family court Archives | Paras Apy & Reiss

To Get or Not to Get: The Role of the Family Court in Religious Divorces

In July, 1981, a New Jersey Superior Court judge ordered Barry Minkin to appear before a Jewish rabbinic tribunal, called a Bet-Din, and secure and deliver to his former wife, Brenda, a religious divorce (Get).1 New York's highest court entered a similar order in 1983 against Boaz Avitzur, compelling him to appear before the tribunal so that it could adjudicate his wife's request for a Get which, according to Jewish law, can only be obtained by the husband.2 Both decisions were grounded on contract where the civilly divorced Wife [...]

The Family Court

People often wonder what the Family Court does and why divorces seem to take so long. That is a complicated question, but it has mostly to do with the several types of cases the Family Court must hear, the proliferation of cases of each type, and a shortage of resources to address each case.In New Jersey, trial Courts are called the Superior Court. The Superior Court consists of the Civil Part, the Criminal Part and the Chancery Division. The Family Part (or Family Court) is part of the Chancery Division.The [...]