So you’ve made the decision to end your marriage. If you’re planning on filing for divorce in NJ (New Jersey), there are a few important things you should consider before doing so. This will help you be better prepared moving forward, and hopefully make the entire process go a little smoother for you and your soon-to-be ex. Here are a few tips to get you on the right track.

Residency Requirements

One of the most important rules in filing for divorce in NJ is residency. In order to do so, you or your spouse must have lived in the state of New Jersey for at least 12 months consecutively. If neither of you meet this requirement, you may be required to file in the state in which you previously resided. There are exceptions to this rule, but you should speak to a professional to discuss them.

No-Fault vs. Uncontested vs. Contested

Before filing for divorce in NJ, you must determine what category your particular case falls under. No-fault divorce is basically just what it sounds like – both parties agree that neither is necessarily to blame for the divorce, and they’re both agreeing to go their separate ways. Uncontested divorce is similar, and it means that both parties are agreeing to the divorce and are willing to work together toward a settlement. Contested divorce happens when either one spouse is refusing to agree to the divorce, or neither party can come to an agreement on a settlement.

Choose Your Method

The next step in filing for divorce in NJ is determining the process by which you’ll reach a settlement. It’s important to note that you have several choices when it comes to this decision. You can go the do-it-yourself route, which can be risky unless you understand the intricacies of the law. You can litigate, which is expensive and time consuming because it involves hiring pricey lawyers and going to court. You can choose collaborative divorce, which doesn’t involve court, but is still quite costly. Or, you can mediate, which ultimately gets the same results in less time and at a fraction of the cost.

Select a Professional to Suit Your Budget

Unless you possess professional training, chances are you are going to choose one of the latter three divorce methods, each of which involves selecting at least one divorce professional with which to work. If you’re planning to hire attorneys, be forewarned that you will likely have to pay a hefty retainer upfront, and then be charged at a high hourly rate thereafter. Likewise, if you choose collaborative divorce, know that there are typically several third parties involved in the process, such as accountants and child advocates, all of whom require payment for their time. With mediation, you only need one professional – a neutral third party mediator that won’t represent either of you, but rather will help facilitate negotiation between you so you can reach a settlement.

Be Willing to Negotiate

Before filing for divorce in NJ, remember that when it comes to reaching a fair settlement, you’re going to have to compromise a little. Be prepared ahead of time, knowing what you want, what you’re willing to negotiate on and what you won’t budge on. Pick your battles and keep your eyes focused on the end result, which is a peaceful divorce and a bright and promising future, and you’ll be much better able to participate in the give and take necessary to reach an agreement you can both feel comfortable with.

Almost everybody is familiar with the term federalism. You might be stumbling upon the term from time to time, but do you know what it really means? What if somebody, out of the blue, asked you to provide the definition of the term? Would you be willing to do it for him or her?

The way Duhaime defines federalism is plain and simple. In a nutshell, federalism is all about governing the state. The power of those governing is distributed in central and state government.

One good example of federalism is the country known to all as the United States of America. Examining the American constitution can quickly reveal that the constitutional power is offered to the American government as well as to the individual states.

I am sure that there is much I can still learn about federalism. When the afternoon comes, I am going to make sure that I sit down and read something on the topic. There are many great resources on the Internet that can definitely help me shed some light on the topic so that I can be well informed and more knowledgeable. It definitely pays to learn as much as possible about various political systems to know which country adapted which political system as their own.

The following paper outlines some of the more common disability definitions in use today. There are legal definitions from governmental agencies such as the Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA ) and medically oriented definitions such as those put out by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). A great overview of disability definitions is provided by Disabled World.

The release of a new specialist website from TheJudge ATE insurance brokers has generated a great deal of interest from patent litigators in relation to litigation funding and ATE insurance for IP and patent cases. The specialist site which focuses on After the Event insurance and third party funding for intellectual property cases is just one of four sites dedicated to individual areas of law for which these funding arrangements apply; the other four sites focus on arbitration, competition and insolvency litigation.

TheJudge is the largest and most experienced independent broker within the industry and has over a decade of experience in brokering litigation funding and litigation insurance for patent cases. They act as a thought leader within this niche area and recently hosted an interesting panel debate on the subject of litigation funding for IP cases with panellists from firms such as Bristows, Wragge & Co. and Olswang LLP to name but a few.

Third party funding is now an established concept within the market, essentially an investor funds the case in exchange for a share of the license fees, damages and/or future royalties received. This may be because the litigant does not have the funds to pursue the case alone or could be because they wish to keep their legal expenses off balance sheet and for a third party to share the risk.

ATE insurance for intellectual property cases protects the litigant from costly legal expenses in the event that they are unsuccessful at court. After the Event insurance offers reassurance to litigants and helps to further reduce the financial risks involved in engaging in commercial litigation, particularly within the complex area of intellectual property.

Another possible advantage to take into account when dealing with funding, would be to consider patent litigation insurance to run alongside each other. ATE insurance and third party funding can be taken out together or separately, in either case it is best to speak with an expert broker about the best arrangements.

Whichever form of funding and / or insurance is chosen, a major factor is to consider is whether the finance arrangement is priced competitively, well-structured and offers adequate cover for the case. TheJudge can offer independent expert advice on patent litigation funding and insurance and advise on the best options for your specific case as well as conducting an extensive search of the market to secure the best terms. Take a look at their specialist IP & patent litigation site at: http://www.patentlitigationfunding.com/