Jeralyn L. Lawrence, the Managing Member and Founder of Lawrence Law, devotes her practice to matrimonial, divorce, and family law, and is a trained collaborative lawyer, divorce mediator, and arbitrator.
Certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Matrimonial Law Attorney, Jeralyn has worked with clients whose needs lie in all areas of matrimonial and family law, including divorce litigation, mediation and arbitration, custody and parenting time issues, alimony and child support, separation and property settlement agreements, adoption and guardianship advice, domestic partnership matters under the Domestic Partnership Act, domestic violence and sexual abuse, and palimony. She has also handled high profile matters including celebrities and professional athletes. She takes great pride and care in helping her clients make it through these difficult personal matters. Through collaborative law, Jeralyn assists and guides clients who are committed to resolving their matter without court intervention through the divorce process. Jeralyn is President of the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA). She is a Past Chair of the Family Law Section of the NJSBA and Senior Editor of New Jersey Family Lawyer, the official publication of the Section, and a Past President of the Somerset County Bar Association. She is also the Treasurer of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Jeralyn has been certified by the Academy as a Family Law Arbitrator.
To complement the breadth of her matrimonial, divorce, and family law practice, Jeralyn involves herself in various professional engagements outside the firm. She frequently serves as a speaker and panelist at divorce and family law programs and seminars and she has been admitted to the rosters of Mediators for Economic Aspects of Family Law Cases and of Custody and Parenting Time Cases for Somerset County. She serves on the NJ Supreme Court Matrimonial Certification Committee that oversees the statewide matrimonial attorney certification process, as well as the Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey’s Board of Directors. In her spare time, Jeralyn is an attorney volunteer at Safe+Sound Somerset. She is also a volunteer attorney with the New Jersey State Bar Military Legal Assistance Program, providing pro bono legal assistance to New Jersey residents who have served overseas or active duty of the armed forces after September 11, 2001.
Jeralyn has been selected by the Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey to receive their Carol Murphy Award, presented to a woman with a successful career demonstrating leadership, advancing policies in support of women and families, and helping to pave the way for women of the next generation. She was a recipient of the 2014 New Jersey Professional Lawyer of the Year Award from the New Jersey Commission on Professionalism in the Law, which honors attorneys whose character, competence, and commitment to the highest professional standards mark them as outstanding members of the bar. She has been honored by NJBiz as one of New Jersey’s Best 50 Women in Business and was selected as a Kean University Distinguished Alumna, the preeminent award for alumni, by the Kean University Alumni Association. Jeralyn was honored as an Outstanding Woman in Somerset County by the Somerset County Commission On the Status Of Women. She received the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division’s Professional Achievement Award and she’s received three Annual Legislative Recognition awards from the NJSBA. Jeralyn has also received an award from the NJSBA for her amicus curiae work on behalf of the bar. She was also a New Jersey Law Journal 2015 Attorney of the Year finalist. She is a graduate of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy and a member of the Central New Jersey Inns of Court.
Jeralyn has been selected as one of the New Jersey Super Lawyers in the Family Law section for several years. She was named to Top 100 New Jersey Super Lawyers and Top 50 Female New Jersey Super Lawyers and The American Institute of Family Law Attorneys named her one of the “10 Best” Attorneys for the State of New Jersey. She is listed in The Best Lawyers in America in the Family Law, Family Law Arbitration, and Family Law Mediation sections and was named the Best Lawyers 2018 Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” and the 2016 Family Law Mediation “Lawyer of the Year” in the Woodbridge New Jersey, Metro Area. New Jersey Family has also named her as one of “New Jersey’s Best Lawyers for Families”. In addition, Jeralyn was selected by her peers as one of New Jersey’s Top 10 matrimonial lawyers under the age of 40 and was recognized by the New Jersey Law Journal as one of 40 accomplished and promising attorneys in the State of New Jersey under the age of 40.
Accreditations
Certified Matrimonial Attorney
Certified Family Law Arbitrator
Accredited Mediator
Accredited Collaborative Law Attorney
Graduate of the National Institute of Trial Advocacy
Presentations
“The New Alimony Law – How’s That Working for You?,” 2019 Family Law Symposium, NJICLE in cooperation with the NJSBA Family Law Section, Hyatt Regency, New Brunswick, NJ, January 26, 2019
2018 Fall CLEfest, NJICLE, Renaissance Woodbridge Hotel, Iselin, NJ, November 19, 2018
“Handling a Relocation Trial After Bisbing,” Meadowlands Seminar 2018, New Jersey Association for Justice Educational Foundation, Inc., Hilton Meadowlands Hotel, East Rutherford, NJ, November 15, 2018
“Hot Tips in Family Law,” NJSBA Family Law Section in association with the NJICLE, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, NJ, November 12, 2018
“Everybody Lies – Big Data, New Data and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are,” NJICLE, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, NJ, September 27, 2018
“Would Equal Physical Custody Elevate a Parent’s Desires Over the Child’s Best Interests?,” NJSBA Family Law Section, 2018 Annual Meeting and Convention at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City, NJ, May 17, 2018
“Relocation after Bisbing v. Bisbing,” NJICLE and AAML-NJ, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, NJ, April 28, 2018
“Law Office Marketing: Online and Offline,” New Jersey Association for Justice Educational Foundation Inc.’s Winter Seminar 2018, The Palace at Somerset Park, Somerset, NJ, March 1, 2018
2018 Family Law Symposium, NJICLE in cooperation with the NJSBA Family Law Section, New Brunswick, NJ, January 27, 2018
“Demystifying the Trial: Preparing for and proceeding to trial in matrimonial and domestic violence matters,” Hot Tips in Family Law, NJSBA Family Law Section in association with the NJICLE, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, NJ, November 10, 2017
New Jersey Association of Professional Mediator’s 24th Annual Conference Celebrating Alternate Dispute Resolution Day, in cooperation the NJSBA Dispute Resolution Section, the New Jersey Council of Collaborative Practice Groups, and the Justice Marie L. Garibaldi American Inn of Court for ADR, Somerset, NJ, November 4, 2017
Legalpalooza, Morris County Public Safety Training Center, Parsippany, NJ, November 2, 2017
2017 Mid-Year Meeting, NJSBA, The Westin Palace, Madrid, Spain, October 21 – October 28, 2017
Family Law Certification Exam Prep Course, NJICLE in cooperation with AAML-NJ, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, NJ, October 9, 2017
Second Saturday, The Women’s Institute for Financial Education, Florham Park, NJ, August 17, 2017
“Standing Tall: Life Lessons Learned from the Court,” NJSBA Diversity Committee’s Diverse Voices-Distinguished Speaker Series, 2017 NJSBA Annual Meeting and Convention, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City, NJ, May 18, 2017
Domestic Violence Seminar, NJSBA Family Law Section, 2017 NJSBA Annual Meeting and Convention, Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City, NJ, May 18, 2017
“Come Have a Seat at the Table: Celebrating Women in the Law,” HCBA, Beaver Brook Country Club, Annandale, NJ, May 2, 2017
Women and the Law, Rutgers University political science senior seminar cross-listed with a criminal justice class, Mercer County Community College, West Windsor, NJ, March 29, 2017
“Evidence for Family Lawyers: An easy-to-follow set of strategies that get results,” NJICLE in cooperation with the NJSBA Family Law Section and the NJSBA Senior Lawyers Special Committee, Hyatt Morristown, NJ, March 11, 2017
2017 Family Law Symposium, NJICLE in cooperation with the NJSBA Family Law Section, New Brunswick, NJ, January 28, 2017
“A Review of the 2016 Family Law Opinions,” Middlesex County Bar Association Family Law Section’s General Membership Dinner Meeting, Edison, NJ, January 18, 2017
“Electronic and Social Media in Family Litigation: What’s Useful? What’s Beyond the Pale?” NJICLE, Iselin, NJ, November 21, 2016
Second Saturday, The Women’s Institute for Financial Education, Florham Park, NJ, November 17, 2016
“Hot Tips in Family Law – The Top 40: New Spins on the Oldies but Goodies,” NJSBA’s Family Law Section, New Brunswick, NJ, November 11, 2016
“Going Dutch,” NJSBA Mid-Year Meeting, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, October 26, 2016
“Family Law Bench/Bar Conference,” NJSBA Annual Meeting and Convention, Atlantic City, NJ, May 20, 2016
“New Alimony Statute 101,” NJSBA Annual Meeting and Convention, Atlantic City, NJ, May 18, 2016
“Litigationg Grandparents Visitation Cases and Third Party Custody and Visitation Claims in the Family Part,” NJAJ Boardwalk Seminar, Atlantic City, NJ, April 7, 2016
“Understanding the Legislative Process,” NJSBA Town Hall Advocacy Program, Trenton, NJ, March 7, 2016
“Cutting Edge Issues from the Perspective of Custody Evaluators,” NJSBA/NJICLE Family Law Symposium, New Brunswick, NJ, January 30, 2016
“Hot Tips in Family Law 2015: The Road to Resolution – Trial, Arbitration, Mediation or Collaborative Law?” NJICLE & NJSBA, New Brunswick, NJ, November 11, 2015
“Domestic Violence,” Moderator, NJSBA Mid-year Meeting, New Orleans, LA, November 5, 2015
“Hot Tips for Handling Domestic Violence,” SCBA Marathon CLE Day, Bridgewater, NJ, October 12, 2015
“ADR Day XVIII,” NJICLE, New Brunswick, NJ, June 6, 2015
“Recent Statutory Changes in Matrimonial Law,” Norris McLaughlin, P.A., Bridgewater, NJ, April 8, 2015
“2015 Family Law Symposium,” NJSBA, New Brunswick, NJ, January 24, 2015
“Evidence for Family Lawyers,” Central CLEFest, NJICLE, East Brunswick, NJ, November 24, 2014
“Alimony Reform,” Legalpalooza, Morris County Bar Association, Morristown, NJ, November 22, 2014
“Alimony Law in New Jersey,” Keep C.A.L.M. and Mediate, New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators, Somerset NJ, November 15, 2014
“Family Law: Advanced Issues,” National Business Institute, Newark, NJ, November 14, 2014
“Alimony Update: The New Law,” Meadowlands Seminar 2014, East Rutherford, NJ, November 13, 2014
“Hot Tips in Family Law-Rules are Made to be Broken: Exceptions, Dissents, & Loopholes,” NJICLE & NJSBA, New Brunswick, NJ, November 11, 2014
“Legislative Issues Affecting the Family Law Practice,” Family Law Section Dinner Meeting, MCBA, Edison, NJ, November 10, 2014
“Hop Tips in Family Law – Trouble in the City of Love,” NJSBA Mid-year Meeting, Paris, France, November 3, 2014
“Family Law: Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” Sterling Education Services, Inc., Parsippany, NJ, October 22, 2014
“New Jersey’s New Alimony Bill,” NJSBA, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, NJ, September 18, 2014
“2014 Family Law Section Bench/ Bar Conference, ” NJSBA Annual Meeting, Atlantic City, NJ, May 16, 2014
“Child Support: The New Guidelines – What’s Changed; Advocacy for Deviating from the Guidelines; Children in College,” NJAJ Educational Foundation, Inc. Boardwalk Seminar 2014, Atlantic City, NJ, May 1, 2014
“Third Parties in Family Law Matters,” NJICLE, Westin, Mount Laurel, NJ, March 8, 2014
“Family Law: Breaking Up is Hard to Do,” SES, Holiday Inn, Cherry Hill, NJ, February 25, 2014
“2014 Family Law Symposium,” NJICLE, Hilton, East Brunswick, NJ, January 25, 2014
“Basic Interdisciplinary Collaborative Law Training,” NJICLE, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, NJ, January 18, 2014(Day 2)
“The Child Support Guidelines: How to Advocate to Deviate,” NJICLE, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, NJ, December 14, 2013
“Child Custody in the 21st Century,” NJICLE’s Central CLEfest, Iselin, NJ, November 25, 2013
“Hot Tips in Family Law 2013/2014, Rules Are Made to be Broken: Exceptions, Dissents, and Loopholes,” NJICLE, New Brunswick, NJ, November 11, 2013
“Child Custody in the 21st Century,” NJICLE’s South CLEfest, Atlantic City, NJ, August 16, 2013
“Family Law for Paralegals & New Attorneys: A 2013 Update,” NJSBA Paralegal Committee, New Brunswick, NJ, August 1, 2013
“Bench Bar Seminar,” NJSBA Annual Meeting, Atlantic City, NJ, May 17, 2013
“Sheridan and the Innocent Spouse,” NJAJ Educational Foundation, Inc. Boardwalk Seminar 2013, Atlantic City, NJ, April 18, 2013
“Hot Tips in Family Law: Marriage in 2013,” NJICLE, November 12, 2012
“Work-Life Balance: Is it in the Cards?” NJSBA Mid-Year Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 13, 2012
“Change in Circumstances – Modification of Support When Lady Luck Deals Your Client a Bad Hand,” NJSBA Mid-Year Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 12, 2012
“Collaborative Law Training,” NJICLE, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, NJ, March 16, 2012 (Day 1)
“Collaborative Law Training,” NJICLE, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, NJ, March 17, 2012 (Day 2)
“Hot Tips in Family Law 2013/2014: Rules are Made to be Broken,” NJICLE, November 11, 2013
“Understanding the Neurobiology and Symptoms of Chemical and Other Addictions: Implications for Children, Families, & Custody,” AFCC, October 12, 2013
“Hot Tips in Family Law: Marriage in 2013,” NJICLE, November 12, 2012
“Work-Life Balance: Is it in the Cards?” NJSBA Mid-Year Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 13, 2012
“Change in Circumstances – Modification of Support When Lady Luck Deals Your Client a Bad Hand,” NJSBA Mid-Year Meeting, Las Vegas, Nevada, October 12, 2012
“Collaborative Law Training,” NJICLE, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, New Jersey, March 16, 2012 (Day 1)
“Collaborative Law Training,” NJICLE, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, New Jersey, March 17, 2012 (Day 2)
“Basic Interdisciplinary Collaborative Divorce,” NJICLE, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, New Jersey, April 9, 2011 (Day 1)
“Basic Interdisciplinary Collaborative Divorce,” NJICLE, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, New Jersey, April 16, 2011 (Day 2)
“Imputation Issues,” NJICLE & NJSBA Family Law Section, January 29, 2011
“Collaborative Divorce: An Essential Primer for All Family Law Practitioners,” NJICLE, Edison, New Jersey, June 17, 2010
“NJSBA Annual Meeting and Convention,” May 19-21, 2010
“2010 Family Law Symposium,” January 29, 2010, Hyatt Regency Hotel, New Brunswick
“Rights and Responsibilities of Adults in Nontraditional Families,” New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Mid-Year Meeting, Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, November 5-9, 2008
“What Everyone Should Know About Divorce, Child Custody and Grandparents’ Rights,” New Jersey State Bar Foundation, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, New Jersey, October 23, 2008
“Settlement – Civil Restraining Orders,” Hot Tips in Family Law 2008: Back to Basics, New Jersey State Bar Association Family Law Section in association with the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, New Brunswick, New Jersey, September 20,2008
“2008 Family Law Symposium,” New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education in cooperation with the New Jersey State Bar Association Family Law Section, Iselin, New Jersey, January 25-26, 2008
“Are Best Practices Forcing Litigation to Go ‘Sideways’: ‘To Whine or Not to Wine’ Recent Court Rule Amendments for Civil and Family Cases,” Family Law Section Meeting, Annual Mid-Year Meeting, New Jersey State Bar Association, Santa Barbara, California, November 8, 2007
“Family Court Rules: Overview and 2008 Update,” New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, October 23, 2007
“Imputation Issues,” NJICLE & NJSBA Family Law Section, January 29, 2011
Collaborative Divorce: An Essential Primer for All Family Law Practitioners, NJICLE, Edison, New Jersey, June 17, 2010
Norris McLaughlin, P.A. Attorneys to Speak at the NJSBA Annual Meeting and Convention, May 19-21, 2010
Jeralyn speaks at 2010 Family Law Symposium, January 29, 2010, Hyatt Regency Hotel, New Brunswick
“Rights and Responsibilities of Adults in Nontraditional Families,” New Jersey State Bar Association Annual Mid-Year Meeting, Disney’s Boardwalk Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida, November 5-9, 2008
“What Everyone Should Know About Divorce, Child Custody and Grandparents’ Rights,” New Jersey State Bar Foundation, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, New Jersey, October 23, 2008
“Settlement – Civil Restraining Orders,” Hot Tips in Family Law 2008: Back to Basics, New Jersey State Bar Association Family Law Section in association with the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, New Brunswick, New Jersey, September 20,2008
2008 Family Law Symposium, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education in cooperation with the New Jersey State Bar Association Family Law Section, Iselin, New Jersey, January 25-26, 2008
“Are Best Practices Forcing Litigation to Go ‘Sideways’: ‘To Whine or Not to Wine’ Recent Court Rule Amendments for Civil and Family Cases,” Family Law Section Meeting, Annual Mid-Year Meeting, New Jersey State Bar Association, Santa Barbara, California, November 8, 2007
“Family Court Rules: Overview and 2008 Update,” New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, October 23, 2007
“Divorce Law, Child Custody and Grandparents Rights,” New Jersey State Bar Foundation, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, October 16, 2007
“Hot Tips in Family Law 2007: Factors, Grounds & Tests,” Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education in cooperation with the New Jersey State Bar Association Family Law Section, September 29, 2007
“Custody Conversations – Fun with Dick and Jane Skits and Panel Discussions,” New Jersey State Bar Association Family Law Section, May 16, 2007
“The ABC’s of an Effective CDR Presentation – From the Presenter’s Perspective,” Boardwalk Seminar 2007, Association of Trial Lawyers of America-New Jersey Educational Foundation, Atlantic City, New Jersey, April 26-27, 2007
“What Everyone Should Know About Child Custody and Grandparents’ Rights,” New Jersey State Bar Foundation, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, New Jersey, January 10, 2007
“Hot Tips on International Family Law Issues,” Mid-Year Meeting of the New Jersey State Bar Association, Rome, Italy, November 10, 2006
“Key Family Court Rules,” 2006 Family Law Summer Institute, New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education, New Jersey Law Center, New Brunswick, July 26-27, 2006
“Ten Things the Client Should Never Say to Their Children,” ATLA-NJ Educational Foundation’s Boardwalk Seminar 2006, April 28,2006
“Hot Topics Seminar,” November 3, 2001
Awards & Recognition
Jeralyn Lisa Lawrence has earned the Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent® status. A description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Jeralyn Lisa Lawrence was selected to the 2018 Super Lawyers list. The Super Lawyers List is issued by Thompson Reuters. A description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Jeralyn Lisa Lawrence was selected to the 2019 Best Lawyers® list. A description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Jeralyn L. Lawrence was selected to the 2018 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of The Year list. A description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Jeralyn L. Lawrence was selected to the 2016 Best Lawyers® Lawyer of The Year list. A description of the selection methodology can be found here. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
Professional Affiliations
New Jersey State Bar Association
• Treasurer
• Family Law Section
• Past Chair
• Executive Committee
• Senior Editor, New Jersey Family Lawyer
New Jersey Supreme Court
Matrimonial Certification Committee
District XIII Attorney Ethics Committee, Former Member
Somerset County Bar Association
• Past President
• Family Law Committee
• Somerset County Domestic Violence Working Group
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers
• Treasurer
• Board of Managers
• Fellow
American Bar Foundation
• Fellow
Association of Family & Conciliation Courts
New Jersey Women Lawyers Association
New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators
New Jersey Association of Justice
New Jersey Collaborative Law Group
International Academy of Collaborative Professionals
Women’s Political Caucus of New Jersey
Matrimonial Lawyers Alliance
