Experienced Counsel for Palimony

Unmarried couples in New Jersey who live together may have specific financial rights and obligations to each other after the relationship ends. Often referred to as palimony, the rights and obligations for payment is not at the same level as for a married couple that divorces, but they do exist.

These rights and obligations are currently in flux. If you are an unmarried person who believes that palimony may be an issue at the end of your relationship, you should contact an experienced attorney for more information. The attorneys at  Ulrichsen Rosen & Freed LLC, can explain whether you may be affected by New Jersey’s palimony laws.

Changing Palimony Obligations

Palimony is often thought of as financial support that one partner in a relationship agrees to provide for the other partner in the event that the relationship ends. Previous court decisions in New Jersey have allowed promises of support to be enforced if one of the partners was induced to cohabit by the promise, even if there was no written contract.

New legislation in New Jersey significantly impacts both individuals who are paying or receiving palimony and those who may make such an agreement in the future.

Under the new law in New Jersey , palimony agreements are generally not enforceable unless they are written in a contract. However, exceptions exist to this rule.

Palimony and Support Attorneys

This new law has the potential to affect many existing agreements, as well as to change the requirements forming new palimony agreements. We provide representation for all palimony related issues to clients living throughout New Jersey including Mercer County, Somerset County, Hunterdon County, Middlesex County and Burlington County.

Cohabitation Agreements

Many people make the choice to live together without the intention of getting married.  While married couples are granted various legal protections set forth within our divorce law regarding property distribution and financial support, upon the dissolution of a relationship, an unmarried couple will not be afforded the same rights.  To protect such rights, unmarried couples can enter into a cohabitation agreement. Similar to a prenuptial agreement, which is made prior to a marriage, and settlement agreements reached during a divorce, a cohabitation agreement is a legal document that enables a couple the flexibility to decide between themselves how to best divide property and address financial support upon the conclusion of their relationship.  During a relationship, cohabitation agreements are also an effective way of clearly identifying each party’s financial contribution towards household bills, title to assets and/or support arrangements for their children.  

As every cohabitation agreement needs to be specifically tailored and can cover a range of topics including property division, life insurance beneficiaries, inheritance issues and personal finances, it is important to retain matrimonial counsel when drafting such agreements. The attorneys at Ulrichsen Rosen & Freed LLC have experience advising clients as to their rights when negotiating these agreements.

To schedule a consultation call 609-730-3850 or send us a secure message online.