New Jersey Custody and Child Support

New Jersey decides custody by the best interests of the child. There is no presumption favouring either parent, and the statute directs courts toward arrangements that assure children frequent and continuing contact with both parents where that serves their interests. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. handles contested custody and support matters. Call (888) 437-7747.

Legal and Physical Custody

Legal custody concerns decision-making about health, education and general welfare. Physical custody concerns where the child lives and the parenting time schedule. The two are decided separately, and joint legal custody with a primary residential parent is a common arrangement. Joint legal custody assumes parents who can communicate about decisions; where that has broken down, a court may allocate decision-making differently.

Relocation Disputes

Where one parent proposes to move a child out of state, the dispute is resolved on the best interests of the child. The governing framework in New Jersey changed following appellate decisions, and older material describes a standard that no longer states the current test. Anyone relying on a case name found online should confirm the current position rather than assume it, because the analysis a court will actually apply has shifted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does New Jersey favour mothers in custody?

No. There is no presumption favouring either parent. Custody is decided on the best interests of the child, assessed against the statutory factors and the record about each parent’s role.

Can I move out of state with my child?

Not unilaterally where the other parent has custodial rights. A relocation dispute is decided on the best interests of the child, and the governing framework has changed over time, so current advice matters more here than in most areas.

How is child support calculated?

New Jersey applies guidelines based on the parties’ incomes and the parenting arrangement. Above the income level the guidelines address, a court applies statutory factors to the excess, which is where higher-income cases are actually contested.

About Mr. Sris

Mr. Sris, Owner and Founder of Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., has practiced since 1997. He is a former prosecutor, and that experience shapes how he builds a documentary record and reads the other side’s file. He is admitted in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey, and New York. His background at George Mason University in accounting and information systems applies to complex financial cases, which is where a contested matrimonial matter usually turns. Mr. Sris and the firm’s Of Counsel attorneys handle New Jersey matters together, with the division of work set at the start of the engagement.

Speak With Mr. Sris

Request a consultation. Reach our location at (888) 437-7747. Bring tax returns, statements for every account, any agreement signed before or during the marriage, entity documents for any business interest, and a short written timeline. That material lets the first conversation move past intake and into the questions that decide the case.

Last updated: August 25, 2026

This page provides general information about New Jersey family law and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Case results depend on a variety of factors unique to each case. Results may vary.

Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., principal office: 4008 Williamsburg Court, Fairfax, VA 22032. By appointment. Call (888) 437-7747 to schedule.

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