Atlantic City Legal Blog

When people first marry, they may understandably expect their love to conquer all of the challenges they may face. However, when difficulties arise, spouses sometimes begin to wonder if getting married was truly a wise move, and they look into getting divorced. However, before filing for divorce, the two parties might want to do a couple of things to see if their relationship is capable of being repaired in New Jersey.

First, it may behoove both spouses to take part in divorce counseling right away. In many cases, though, the couple's negative behaviors have already become entrenched. This can make it difficult for counselors to effectively deal with the communication problems and resentment that have built up over time between the parties.

A routine traffic stop became more serious after police in Hackettstown arrested a woman and accused her of possessing drug paraphernalia. The 18-year-old New Jersey resident is facing a drug charge for this alleged infraction, as well as a traffic charge for failure to dim high beams. She is currently released from custody ahead of a court appearance that has not been announced. There is no word as to whether she has retained criminal defense counsel. 

According to the report filed by the Hackettstown Police Department, around 10 p.m. the night of Dec. 6, the woman was pulled over by an officer for an alleged moving violation. The officer who approached the vehicle to speak to the driver allegedly detected the smell of what was believed to be marijuana coming from inside the car. A subsequent search revealed the woman was allegedly carrying a bong, pipe, grinder and plastic jar, all of which are believed to contain marijuana residue. 

A man in New Jersey was recently taken into custody for reportedly killing a woman. Specifically, police said he stabbed a woman multiple times. The man now faces a weapons charge and a murder charge. He will likely need a strong criminal defense in light of the serious charges he faces.

At a little past 3:40 a.m., police said they found a 40-year-old woman stabbed in an apartment. Officials took her to a medical center, but she ended up passing away there. The man who is blamed for her death is a 37-year-old man who used to date the woman.

The process of dissolving a marriage can be complex whether a person in New Jersey is a young adult or is approaching retirement. However, it can be especially complicated for the latter. Here are a couple of items that affect a divorce proceeding later in life, also commonly called a gray divorce.

First, people who have been married for 10 years can receive benefits from Social Security based on their exes' records if their exes qualify for Social Security. However, they must meet certain criteria to take advantage of this. For one, they must be age 62 or older. Second, their own benefit amounts must be smaller than what they would receive based on their exes' records.