NEW JERSEY
NPO AFFILIATE | NJ
STATE CHAIR: Betzalel Rothstein
VICE CHAIR: David Miller
WEBSITE: NJ Facebook Link
2022 NPO Child Support And Shared Parenting Report Card
WHY DID NEW JERSEY RECEIVE A C-?
POSITIVES:
New Jersey's PTA has an appropriate adjustment to reflect the fixed, duplicated costs involved in shared parenting.
NEGATIVES:
New Jersey's PTA has an unjustifiably high threshold of 102.2 days.
New Jersey's PTA has a significant discontinuity (or discontinuities), creating a significant cliff effect or multiple cliff effects.
New Jersey's PTA takes into account the effect on the payer parent's household only conditional on the recipient parent's income.
New Jersey's PTA inappropriately results in a presumptive child support payment when parental income and parenting time are equal.
2019 NPO Shared Parenting Report Card
WHY DID NEW JERSEY RECEIVE A D+?
POSITIVES:
New Jersey statutes include the following policy statement: “The Legislature finds and declares that it is in the public policy of this state to assure minor children of frequent and continuing contact with both parents after the parents have separated or dissolved their marriage and that it is in the pub- lic interest to encourage parents to share the rights and responsibilities of child rearing in order to effect this policy.” N.J. STAT. ANN. § 9:2-4
NEGATIVES:
New Jersey has no statutory preference for, or presumption of, shared parenting (joint legal custody and shared physical custody) for temporary or final orders.
New Jersey statutes do not explicitly provide for shared parenting during temporary orders.
New Jersey statutes do not require courts to consider “friendly parent” factors in awarding custody.
Highlights:
In instances of divorce or separation:
95% of those in New Jersey believe it is in the child’s best interest to have as much time as possible with each parent.
94% in New Jersey expressed a commitment to vote their beliefs in being “more likely to vote for a candidate who supports children spending equal or nearly equal time with each parent following separation or divorce when both parents are fit and willing to be parents.
85% of those in New Jersey indicated they would support a change in New Jersey law that awards children as much time as possible with each parent.
77% believe that when there is conflict between parents, awarding sole custody to one parent increases conflict
75% believe that in instances of divorce or separation when both parents are fit and willing to be parents, shared parenting is best for children.
88% believe that both parents should have equal rights and responsibilities following divorce or separation.