2014 Revision To The New Jersey Cohabitation/Alimony Law Has Leveled The Playing Field For Those Paying Alimony
Over the years I have had conversations with many friends and colleagues who were paying Alimony to an ex-spouse, the stories related to me that just simply did not seem fair as explained. For instance, I had one co-worker who was paying a significant amount of permanent alimony to his wife in a system that seemed to be designed to inhibit the person receiving the alimony to actually get on with their life. After all, if you were in a position where you had become divorced from your spouse after a marriage of fifteen years or so and the court awarded permanent alimony of fifty thousand to one hundred thousand dollars for the rest of your life, what would you do? Would you be in a hurry to cohabitate with another man or woman if to do so would result in the loss of this substantial amount of alimony money? Would you fall in love and marry another person if to do so meant the loss of your substantial alimony award? Unless you are some sort of saint the answer to these two questions would most probably be a resounding no!!! Often it is not the fact that you are a bad and needy person; it is just that the system of alimony in many instances has inhibited the independence and potential personal growth of the recipient of the monthly alimony award, which I have often heard described as having possession of a winning lottery ticket.
It has been my experience in my thirty-five year career in the Jersey City Police Department and more recently my second career as a New Jersey Private Investigator that many persons become very dishonest about their living arrangements after they have become recipients of alimony. In my career on the police department I climbed through the ranks until I attained the rank of Police Chief of an eight hundred plus department. The stories of deception I would hear from colleagues as well as many of those I had supervised were stunning. The officers would relate to me of how their spouse would actually be cohabiting with their significant other while he/she was receiving alimony. Furthermore, I was told that this ex-spouse would stop at nothing in order to create a perception that he/she was not actually cohabiting with another, these deceptions would include but not limited to:
1. creating a perception the cohabiter lives with another family member, friend or some other person; the cohabiter may register their vehicle, place utilities and such at this relatives or friends home while in actuality they were truly residing with the recipient of the alimony award, or
2. parking the cohabiters vehicle either in the garage of the ex-spouse’s home or even parking their automobile a significant distance from the home.
3. often the cohabiters would mask their cohabitation by contributing untraceable cash to the home of the recipient of alimony, all of this and more to protect this alimony.
4. many times the alimony recipient would enlist the aid of the couples minor children in order to deceive the paying parent, the list goes on and on.
All of these examples make it difficult for a New Jersey Private Investigator to secure evidence during an Alimony/Cohabitation Investigation which if successful would reduce or even eliminate alimony.
Trust a leader when you need evidence legally collected, former Jersey City Police Chief Bob Cowan will personally conduct your investigation
MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF UNFAIRNESS IN THE OLD ALIMONY/COHABITATION LAW
I am aware of some bizarre and obviously unfair situations that many of my colleagues and friends had been subjected to over the years with respect to Alimony Awards, such as:
1. A spouse who was awarded significant alimony while at the same time the payee possessed the knowledge, skills and ability to make a good living in their own right. In fact, many of these ex-spouses were recipients of large permanent alimony awards and actually began making more money than the person who was paying the alimony.
2. Police officers are in defined benefit pension plans that are very often targeted as assets subjected to distribution in divorce proceedings. Stated another way, a court will often consider the analysis of an actuarial in order to determine how to divide the officers pension upon his retirement. I have known many officers who have not only had a portion of the pensions taken from them but have also been ordered to pay significant fixed permanent alimony.
Former Jersey City Police Chief Bob Cowan Speaking To Audience As Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop And Members Of The Jersey City Council Look On
This unbalance in the system has often resulted in the ex-spouse who is already receiving a substantial amount of alimony then to receive a substantial raise in income upon the retirement of the person that is paying the alimony. The flip side of this coin is that in many cases the retired officer would now be making substantially less money per year while the alimony recipient has a much more lucrative yearly income when combining his/her portion of the pension that had been previously awarded as fixed permanent alimony, how can that be fair?
Prior to the 2014, Alimony/Cohabitation revision a group that had been pushing hard for a more “level playing field” with respect to the Alimony/Cohabitation Laws, the group published a lengthy but and disturbing piece of literature titled “Shattered Lives- the personal horror stories of marriage and divorce in New Jersey”, (re; link below).
NEW JERSEY STATE LEGISLATURE LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD
In New Jersey in 2014, the Alimony/Cohabitation Laws of the State were significantly altered by the New Jersey State Legislature and subsequently signed into law. As always the law still provided for the modification or suspension of alimony if it is found that the payee of alimony is cohabiting with another. In September Of 2014 Eric S. Solotoff and Eric A. Epstein of Fox Rothschild A Top New Jersey Family Law Firm Authored A Very Informative Article Succinctly Breaking Dow The New Alimony Reform Law, For My Readers Convenience I have provided a link to the article http://www.foxrothschild.com/publications/new-jersey-enacts-alimony-reform-bill/
However, the definition of cohabitation was significantly altered in order to level the playing field for the payer of alimony, and in my opinion actually will help the recipients of alimony begin to move on with their life and become less dependent on the receipt of alimony. Cohabitation is now defined as “mutually supportive, intimate personal relationship in which a couple has undertaken duties and privileges that are commonly associated with marriage or a civil union but does NOT NECESSARILY MAINTAIN A SINGLE COMMON HOUSEHOLD. This is a huge change in the definition of cohabitation, it is no longer a given that as long as the receiver of alimony has a “significant other” who has their own home it will ipso facto be presumed they live together, now numerous other factors will be balanced to gain a picture of the totality of the circumstances. A court will now consider among other circumstances the amount of time the alimony payee’s significant other actually stays with him or her. Other factors to be considered are:
1. Does the couple have joint finances together, such as checking accounts, savings accounts or maybe even brokerage accounts? Does the couple own a car together and maintain a joint car payment, do they own a vacation time share? As you can see there are many financial factors that will need close examination.
2. Does the couple pool their money together in some fashion in order to pay their living expenses?
3. Do the couple’s family circle view the couple as family without the traditional marriage nuptials and license? Does couple go to each other’s families holiday celebrations, Thanksgiving, Christmas etc…
4. Does the couple share in household chores?
5. The court must also consider the length of the relationship when considering it’s decision.
But the most important change to the cohabitation/alimony laws in New Jersey has been the fact that: “A court may not find an absence of cohabitation solely on the grounds that the couple does not live together on a full-time basis”.
As you can see, the cohabitation/alimony laws in New Jersey have become less one sided and permanent alimony is essentially not even permitted in most circumstances. I personally think this is a good thing, not just for the fact that it is the right thing to do for the payer of alimony but it removes the inhibitions that the recipient of alimony has in order to move on with their life instead of remaining static and fearful of losing what has very often been described as a winning lottery ticket.
Revision to the New Jersey Cohabitation/Alimony Law has leveled the playing field for those paying Alimony
About the author:Bob Cowan is the owner of Cowan Investigations a full service New Jersey Private Investigations Firm, Bob is the former Chief of the Jersey City Police Department and has 35 years experience as a police officer in New Jersey’s second largest municipality.
https://cowaninvestigations.com/bio/
If you wish to speak with me regarding this article, or if you need a consultation regarding it’s contents please do not hesitate to call me at 732-837-8444, seven days a week 8:00am to 8:00pm.
I approached Cowan Investigations from out of state with a delicate situation that needed to be handled in NJ and Liz made me feel at ease and in good hands immediately! Both Liz and Bob reviewed my case and got back to be the same day… More with a great price and additional suggestions to make sure I was satisfied with the planning they had come up with. It was important to me for all parties involved in my case to feel comfortable and Liz and Bob definitely fit the bill! They took the time to gather all the information needed and completely exceeded my expectations. I originally chose to call Cowan Investigations because of the professional website and Bob's credentials, but it was the personal care and service that cemented their agency for me. Thanks again Liz!!
If you find yourself in need of a PI, I can assure you that retaining Cowan Investigations is 100% the right choice. Bob and his wife Liz worked tirelessly to assist me with a very challenging situation and ultimately were able to exceed… More my highest expectations in terms of obtaining evidence. I truly cannot thank them enough for the level of care and professionalism they brought to my case.
I didn't personally have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Cowan but Liz was so incredibly efficient and professional!! Within hrs she had already gotten answers to a question that has tormented me for a long time. If you need ANY investigative… More work done trust Cowan. This was my 1st time dealing with an investigative service and I was best pleased!! 5 stars all the way! A special thank you to Liz. You're a dear and I will always remember your warmth, sympathy and professionalism. Always. Yours Tom
Best of the Best! Worked with Bob during his tenure as the former Chief of the Jersey City Police Department. All I can say is that you will be getting what you pay for with this results driven company. A leader within the industry with… More over 34+ years in law enforcement as well as a proven track record of accomplishments in the field. If I needed a private investigator, Cowan Investigations would be my first choice, hands down.
I would highly recommend Cowan Investigations. From the time you speak to Liz on the phone until the time Bob is finished with the investigation you will always know what is going on, what is taking place, and what they found. You will… More be provided with detailed information and surveillance. Bob is very well trained in this field and will provide you with outstanding work. Both Bob and Liz are very compassionate and caring people and make you feel comfortable through the whole process. At the end of the investigation you’ll know that you have hired the right people for the job.
I didn't personally have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Cowan but Liz was so incredibly efficient and professional!! Within hrs she had already gotten answers to a question that has tormented me for a long time. If you need ANY investigative… More work done trust Cowan. This was my 1st time dealing with an investigative service and I was best pleased!! 5 stars all the way! A special thank you to Liz. You're a dear and I will always remember your warmth, sympathy and professionalism. Always. Yours Tom
I didn't personally have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Cowan but Liz was so incredibly efficient and professional!! Within hrs she had already gotten answers to a question that has tormented me for a long time. If you need ANY investigative… More work done trust Cowan. This was my 1st time dealing with an investigative service and I was best pleased!! 5 stars all the way! A special thank you to Liz. You're a dear and I will always remember your warmth, sympathy and professionalism. Always. Yours Tom
As a retired Deputy Police Chief with the Jersey City Police Department I had the privilege of working with Bob Cowan for over 25 years. Bob is an honest and ethical professional who shows empathy towards people in unfortunate situations.… More Bob’s objective analysis and evaluation of an issue enables him to address the true problem at hand. His strong analytical abilities coupled with thorough research and attention to detail make him an ideal private investigator. I know his clients will receive a comprehensive detailed report that will stand up in any hearing or court of law. Bob is a high caliber dedicated professional who will give it his all to address the issues at hand and achieve results.
—A Google User★★★★★a year ago
As a retired Deputy Police Chief with the Jersey City Police Department I had the privilege of working with Bob Cowan for over 25 years. Bob is an honest and ethical professional who shows empathy towards people in unfortunate situations.… More Bob’s objective analysis and evaluation of an issue enables him to address the true problem at hand. His strong analytical abilities coupled with thorough research and attention to detail make him an ideal private investigator. I know his clients will receive a comprehensive detailed report that will stand up in any hearing or court of law. Bob is a high caliber dedicated professional who will give it his all to address the issues at hand and achieve results.
I have been married for over 25 years, 2 years ago things just started not feeling right, I started having suspicions that my husband was cheating. I felt trapped, I was embarrassed to talk about it with anyone. I put up with feeling… More this way for two years. I began researching private investigators because I was fed up with being lied to and deceived, talked to like I was crazy. I called a few investigators but I did not feel comfortable, I felt like I was talking to used car salesmen. Just before I was going to give up I called Cowan Investigations. From the minute I began speaking to Liz Cowan I began to feel comfortable, she was very genuine, caring and knowledgeable on how to proceed. Liz set up a call with Bob who I immediately could tell was very experienced and knew how to proceed. Over a 4 day period Bob and Joe uncovered the evidence I needed to confront the lies and other deceptions I was subjected to, which let me make the decisions I needed to make for myself. Above all I was able to regain my self respect by getting the proof I needed. From time Liz answered the phone until Bob and Joe finished the investigation, I was overwhelmed by the professionalism and caring they displayed towards me and the investigation. Thanks again Liz, Bob and Joe, you’re the best
If there was a way to give this Gentleman ten stars, I would. Don't be mistaken by the use of the word "gentleman" he is a hound and he zeros in on the minutia of the investigation. He is a real detective with a extensive… More background in law enforcement. I thought that I had a really good understanding of my case and then I hired Bob Cowan. He exposed so many things that were hidden in plain sight that it blew my mind and consequently gave me much needed peace of mind. From the time he took my case, he kept in constant contact with me. All throughout, he explained things in way that I could understand. He was reassuring, professional and the best guy for the job! I am in the unenviable position of knowing what I am saying. It can and is, at times, overwhelming when you have to hire a private investigator. This usually arises from a traumatic experience and the reason why you should surround yourself with someone who knows what this experience fells like. I trust Bob Cowan and hope he continues to help others, like he helped me. I am grateful to have been referred to him! Thank you, Sir. And yes, I would be remiss if I didn't thank his wife Liz. She took my initial phone call and she knew I needed his help. She was warm and kind. Just what you need when you are faced with these situations...Thank you, Liz.
I recently had the need to use a private investigator. After looking at several options, I decided to call Cowan Investigations. The decision to call them turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I really like the fact that… More Mr. Cowan has a law enforcement background and is a former Chief of Police for Jersey City. After my first conversation with Liz Cowan I knew I had called the right people. She made me feel very comfortable when I answered all the questions she needed to get the facts regarding a very complicated situation. Liz is very thorough, caring, and very professional and usually available when I had questions. Liz and Bob make you, their priority. I NEVER had to worry if Mr. Cowan would be working on my case at the time I was promised. He was always at the location, on time, very descrete and went way above and beyond my expectations. I was informed of the progress on a daily basis and over a period of 4-5 days, had enough evidence to prove my case. The reports are very professionally written with dates and time stamped. It says a lot when my lawyer called Bob Cowan and complimented him on the great report he gave to my lawyer, to take to court. I feel the evidence gathered by Cowan Investigations and presented to the judge, by my lawyer, made a huge difference in the judge's decision. I met Mr. Cowan and shook his hand after I won the case. I highly recommend Cowan Investigations and will definitely use them again if needed. Thank you for all your hard work, you are the best!
We cannot thank Bob and Liz enough for helping us with a matter that was probably outside the realm of their normal practice. They were instrumental in assisting us in reaching out to an unscrupulous used car salesman. The individual wouldn't return our calls and obviously, did not wish to be found.Due to their tireless efforts and many phone calls, we were finally put in touch with him. With their help, the situation was fully resolved! They handled the situation with the utmost care and professionalism. We strongly recommend Cowan Investigations as they are very good at what they do!
On this thanksgiving day, I can say that I am very grateful for the peace of mind this detailed investigator gave me. Not only did he provide me with the...
2014 Revision To The New Jersey Cohabitation/Alimony Law Has Leveled For Those Paying Alimony
August 23, 2017 by Bob Cowan • Cohabitation •
2014 Revision To The New Jersey Cohabitation/Alimony Law Has Leveled The Playing Field For Those Paying Alimony
Over the years I have had conversations with many friends and colleagues who were paying Alimony to an ex-spouse, the stories related to me that just simply did not seem fair as explained. For instance, I had one co-worker who was paying a significant amount of permanent alimony to his wife in a system that seemed to be designed to inhibit the person receiving the alimony to actually get on with their life. After all, if you were in a position where you had become divorced from your spouse after a marriage of fifteen years or so and the court awarded permanent alimony of fifty thousand to one hundred thousand dollars for the rest of your life, what would you do? Would you be in a hurry to cohabitate with another man or woman if to do so would result in the loss of this substantial amount of alimony money? Would you fall in love and marry another person if to do so meant the loss of your substantial alimony award? Unless you are some sort of saint the answer to these two questions would most probably be a resounding no!!! Often it is not the fact that you are a bad and needy person; it is just that the system of alimony in many instances has inhibited the independence and potential personal growth of the recipient of the monthly alimony award, which I have often heard described as having possession of a winning lottery ticket.
It has been my experience in my thirty-five year career in the Jersey City Police Department and more recently my second career as a New Jersey Private Investigator that many persons become very dishonest about their living arrangements after they have become recipients of alimony. In my career on the police department I climbed through the ranks until I attained the rank of Police Chief of an eight hundred plus department. The stories of deception I would hear from colleagues as well as many of those I had supervised were stunning. The officers would relate to me of how their spouse would actually be cohabiting with their significant other while he/she was receiving alimony. Furthermore, I was told that this ex-spouse would stop at nothing in order to create a perception that he/she was not actually cohabiting with another, these deceptions would include but not limited to:
1. creating a perception the cohabiter lives with another family member, friend or some other person; the cohabiter may register their vehicle, place utilities and such at this relatives or friends home while in actuality they were truly residing with the recipient of the alimony award, or
2. parking the cohabiters vehicle either in the garage of the ex-spouse’s home or even parking their automobile a significant distance from the home.
3. often the cohabiters would mask their cohabitation by contributing untraceable cash to the home of the recipient of alimony, all of this and more to protect this alimony.
4. many times the alimony recipient would enlist the aid of the couples minor children in order to deceive the paying parent, the list goes on and on.
All of these examples make it difficult for a New Jersey Private Investigator to secure evidence during an Alimony/Cohabitation Investigation which if successful would reduce or even eliminate alimony.
Trust a leader when you need evidence legally collected, former Jersey City Police Chief Bob Cowan will personally conduct your investigation
MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF UNFAIRNESS IN THE OLD ALIMONY/COHABITATION LAW
I am aware of some bizarre and obviously unfair situations that many of my colleagues and friends had been subjected to over the years with respect to Alimony Awards, such as:
1. A spouse who was awarded significant alimony while at the same time the payee possessed the knowledge, skills and ability to make a good living in their own right. In fact, many of these ex-spouses were recipients of large permanent alimony awards and actually began making more money than the person who was paying the alimony.
2. Police officers are in defined benefit pension plans that are very often targeted as assets subjected to distribution in divorce proceedings. Stated another way, a court will often consider the analysis of an actuarial in order to determine how to divide the officers pension upon his retirement. I have known many officers who have not only had a portion of the pensions taken from them but have also been ordered to pay significant fixed permanent alimony.
Former Jersey City Police Chief Bob Cowan Speaking To Audience As Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop And Members Of The Jersey City Council Look On
This unbalance in the system has often resulted in the ex-spouse who is already receiving a substantial amount of alimony then to receive a substantial raise in income upon the retirement of the person that is paying the alimony. The flip side of this coin is that in many cases the retired officer would now be making substantially less money per year while the alimony recipient has a much more lucrative yearly income when combining his/her portion of the pension that had been previously awarded as fixed permanent alimony, how can that be fair?
Prior to the 2014, Alimony/Cohabitation revision a group that had been pushing hard for a more “level playing field” with respect to the Alimony/Cohabitation Laws, the group published a lengthy but and disturbing piece of literature titled “Shattered Lives- the personal horror stories of marriage and divorce in New Jersey”, (re; link below).
http://njalimonyreform.org/wp-content/images/Alimony-Reform-Book-Horror-Stories-and-Shattered-Lives.pdf
NEW JERSEY STATE LEGISLATURE LEVELS THE PLAYING FIELD
In New Jersey in 2014, the Alimony/Cohabitation Laws of the State were significantly altered by the New Jersey State Legislature and subsequently signed into law. As always the law still provided for the modification or suspension of alimony if it is found that the payee of alimony is cohabiting with another. In September Of 2014 Eric S. Solotoff and Eric A. Epstein of Fox Rothschild A Top New Jersey Family Law Firm Authored A Very Informative Article Succinctly Breaking Dow The New Alimony Reform Law, For My Readers Convenience I have provided a link to the article http://www.foxrothschild.com/publications/new-jersey-enacts-alimony-reform-bill/
However, the definition of cohabitation was significantly altered in order to level the playing field for the payer of alimony, and in my opinion actually will help the recipients of alimony begin to move on with their life and become less dependent on the receipt of alimony. Cohabitation is now defined as “mutually supportive, intimate personal relationship in which a couple has undertaken duties and privileges that are commonly associated with marriage or a civil union but does NOT NECESSARILY MAINTAIN A SINGLE COMMON HOUSEHOLD. This is a huge change in the definition of cohabitation, it is no longer a given that as long as the receiver of alimony has a “significant other” who has their own home it will ipso facto be presumed they live together, now numerous other factors will be balanced to gain a picture of the totality of the circumstances. A court will now consider among other circumstances the amount of time the alimony payee’s significant other actually stays with him or her. Other factors to be considered are:
1. Does the couple have joint finances together, such as checking accounts, savings accounts or maybe even brokerage accounts? Does the couple own a car together and maintain a joint car payment, do they own a vacation time share? As you can see there are many financial factors that will need close examination.
2. Does the couple pool their money together in some fashion in order to pay their living expenses?
3. Do the couple’s family circle view the couple as family without the traditional marriage nuptials and license? Does couple go to each other’s families holiday celebrations, Thanksgiving, Christmas etc…
4. Does the couple share in household chores?
5. The court must also consider the length of the relationship when considering it’s decision.
But the most important change to the cohabitation/alimony laws in New Jersey has been the fact that: “A court may not find an absence of cohabitation solely on the grounds that the couple does not live together on a full-time basis”.
As you can see, the cohabitation/alimony laws in New Jersey have become less one sided and permanent alimony is essentially not even permitted in most circumstances. I personally think this is a good thing, not just for the fact that it is the right thing to do for the payer of alimony but it removes the inhibitions that the recipient of alimony has in order to move on with their life instead of remaining static and fearful of losing what has very often been described as a winning lottery ticket.
Revision to the New Jersey Cohabitation/Alimony Law has leveled the playing field for those paying Alimony
___________________________________________________________
About the author: Bob Cowan is the owner of Cowan Investigations a full service New Jersey Private Investigations Firm, Bob is the former Chief of the Jersey City Police Department and has 35 years experience as a police officer in New Jersey’s second largest municipality.
https://cowaninvestigations.com/bio/
If you wish to speak with me regarding this article, or if you need a consultation regarding it’s contents please do not hesitate to call me at 732-837-8444, seven days a week 8:00am to 8:00pm.
Related Links:
ALIMONY/COHABITATION INVESTIGATION
COHABITATION/ALIMONY INVESTIGATIONS, HIRE AN INVESTIGATOR WHO KNOWS THE LAW !!!
YOU ONLY GET ONE SHOT AT YOUR COHABITATION/ALIMONY INVESTIGATION, DON’T WASTE IT BY HIRING THE WRONG INVESTIGATOR!!