: something is ending, or something is changing. A marriage is breaking down, a parenting schedule no longer works, a support order no longer matches reality, or a couple wants to put an agreement in writing before they marry. Each of those problems lands in the same place, the Family Part of the Superior Court in the Monmouth Vicinage, which sits at the county courthouse in Freehold. Knowing what the Family Part actually decides, and what it leaves to the parties, is the first piece of useful information a person can have.

Family law here is rarely just family law. Monmouth County has a lot of closely held businesses, restaurants along the shore, professional practices, and real estate, and a divorce often has to value or divide those assets while the household keeps running. That overlap shapes how we approach these cases.

Why Choose Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC for Family Law in Monmouth County

Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC is a full-service firm whose practice is centered on divorce and family law. Managing Partner Richard Sanvenero is a New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Matrimonial Attorney, a designation the Supreme Court grants only to attorneys who meet experience requirements and pass a written examination. He previously served as a law clerk in the Family Part of the Superior Court of New Jersey, so he has seen how family judges read a case from the bench side, and he is trained in mediation, arbitration, and collaborative divorce. That training matters because not every family dispute belongs in a courtroom, and a lawyer who can handle a negotiated settlement, a mediation, and a contested trial can recommend the path that fits rather than the one that is familiar.

Joshua Cittadino, Founding Partner, brings experience in real estate, construction litigation, personal injury, employment matters, and business transactions, which is useful when a marital estate includes a company, rental property, or a construction business. Mike Canarick, Of Counsel, is a tax and estate planning attorney who helps with the tax consequences of dividing assets and with updating estate plans after a divorce. Our attorneys are admitted in New Jersey, New York, Florida, and the District of Columbia, and several have been recognized by Super Lawyers.

The firm works as one coordinated team across family, business, real estate, estate planning, and litigation, so a client does not need to hire separate firms to handle a divorce that touches a business sale or a property closing. Clients tell us what they value is plain communication: we explain each step in ordinary terms and return calls. For high net worth cases we work with forensic accountants and business valuation professionals alongside our own tax and estate planning attorneys.

The Family Law Issues Monmouth County Clients Bring Us

• Divorce: New Jersey allows a no-fault filing based on irreconcilable differences that have lasted at least six months with no reasonable prospect of reconciliation, or on spouses living apart in separate habitations for 18 consecutive months. At least one spouse generally must have lived in New Jersey for a year before the complaint is filed, with adultery as the exception. There is no general mandatory waiting period after filing, so timing depends on how quickly the issues resolve.
• Equitable Distribution: Property is divided under a fairness standard, not an automatic 50/50 split. Homes in Rumson or Colts Neck, a restaurant on the shore, retirement accounts, and a spouse’s professional practice all require identification, valuation, and argument about what is marital.
• High Net Worth Divorce: Closely held businesses, stock options, executive compensation, trusts, inherited wealth, and royalty or licensing income complicate every step. These cases turn on valuation and tracing, not on a standard form.
• Child Custody and Parenting Time: Decisions are based on the best interests of the child. Amendments to the custody statute in January 2026 made child safety a threshold issue, gave children’s preferences more weight, and limited court-ordered reunification therapy, so parenting plans now need to address those points directly.
• Alimony: Since the 2014 reforms, permanent alimony no longer exists in New Jersey. Duration is tied to the length of the marriage, and open durational alimony is reserved for marriages of 20 years or more.
• Child Support: New Jersey uses an income shares model, and disputes often turn on self-employment income, bonuses, commissions, or claims that a parent is earning less than they could.
• Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements: Agreements must be in writing, supported by full financial disclosure, and give each party a chance to consult independent counsel. We draft them for business owners, second marriages, families with inherited wealth, and artists whose income depends on intellectual property.
• Domestic Violence: Restraining order cases move quickly and affect custody, housing, employment, and firearm rights. We represent people seeking protection and people defending against allegations.

What to Do and Where to Go When a Family Law Problem Starts

The most useful first step is gathering paper before you gather opinions. For a divorce or support case, that means recent tax returns, pay records, business financial statements if either spouse owns a company, mortgage and account statements, retirement and investment balances, and a list of debts. If one spouse has handled the money, copy what you can access lawfully before the relationship becomes adversarial. Courts expect financial disclosure from both sides, and the party who arrives with organized records is in a better position to negotiate and to correct inaccurate numbers.

Filing happens in the Family Part of the Superior Court’s Monmouth Vicinage at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold. Before filing, confirm the residency rule: one spouse must have been a New Jersey resident for a year, unless the ground is adultery. If you are choosing between grounds, the six-month irreconcilable differences ground is by far the most common route because it does not require proving fault.

If safety is the concern, the timeline is different. A temporary restraining order sets a final hearing within 10 days. If the person named in the order does not appear, the court can decide the case without them and issue a final restraining order, which continues until a court changes it. Anyone served with a temporary order should treat that hearing date as fixed and get counsel immediately. Survivors may also be eligible for help through the Victims of Crime Compensation Office, which can assist with costs such as medical care, counseling, lost wages, and relocation, and our firm helps with those claims.

Common mistakes are mostly avoidable. People move out of a shared home without a parenting plan in place, stop paying an agreed obligation because their income dropped instead of asking the court to modify it, or sign a marital agreement without independent review. An unpaid support obligation generally does not disappear because circumstances changed; relief comes from a court order. And before you post about your case or speak with a spouse’s relatives, assume everything may be read by a judge.

After the Judgment: Modifying and Enforcing Orders

A divorce judgment is not always the end of the case. Jobs change, businesses rise and fall, children grow, and former spouses do not always follow the terms they agreed to. We regularly handle requests to modify alimony or child support after a job loss, reduced hours, a business downturn, or a significant increase in income. The court generally looks for a substantial change in circumstances, or clear proof of noncompliance in an enforcement motion, and the strength of the application depends on the financial documentation behind it.

Child support ends by operation of law at age 19 unless a court order sets a different age, which cannot extend beyond 23. It also ends on marriage, death, or military enlistment. A parent who wants support to continue past 19, for a child still in high school or attending school full time, must make a request with proof; if the request lacks sufficient proof, the court ends support at the child’s 19th birthday. Probation sends notices of proposed termination well in advance, and ignoring them is a costly mistake.

Other post-judgment disputes include unpaid child-related expenses such as medical bills, childcare, activities, and college costs, alimony questions tied to retirement or cohabitation, and changes to custody and parenting time. When the child support schedule is updated, existing awards may be worth revisiting as well.

Monmouth County Family Law Questions Answered

How long does alimony last in New Jersey?

For marriages under 20 years, the total duration generally cannot exceed the length of the marriage except in exceptional circumstances. The statute sets ceilings: for a marriage of more than 5 and up to 10 years, no more than 60 percent of the months of the marriage; more than 10 and up to 15 years, 70 percent; more than 15 and up to 20 years, 80 percent. For marriages longer than 20 years, the court may award alimony for an indefinite period. Judges can deviate in the interests of justice.

Is permanent alimony still available?

No. Permanent alimony was eliminated in 2014 and replaced with open durational alimony, which is available only for marriages or civil unions of 20 years or more.

Do I have to prove fault to get divorced in New Jersey?

No. You can file on the no-fault ground of irreconcilable differences that have caused the breakdown of the marriage for six months. Fault grounds exist, but most couples use the no-fault route.

How long do I have to live in New Jersey before filing?

At least one spouse must have been a bona fide New Jersey resident for one year before the complaint is filed. Adultery is the exception to that rule.

Will my property be split 50/50?

Not automatically. New Jersey uses equitable distribution, which aims for a fair division based on the circumstances of the marriage. A 50/50 outcome may be fair in some cases and not in others.

How is child support calculated?

New Jersey uses an income shares model, which estimates what intact-household spending on the children would look like and divides it between the parents based on their incomes. The state’s child support schedule is updated periodically, which is why a long-standing order can sometimes be worth a second look.

When does child support stop?

Generally at 19, unless a court order sets a different age that cannot go beyond 23. It also stops on the child’s marriage, death, or entry into military service. Continuation past 19 requires a request with proof, such as full-time school enrollment.

Can a prenuptial agreement be thrown out later?

Yes, if it does not meet the statutory requirements. A prenuptial agreement must be in writing, backed by full financial disclosure, and give each party the opportunity to consult independent counsel. Agreements that fall short are the ones most often challenged, usually in the middle of a divorce.

If my spouse owns a restaurant or other business, how does that affect the divorce?

The business is generally an asset to be identified and valued, and a valuation professional is often needed. Disputes arise over what the business is worth, whether part of it is separate property, and how much income the owner actually takes out. Because our firm handles business and real estate matters in-house, the family and business questions are handled together.

What does coercive control have to do with a restraining order case?

Since the legislature added it in January 2024, coercive control is a factor a Family Part judge must weigh in domestic violence cases. It is a factor in the court’s analysis, not a predicate act or a crime by itself, so it informs how the judge reads a pattern of conduct.

Can a final restraining order ever be lifted?

A final restraining order continues until a court changes it, but the person it restrains can ask the court to vacate it by filing a motion. Whether a judge grants that depends on the facts presented.

Is it worth hiring a lawyer for an uncontested divorce?

Often yes, even when both spouses agree. A settlement agreement controls support, property, and parenting for years, and mistakes in drafting are hard to undo. Having an attorney review or draft the agreement is usually a small cost compared with fixing a poorly worded one later.

Serving Family Law Clients Across Monmouth County and Beyond

We represent families throughout Monmouth County, from the riverfront communities of Red Bank and Rumson to Middletown, Holmdel, and Colts Neck. We work with clients in Tinton Falls, Shrewsbury, Freehold, Long Branch, and Asbury Park, and with families from the many neighboring Monmouth towns whose cases are heard in the Family Part at the county courthouse in Freehold. Our work also reaches into neighboring Ocean County, including Toms River, and Middlesex County, as well as clients elsewhere in New Jersey. Whether the case is a divorce, a custody schedule, a support modification, or a prenuptial agreement, we handle it with the same attention, and when it intersects with a business, a property, or an estate plan, we bring in colleagues from those practices.

Talk With a Monmouth County Family Attorney

If you are weighing a divorce, trying to change a parenting schedule, or need a support order modified, a conversation with a Monmouth County family attorney at Sanvenero & Cittadino, LLC can clarify where you stand and what comes next. Call us to schedule a consultation. We will explain how the Family Part is likely to view your situation, what documents will matter, and whether negotiation, mediation, collaborative divorce, or litigation fits your goals.