Divorce can affect your finances, your children’s routines, and the home you share. An experienced divorce lawyer in Garfield helps you understand your rights under New Jersey law before small disagreements turn into drawn-out disputes.
Cowen & Jacobs is a women-owned team of Hackensack divorce lawyers a short drive from Garfield. We handle custody, support, alimony, property division, and domestic violence matters, building each strategy around what your family actually needs.
When you’re ready to talk, we’re ready to listen. Schedule a free, confidential consultation today.
Ready to take the first step? Schedule a free, confidential consultation today.
Garfield sits on the Bergen County side of the Passaic River, so your divorce is filed in Hackensack, not Paterson. Most cases finish within 12 months; disputes over custody, a business, or a pension take longer.
Uncontested cases skip most of these steps. If your spouse never responds, we can request a default judgment.
Every family comes to us with a different situation. These are the issues we handle most often, always with your safety, finances, and children’s well-being in focus.
Custody is often the most sensitive part of a divorce. We help you prepare for custody and parenting time decisions under New Jersey’s best-interest factors, so the court sees your child’s needs and your role clearly. When one parent stays in Garfield and the other moves to Lodi, Teaneck, or across the river to Clifton, we build schedules around school days, work shifts, and the commute between homes.
New Jersey sets child support under statewide guidelines that follow an income shares model, dividing the cost of raising children by each parent’s income and overnight parenting time. We verify every input, including childcare, health insurance, and irregular income from overtime or second jobs, so the figure reflects your family’s real finances.
Alimony matters most when one spouse earns more or left the workforce to support the household. We assess which type fits (open durational, limited duration, rehabilitative, or reimbursement) based on the length of the marriage, earning capacity, and lifestyle.
Under equitable distribution, New Jersey divides marital property fairly, not necessarily equally, while premarital assets, inheritances, and gifts generally stay separate. We trace and value homes, retirement accounts, and investments, bringing in forensic accountants for high-asset divorce cases involving a business.
When spouses can cooperate, Barbara Cowen, a certified divorce mediator since 1989 with Bergen County mediation experience, helps you reach agreements the court can approve. Uncontested cases cost less, move faster, and keep decisions in your hands.
We review prenuptial agreements for enforceability, disclosure issues, and procedural flaws, so you know whether yours is likely to be upheld or challenged.
A temporary restraining order can be requested at the Family Division in Hackensack during court hours, or through the Garfield Police Department after hours. We represent you at the final hearing and address how domestic violence affects custody and parenting time.
The firm you hire should know the court that will decide your case. Every Garfield divorce is heard in Hackensack, and our attorneys have built their careers inside Bergen County’s legal system.
Usually the county where you lived together when the marriage broke down. If that was Garfield, the case generally stays in Bergen County even after a move across the river. We confirm the correct venue before anything is filed.
Often, yes. The court can issue temporary orders covering who lives in the home, who pays the mortgage, and interim support. We request those orders early when stability for you or your children is at stake.
The house is valued as a marital asset, and rent from the second unit can count toward support calculations. Common outcomes include a sale, a buyout by one spouse, or joint ownership for a set period, all while respecting existing leases.
A move within New Jersey may not need court approval, though it can justify a request to change parenting time. Moving out of state requires your written consent or a court order based on the children’s best interests.
Court papers, recent tax returns, pay stubs, mortgage and account statements, and any prenuptial agreement. Partial records are fine; we will tell you what else to gather.
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 represent families in Garfield, Passaic, Clifton, and surrounding Passaic County communities, as well as Bergen, Hudson, and Essex Counties.
Barbara Cowen has spent her career in New Jersey family law, guiding clients through divorce, custody, support, domestic violence, prenuptial agreements, and post-divorce enforcement. A cum laude graduate of Pace University School of Law, she was admitted to the New Jersey bar in 1981. Clients know her for careful preparation and personal attention during emotionally charged decisions.
Sara Jacobs served 14 years as an arbitrator in the Superior Court in Bergen County and has worked as an independent arbitrator. She holds an LL.M. from New York University School of Law. Her settlement-focused approach reduces the time, cost, and stress of litigation while still preparing clients for issues that need stronger advocacy.
Divorce raises hard questions, and waiting rarely makes them easier. Sit down with Barbara or Sara for a free, confidential consultation and walk out with a plan for your case instead of more uncertainty.
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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