Choosing a divorce lawyer in Englewood often comes down to who understands both your family’s situation and how the Bergen County Family Part handles cases like yours. Cowen & Jacobs is a women-owned firm whose partner, Barbara E. Cowen, has represented New Jersey spouses in divorce, custody, and support matters since 1981.
Englewood cases bring their own questions, from parents on hospital shift schedules to families coordinating a civil divorce with a get. We handle custody, support, property division, mediation, and protective orders from a Hackensack office minutes from the courthouse where your case will be heard.
New Jersey courts aim to finish most divorces within 12 months of filing. When spouses agree on custody, support, and property, a Bergen County case can close in about six to eight months. Disputes over a practice, a business, or parenting time take longer.
Three mistakes tend to cost clients the most: arriving at the Early Settlement Panel without a complete Case Information Statement, signing a settlement before its tax effects are clear, and moving money or moving out before temporary terms are in place. Each can weaken your position in ways that are hard to fix later.
Every divorce turns on a handful of decisions about children, money, and safety. Here is how we approach each one.
With Englewood Hospital and its physician network among the city’s largest employers, many parents here work rotating, overnight, or on-call schedules. A standard alternating-weekend template rarely fits those hours. We build a custody and parenting-time plan around real work schedules and your child’s school routine, covering both legal and physical custody and guided by the best-interests factors in N.J.S.A. 9:2-4.
New Jersey’s child support guidelines use an income shares model, starting with both incomes and the parenting-time split. They do not automatically cover yeshiva or private school tuition, which many local families budget for. We put tuition, childcare, health insurance, and future college contributions, which courts weigh under Newburgh v. Arrigo, in writing so they do not become the next dispute.
When one spouse scaled back a medical, professional, or other career to run the household, alimony can decide whether both stay stable afterward. We document income, earning capacity, the marital lifestyle, and each spouse’s contributions, core factors under N.J.S.A. 2A:34-23(b), so support reflects the full financial picture.
New Jersey divides marital property fairly, which is not always equally. For many couples here, that means the family home, retirement accounts, and sometimes an interest in a medical group or partnership that needs an independent valuation. In a high-asset divorce, we work with forensic accountants on business interests, stock options, and deferred compensation.
If a prenup exists, it can affect how property, support, and other financial terms are resolved. We review whether the agreement meets New Jersey’s enforceability standards and explain how it may shape your options during the divorce process.
Safety concerns can make a divorce urgent. After court hours, the Englewood Police Department can connect you with a judge for an emergency temporary restraining order. We then represent you at the final hearing and explain how a domestic violence restraining order affects custody, parenting time, and who stays in the home.
Experience inside Bergen County’s courts matters most when your case has details a standard approach would miss. Here is what that experience looks like in practice.
You’re not in this alone. Schedule a free, confidential consultation today.
Yes. New Jersey courts have enforced settlement agreements that require participation in a beth din process, treating them as ordinary contract terms. We draft that language carefully so the civil and religious sides of the divorce move together.
Neither spouse can usually be forced out without a court order. A judge can grant temporary exclusive use of the home while the case is pending, most often when safety or the children’s stability is at stake.
Not automatically. Courts weigh continuity in school and community as part of a child’s best interests. A parent who wants to move the children out of New Jersey needs the other parent’s consent or court approval.
A move to nearby Fort Lee usually keeps a shared schedule realistic. We build the plan around school days, pickups, and the drive between homes, and the case stays in the same Bergen County court.
Yes. Private mediation is allowed at any stage, including with a mediator you both trust. Nothing becomes binding until the terms are written into a signed agreement that the court approves.
Are you ready to get started on your case with a consultation? With over 35 years of experience, our attorneys are ready to fight for you. Reach out to us today to see what Cowen & Jacobs can do for you.
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We proudly serve clients in Englewood, Hackensack, Teaneck, Fort Lee, Paramus, and communities throughout Bergen County, as well as Passaic, Hudson, and Essex Counties.
Barbara has spent her career guiding clients through emotionally chargedfamily law matters, from divorce and custody to post-divorce enforcement and mediation. She earned her J.D. cum laude from Pace University School of Law and her B.A. summa cum laude from the University of Cincinnati. Her focus is personal attention and resolving each case as cost-effectively as the facts allow.
Sara has practiced in New Jersey since 1984 and holds an LL.M. from New York University School of Law. A former adjunct professor at New York Law School, she favors mediation and arbitration wherever they can cut the time, cost, and stress of a contested dispute.
Who stays in the house, how the children split their week, and what happens to joint accounts often get decided in the first few weeks, before anyone has legal advice. A free, confidential consultation with Barbara or Sara shows you where you stand and what to do next. Call (201) 525-0025 to schedule yours.
We are here for you and ready to help you resolve your legal issue. For a consultation discussing your case, call Cowen & Jacobs today.
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