The Law Offices of Peter Van Aulen

Peter F. Van Aulen has practiced as a New Jersey divorce and family law attorney for over twenty‑five years. His practice is devoted to matrimonial and family law matters.

Attorney Qualifications and Experience

• Over 25 years of experience handling New Jersey divorce and family law cases.
• Has handled hundreds of divorce and family law matters ranging from straightforward to highly complex.
• Certified by the New Jersey Supreme Court as a Matrimonial Attorney.
• Has written or edited hundreds of divorce and family law articles available on the firm's website and blog.
• Experience with difficult custody cases, including:
• Parent alienation
• Child relocation
• International child abduction matters
• Experience obtaining restraining orders for victims of domestic violence and defending against unfounded domestic violence claims.
• Drafts prenuptial, postnuptial and divorce settlement agreements and is familiar with issues affecting their enforceability.
• Trained mediator with experience using mediation to help resolve family law disputes.
• Former adjunct professor for many years and a lecturer/panelist at continuing legal education seminars on divorce law.

Approach to Representation

• Focus on divorce and family law, including both legal and practical aspects of a client's situation.
• Emphasizes listening to clients first in order to understand both their legal issues and the emotional and psychological circumstances affecting their case.
• Provides straightforward advice and works with clients to develop an effective strategy to resolve their legal problems.
• Strives to be available to answer questions and respond to client concerns and to return calls in a timely manner.
• Prepared to take cases to trial when necessary, while also being an effective negotiator who has settled many difficult cases.

Meeting Options and Consultations

• Free initial consultation is offered at the firm's Saddle Brook office, subject to current firm policies.
• Meetings, including initial consultations, may be available by:
• Telephone
• FaceTime
• Zoom
• In‑person at the office

For current policies on meeting formats and to schedule a consultation, prospective clients are directed to contact the firm directly.

• New Jersey divorce (marriage dissolution) matters, including no‑fault and fault‑based grounds.
• Issues commonly addressed in divorce cases, such as:
• Child custody and parenting time
• Child support
• Alimony/spousal support
• Equitable distribution (division of marital property and debts)
• Post‑judgment divorce issues, including enforcement and modification of existing orders where permitted by law.

Child Custody, Parenting Time and Relocation

• Legal custody (decision‑making authority for the child).
• Physical custody (where the child resides).
• Parenting time/visitation schedules.
• Shared physical custody arrangements where appropriate.
• Child relocation cases in which a custodial parent seeks to move a child out of state and the other parent objects, subject to court approval and the child's best interests.

Child Support and Related Financial Issues

• Establishment of child support obligations based on New Jersey child support guidelines and applicable factors.
• Issues involving additional child‑related expenses where permitted by law.
• Modification of child support orders when there is a qualifying change in circumstances, subject to court approval.
• Enforcement of child support and other family law financial orders.

Alimony and Spousal Support

• Evaluation of alimony/spousal maintenance claims in New Jersey divorce matters.
• Consideration of factors used by New Jersey courts when deciding whether and in what amount to award alimony, as permitted by law.
• Post‑judgment issues involving modification or enforcement of alimony orders where available.

Property and Asset Division

• Equitable distribution of marital assets and debts under New Jersey law.
• Issues that may arise in connection with business interests, retirement accounts and other marital property.

Domestic Violence and Restraining Orders

• Representation of individuals seeking restraining orders in domestic violence matters.
• Representation of individuals defending against domestic violence complaints when appropriate.

Grandparents' Rights and Third‑Party Matters

• Grandparent visitation and custody applications, including cases where grandparents seek visitation and must demonstrate that visitation is necessary to prevent harm to the child under New Jersey standards.

International and Interstate Issues

• International child abduction matters under applicable laws and conventions, including seeking the return of children wrongfully removed to or retained in another jurisdiction.
• Cases involving child custody and relocation issues that raise questions of interstate jurisdiction.

Mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution

• Mediation of custody, parenting time and economic issues in divorce, including situations where mediation is required by the court.
• Use of mediation and other alternative dispute resolution approaches to attempt to resolve family law disputes outside of trial when appropriate.

Marital and Family Agreements

• Prenuptial agreements drafted before marriage.
• Postnuptial agreements.
• Divorce settlement agreements resolving issues in New Jersey family law cases.

Education and Resources

The firm maintains an extensive online resource center and article library covering many aspects of New Jersey divorce and family law. These materials are provided for general educational purposes only and are not a substitute for legal advice about a specific situation.

For advice about a particular matter, potential clients are directed to contact the firm to discuss their circumstances with an attorney licensed in New Jersey.

50 Market St

Saddle Brook, NJ 07663

Telephone

• Main phone: 201-845-7400

Prospective and current clients are directed to call this number to schedule a free initial consultation (subject to current firm policies) or to discuss their family law matter.

Free Initial Consultation

• The firm offers a free initial consultation for New Jersey divorce and family law matters, as stated on the website.
• Consultations are typically held at the Saddle Brook office or by remote meeting, depending on current office practices and client needs.

Meeting Options

According to the firm's website, meetings – including initial consultations – may be available in the following formats:

• Telephone
• FaceTime
• Zoom
• In‑person at the Saddle Brook office

Clients and prospective clients should contact the office directly to confirm current meeting options and to arrange an appointment.

Payment Methods

• The firm accepts major credit cards as a form of payment, as noted on the website.

Online Contact

The firm's website includes a contact form and a client questionnaire for individuals who have scheduled an appointment. These online tools allow prospective clients to provide basic information about themselves and their family law matter before meeting with the attorney.

Ask anyway — the agent will say plainly that it is not published rather than guess.