Law Offices of Patricia Garity Smits, L.L.C.

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PATRICIA GARITY SMITS
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E-mail: smits@smitslaw.com


Hunterdon County Office
1141 Stanton-Lebanon Road
Lebanon, New Jersey 08833

TEL: (973) 267-5600
FAX: (973) 267-0063

The firm is centrally located in Hunterdon County. The attorneys in the firm appear in Morris, Essex, Bergen, Somerset, Hunterdon, Union, Passaic, Hudson, Sussex, Warren, Middlesex, Monmouth and Mercer Counties as well as in the appellate courts of New Jersey.

The firm handles all types of family law, matrimonial and related matters ranging from mediation and uncontested marital dissolutions to sophisticated and complex litigation involving business and other valuation issues in high income and asset cases, and custody litigation in high conflict cases. The partners in the firm have extensive experience and expertise in all areas of family and matrimonial law, including divorce, custody, visitation, interstate and international matters, domestic violence, property settlement agreements, modification and enforcement of agreements and orders, premarital and cohabitation agreements, unmarried cohabitant/palimony matters, parental alienation, mediation, arbitration, collaborative law, tax and estate planning for divorce clients, appeals and all other related family matters. In addition, the firm works closely with outside professionals such as psychologists and other mental health professionals; accountants; business appraisers; real estate and other appraisers; tax, trust, bankruptcy and other specialty attorneys to provide our clients with the utmost attention and expert advice to best serve their particular needs.

In addition, the partners at the firm have significant experience handling appellate
matters and have several reported decisions regarding various aspects of family law, including cutting edge and touchstone cases.

The attorneys of the firm, while known for their ability to handle cases ranging from
routine matters to the most complex financial and custody cases, also understand the emotional impact that a divorce has on the family, most particularly the children, and deal with each client’s particular needs in a sensitive manner. The attorneys of the firm also have experience dealing with cases involving addiction issues and cases where one party has psychological problems.

The firm’s partners have worked in medium and large firms and are able deal with the complexity of large matters and provide the quality of work provided at larger firms. Together with our experienced paralegal and support staff, the services are delivered in a more personal and hands-on manner. While we are able to handle the most complex matter, we are small enough to provide each client with personal, individualized service. Our client’s will never be lost in the shuffle. We are not and do not strive to be a high volume practice. We are selective with respect to the clients and the cases which we accept so that we can provide the highest quality service. In addition, we use technology to aid in the process where appropriate to obtain the best possible results for our client. When you become a client of our firm, you can expect and will receive service of the highest quality and personal service not seen elsewhere.

The firm’s partners have served on numerous national, state and local bar associations and committees. We extensively give of our own time for the betterment of the practice of family law both in New Jersey and nationally. They have lectured on various areas of Family Law to Judges, members of the bar and public groups. While statistically, more than 97% of the matrimonial cases settle through negotiation, there are cases which do not settle even though the firm has given its best efforts to settle it. In this event, the firm has the experience and ability to litigate and arbitrate the most
complex matters. In addition, the attorneys of the firm are great proponents of alternate dispute resolution, including mediation and a collaborative law approach, and can ably guide our clients through these processes.

A listing of the types of family law matters typically handled by the firm, include but are not limited to the following: