Family and Relationships

Legal Services of New Jersey wrote this handbook to help parents when the Division of Child Protection and Permanency (formerly DYFS) files a court case to place their children in foster care based on claims that the parents have abused or neglected their children. This handbook will help parents understand the things they must do to try to reunite with their children as soon as possible.​​

Divorce in New Jersey: A Self-Help Guide is accurate as of the date it was last revised—January 2019.​

Divorce in New Jersey: A Self-Help Guide (read the instructions)​​​​

Divorce in New Jersey: A Self-Help Guide​ (order instructions and forms)​​​​

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This handbook explains the major provisions of New Jersey law about domestic violence and suggests some of the measures you can take to protect yourself from abuse, including using the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act to get a restraining order to keep the abuser away.

View PDF file in the following languages:

English​
Spanish​
Portuguese 

Haitian Creole​​​
Korean​​​​​​​​​​​​
Arabic​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Hindi​​​​​​​​​​​​

LSNJ wrote this handbook to help parents when the Division of Child Protection and Permanency, DCP&P (formerly the Division of Youth and Family Services, DYFS) takes legal action to terminate (end) their parental rights to their children. This handbook contains information about the law and legal process that apply to you as a defendant parent being sued by DCP&P in a termination of parental rights case.

Violence or harassment in a current or former romantic relationship is called “dating violence and harassment.” This guide has been created to help you identify when behavior in a relationship crosses the line from an unhealthy relationship to illegal behavior and to know what you can do to protect yourself under the law.​​​