We understand why most couples want to keep their divorce proceedings and case records private. This may be especially true if children are involved and you wish for their personal information to remain confidential. Or, if you are the sole proprietor of a business and wish for your business information to remain confidential. Whatever your specific reasoning might be, you must express your intentions with us from the onset of your divorce case. We will then know which approach to take. So continue reading to learn how to keep your divorce private and how an experienced Morris County divorce lawyer at Graves Andrews, LLC can help you accomplish this.
How do I keep my New Jersey divorce private?
Arguably the most effective way to keep your divorce as private as possible is to opt for an alternative divorce method. Namely, forgo litigation and instead undergo mediation, collaboration, or arbitration.
For example, with mediation, you and your spouse may negotiate your divorce-related terms (i.e., alimony, child custody, child support, and property division) with the help of a neutral, third-party mediator. Then, the New Jersey family judge may grant a final divorce judgment if they agree with what you have negotiated, in which the privately agreed-upon divorce-related terms are not included in the public record.
While the collaboration and arbitration process may be slightly different, they still reach the similar conclusion of keeping your negotiated settlement agreement private.
How can I maintain privacy when my divorce is litigated?
Understandably, you and your spouse may be unable to see eye to eye and be left with no choice but to undergo litigation proceedings to get divorced. However, you must understand that court proceedings, including divorce proceedings, are generally public records. This is unless you formally request that the New Jersey family court keep your divorce records under seal. Within this motion, you must demonstrate the following:
- Your reasons for wanting to seal your divorce record:
- To protect your children.
- To protect your sole proprietorship.
- The potential harm to you and relevant parties if your divorce records are not kept under seal:
- The harm to your children if your family issues are exposed in your divorce proceedings (i.e., support, custody, visitation, etc).
- The harm to your business associates if false allegations, defamation, or fraud occurs in your divorce proceedings.
- The narrowly tailored requests for a sealed divorce record:
- To keep the names of your children confidential.
- To keep dollar amounts of your business’s finances confidential.
There are many more examples of what you might want to keep sealed in your divorce record, as far as this goes. In conclusion, there is no need to second-guess your decision to retain the services of a skilled Morristown family law attorney. This is because we can guarantee that someone from Graves Andrews, LLC will have your back through every step of the process.
