Children’s Educational Needs During Divorce in New Jersey

If you are facing a divorce and you have children, you may have concerns regarding post-high school education. Many people do not know that this is an important aspect of the child support negotiation and property division processes.

In fact, New Jersey courts put an expectation on divorced and unmarried parents to contribute towards their children’s college or post-secondary education. This is not true of married parents. Therefore, in addition to the many issues that need to be decided in a divorce situation, post-secondary education for your children must be added to the list.

During your divorce, you will need a highly experienced legal team that is not afraid to fight for your needs and goals. Choose Edens Law Group for results-driven counsel and knowledgeable guidance to help you address your children’s educational needs in New Jersey.

Reach out to us today.

Finding Favorable Solutions for Your Children’s Educational Needs

Assessing your child’s educational needs ahead of time will help you prepare for potential obstacles. You and your co-parent will need to answer a broad variety of questions along the way, and our legal team will work tirelessly to develop comprehensive solutions and airtight strategies.

You may be concerned, for example, that there will not be enough money to pay for college or a trade school. If your children are older, the time to figure out a solution to this issue may be running out. Assuming you have saved money for these costs, it will most likely be pulled out of your asset division and held for the children.

Parents who have not had the resources to save money will need to negotiate how these bills will be paid. You may want the children to be partially responsible for their costs, but your spouse might disagree. Some clients want the costs paid pursuant to their respective salaries, and others believe the children should take out all loans available to them. Of course, children may also receive scholarships and grants to help.  But the decision on how to pay for education needs to be addressed.

Addressing Tough Decisions Together

And paying for college isn’t the only decision – parents can also disagree on the choice of the child’s institution. Likewise, the child may want to have input. Perhaps your spouse wants to limit the child to an in-state school or insists that the child attend their alma mater. Your spouse may announce that they do not want to pay for secondary education at all.

If your child attends private school for elementary or high school, their continuation at that facility could become jeopardized by limited funds due to a divorce or separation. Parents may be forced to move out of the area and new schools must be chosen. We can help you negotiate these decisions with your co-parent.

Each situation is entirely unique, and we believe in developing solutions creative enough to suit your needs and goals. The sooner we begin, the better we can advocate for your priorities at each stage of the divorce or separation.

To talk with a member of our team about your child’s educational needs, contact us at 908-879-9499.