The Ten Most Important Family Law Cases Reported in 2015 By: John P. Paone, Jr. Without doubt, 2015 was a relatively lean year for reported family law opinions. which was one of the most important Appellate Division decisions in recent Gnall v. Gnall, years was taken up by the New Jersey Supreme Court. This decision was destined to be a landmark, attracting filings by the American Academy of Matrimonial amicus curie Lawyers, the Matrimonial Lawyers Alliance, and the Family Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association. By the time it was reported in 2015, however, was Gnall completely eclipsed by the new alimony statute which closed the curtain on permanent alimony. As in prior years, in 2015 Judge Marie E. Lihotz and Judge Lawrence R. Jones authored multiple reported family law opinions, some of which made the top ten. As a whole, however, it seemed as if the reported opinions were in a holding pattern awaiting the development of case law to interpret the new alimony law and other statutory changes of recent years. The following are my selections for the ten most important reported family law cases decided in 2015. This presentation will review each opinion and the impact that it will have upon our practice. Practice tips will also be discussed as to how matrimonial attorneys can best utilize these decisions.
The Ten Most Important Family Law Cases Reported in 2015 By: John P. Paone, Jr. Without doubt, 2015 was a relatively lean year for reported family law opinions. Gnall v. Gnall, which was one of the most important Appellate Division decisions in recent years was taken up by the New Jersey Supreme Court. This decision was destined to be a landmark, attracting amicus curie filings by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, the Matrimonial Lawyers Alliance, and the Family Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association. By the time it was reported in 2015, however, Gnall was completely eclipsed by the new alimony statute which closed the curtain on permanent alimony. As in prior years, in 2015 Judge Marie E. Lihotz and Judge Lawrence R. Jones authored multiple reported family law opinions, some of which made the top ten. As a whole, however, it seemed as if the reported opinions were in a holding pattern awaiting the development of case law to interpret the new alimony law and other statutory changes of recent years. The following are my selections for the ten most important reported family law cases decided in 2015. This presentation will review each opinion and the impact that it will have upon our practice. Practice tips will also be discussed as to how matrimonial attorneys can best utilize these decisions.
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