Blogs

Our laws are constantly changing to keep up with our evolving society, Laws that were in place yesterday may not apply to advances we make tomorrow. In order to keep current on federal, State and local laws and how they may apply to you, our Firm publishes three blogs – the Family Law Blog, the Criminal Defense Blog, and the Personal Injury Blog – highlighting the recent changes and current events that affect our laws.

Family Law is another expansive area of law that encompasses many aspects of personal relationships including divorce, child custody, property distribution, and prenuptial agreements. Sometimes in these relationships problems arise that are beyond our capacity to resolve on our own. That’s when you need experienced and knowledgeable counsel to help guide you to a resolution that is fair and protects your interests.

Family Law issues can be highly emotional. These emotions can cloud our judgment and cause us to overlook important matters that can adversely affect us later. This is particularly true with divorce. Couples focused on ending their marital relationship may miss an important financial matter that can prove costly in the long run. Our Family Law Blog covers such topics as financial mistakes to avoid when divorcing, how divorce affects spousal Social Security benefits, why it matters who files for divorce first, and how divorce can affect your tax filing status. While these issues may not be first in your mind as you go through your divorce proceedings, they can make a difference in your financial well-being following your divorce.

While divorce puts an end to the marital relationship between husband and wife, it does not put an end to other family relationships, specifically the parent-child relationship. In New Jersey, the “Best Interest of the Child” is a principle applied to most issues dealing with children of divorce. This principle can influence court decisions involving child custody and visitation, and even grandparents’ rights. Our Family Law Blog often illustrates how this principle applies in such matters as: how co-parenting arrangements work; what unique considerations need to be given to special needs children of divorce; how your approach to divorce can affect your parenting partnership; what custody issues are unique to non-traditional families; and what the consequences are for neglecting the terms of your child custody agreement.

Criminal law covers everything from minor infractions to felonies with consequences that range from fines to prison sentences. Although our justice system is based on the premise of innocent until proven guilty, the stress and emotional burden of being charged with a crime can be overwhelming. And in the event you are convicted of a crime, the effect on your life – your reputation, career, and even familial relationships – can be life-altering.

Whether you are facing misdemeanor or felony charges, it is important to understand your rights to due process. In our Criminal Defense Blog, we address such areas as arson, assault, child abuse or neglect, weapons violations, and white-collar crimes in an effort to familiarize you with the criminal justice process.

In recent years there have been some changes in the way the law looks at the use and possession of certain drugs, specifically marijuana. Still, possession, use, and distribution of controlled substances are still serious violations which could carry significant jail time. From time to time, we will bring your attention to changes in laws pertaining to drug offenses as well as law enforcement agencies’ efforts to crack down on the sale and use of these dangerous substances.

Assault is when one person attempts to, or purposely and knowingly, causes bodily injury to another without legal justification. Charges of assault vary in severity from simple assault to aggravated assault to assault by auto or vessel. Our blog will attempt to explain the different degrees of assault and the consequences each carries and, from time to time, highlight current cases that affect the laws surrounding these charges.

State laws regarding the use and possession of weapons, particularly guns, can be complex and subject to change. Violating these laws carries significant consequences. Our Criminal Defense Blog will attempt to enlighten our readers on New Jersey’s strict gun laws including permit requirements, licensing requirements and the regulations governing the ownership and carrying of a weapon. We will also cover updates of these laws as they occur and explain the consequences of violating these laws to help our readers make informed decisions.

Personal Injury Law is a broad topic covering such areas as motor vehicle accidents and the factors that may cause them; construction accidents and workplace mishaps; defective products and their recalls; nursing home injuries and how to protect loved ones from elder abuse; slip-and-fall accidents; burn injuries’ and other events that could result in injury due to the carelessness or recklessness of another individual or, in some cases, a business.

At other times, our Personal Injury Blog will focus on stories about current lawsuits and their outcomes explaining how courts look at responsibilities and how certain specifics of the law, such as statutes of limitation, can affect the courts’ final decisions.

Some months our Personal Injury Blog posts serve as reminders to avoid reckless behaviors, such as drinking and driving or distracted driving. We bring your attention to stories about local law enforcement agencies’ periodic efforts to crack down on these behaviors, as well as statistics on the rate of fatal car accidents and the factors contributing to them. Our blogs will also cover motor vehicle defects and how they can contribute to your risk of an accident.

Kearns Rotolo Law also reports on recalls of other common household products such as cell phones, automobiles, and baby and child products including car seats, highchairs, cribs, bike helmets, and even baby powder to alert you to their potential dangers.

Our Family Law Blogs, Criminal Defense Blogs, and Personal Injury Blogs are intended to both inform and broaden our readers’ understanding of the nuances and revisions of current laws in the respective areas.

The Family Law Blog, Criminal Defense Blog, and Personal Injury Blog, are provided as a public service by Kearns Rotolo Law. While the articles contained within these blogs focus on legal issues pertinent to Family Law, Criminal Defense, and Personal Injury matters, they are not intended as legal advice or representation. Although we take every step to provide current and truthful information, the constantly changing nature of law and our dependence upon outside sources preclude us from offering any guarantee or warranty on the reliability or accuracy of the information presented.

• Criminal Defense Blog
• New Jersey Injury Lawyers Blog
• New Jersey Family Law Blog