On October 4, 2021, the Bergen Family Division will continue with a gradual expansion of scheduled in-person events for Domestic Violence Cases. First appearances will continue on a remote basis, thereafter, all subsequent scheduled hearings will be conducted on-site and in-person. Parties wishing to dismiss their matter in advance of a scheduled hearing may contact the Domestic Violence Unit to request a remote hearing. Attorneys and litigants with concerns or considerations are directed to contact the respective Judge handling the matter. Read More
By Bruce E. Chase, Esq., Co-Chair, Family Law Committee
All of us have had to provide our medical history to our doctors. Amongst the questions, “Do you smoke? Do you drink? If so, how much/how often? What do you drink?” Next comes the question that leads to this short article, “Do you use recreational drugs/substances?” Should this same question now become an essential part of our divorce, custody and parenting time initial consultation?
As you will soon come to know, the answer is a resounding YES!
Effective September 7, 2021, the Judicial assignments are as follows:
As earlier advised by Notice dated May 13, 2021, two-factor authentication is now in place as an information security requirement for attorneys accessing any Judiciary application. Two-factor authentication requires attorneys to authenticate their account after receiving a security code at the cell phone number or email address provided by the attorney during annual attorney registration.
This is notice o advise that effective immediately, attorneys will be permitted to provide two additional email addresses and two additional cell phone numbers to receive the two-factor verification code.
Click below to see the attached notice and Supreme Court order, both dated August 9, in furtherance of implementation L. 2021, c. 188. The order relaxes a number of court rules As stated in the Court’s order, that legislation provides a number of remedies for residential landlords and tenants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, including requiring that for certain cases, courts “must (1) dismiss a complaint upon receipt of a certification of a tenant; and (2) permit a landlord to pursue collection of unpaid rent beyond standard Special Civil Part (DC) jurisdictional limits.” The rule relaxations are effective immediately.
The Supreme Court in its July 14, 2021 Orders and Administrative
Determinations established a new process for residential landlord tenant cases, to
be effective September 1, 2021. In its action on the Report and Recommendations
of the Judiciary Special Committee on Landlord Tenant, the Court set forth a series
of interrelated reforms, including new pleadings, revised processes, and a
conference before the trial date.
This notice invites attorneys and others to attend a training session on the
reforms to the residential landlord tenant court process. Read More
The Supreme Court in its June 9, 2020 Order required that all persons who enter or occupy Judiciary areas of court locations must wear masks and maintain social distancing. The requirement to (1) wear a mask and (2) maintain social distancing is subject to narrow exceptions, including for persons who require accommodations. The Judiciary in a June 17, 2021 notice confirmed the continuation of the policy and provided further direction as to the circumstances in which a judge may permit individuals in a courtroom to remove or lower their mask. This notice is to advise as to the consequences for willful violation of the Court’s policy, which is intended to mitigate against the risks to public health and safety posed by the COVID-19 virus.
A person who enters or occupies a Judiciary location and refuses to wear a mask or maintain social distancing in willful violation of the Supreme Court’s policy as set forth in the above-referenced order and notice may be excluded from the court location. Such individual also may be held in contempt of court (Rule 1: 10-1 ). Those provisions do not apply to individuals who are exempted from the policy, including persons who require medical accommodations and children under the age of two years. Nor do they apply if an individual has been permitted by a judge to remove their mask in a courtroom.
County Sheriffs may be called to assist in any situation in which an individual is in willful violation of those health and safety requirements.
Questions should be directed to the Office of the Administrative Director of the Courts at (609) 376-3000.
/s/ Hon. Glenn A. Grant, J.A.D.
Acting Administrative Director of the Courts
Dated: July 30, 2021
State Court Locations Fully Open as of August 2, 2021
All state court locations will reopen to the public as of August 2, 2021, thus concluding the temporary restrictions on public access to the courthouses implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of that August 2, 2021 date, individuals may be present in court locations regardless of their involvement in a scheduled court proceeding and without the need for an appointment.
State Court Employees and Judges:
This broadcast message announces four important steps in the Judiciary’s transition to post-pandemic operations:
(1) As of August 2, 2021, all state court locations will fully reopen to the public.
(2) Also as of August 2, 2021, on-site presence of state court employees will increase from 50% to 75%.
(3) As of September 7, 2021, on-site presence of state court employees will increase from 75% to 100%.
(4) The Supreme Court has authorized in concept a plan for remote work for eligible state court employees in good standing, currently under development and expected to be available starting September 7, 2021.
State Court Locations Fully Open as of August 2, 2021 Read More
The Supreme Court has authorized mandatory settlement conferences in residential landlord tenant matters. This interim step is effective immediately pending further Court action on the Report and Recommendations of the Judiciary Special Committee on Landlord Tenant (“Special Committee”).
All vicinages will schedule mandatory settlement conferences for pending landlord tenant cases. As set forth in the Court’s attached July 1, 2021 Order, priority will be given to the nearly 14,000 landlord tenant cases that have been pending for more than one year or in which more than 12 months of rent is claimed to be due.