FAMILY LAW SPECIALIST: “I like helping people understand the legal and financial context of their changing family, strategizing their move forward, and making concrete suggestions for how to get on with their lives after a divorce. This is a stressful, rough time for them, and I try to help find a resolution that is respectful of their needs.” Jeffrey K. Epstein is a certified matrimonial attorney and specialist in family law at the Szaferman Lakind Law firm.

By Jean Stratton

Szaferman Lakind Law firm has a long history of helping clients in New Jersey, and particularly in Mercer County. Established in Lawrencevile by three former deputy attorneys general, Barry Szaferman, Arnold Lakind. and Jeffrey Blumstein in 1977, it is a multi-faceted law firm with highly sophisticated and accomplished areas of specialty, including family law, personal injury, trusts and estates, general litigation, transactional business and commercial real estate, employment law, land use, and workers compensation.

The firm provides legal representation for businesses, investors, professionals, families, and individuals.

As the firm grew from three attorneys to 30, It moved to its current location at 101 Grovers Mill Road in the Quakerbridge Executive Center in 1986.

The firm epitomizes “True Counsel”, meaning that they provide realistic solutions to complex legal problems, and emphasize rendering quality advice and direction while being practical and cost effective. As its mission statement explains, “The attorneys at Szaferman Lakind strive to provide True Counsel to all our clients through every step of the legal process, both personally and professionally. To us, it is a pledge of high quality, efficiency, ethical standards, and compassion. Our attorneys are advisors, confidants and strategists.”

Highest Rating

Many Szaferman lawyers have been the recipients of multiple awards, and have achieved the highest rating from their peers, legal organizations, and the judiciary. Numerous former Mercer County judges have worked at Szaferman Lakind as mediators and arbitrators after retiring from the judiciary.

The firm has been awarded the Martindale-Hubbell (a peer review legal rating system) highest rating of AV-Preeminent (AV signifying the highest level of professional excellence and integrity). It has also been rated a Tier 1 Law Firm by U.S. News & World Report in their Best Law Firms List since 2014 in multiple practice areas, including family law.

The firm’s attorneys have been recognized as top-rated attorneys in their respective fields by Best Lawyers in America, Super Lawyers, Super Lawyers Rising Stars, and by Martindale-Hubbell.

Jeffrey K. Epstein, a partner with the firm since 2004, is a specialist in family law, and has received many of these honors and recognition. He has been included in the list of NJ Super Lawyers, issued by Thomson Reuters, for 20 consecutive years, most recently in 2024, after a rigorous election process that includes both professional achievement and peer recognition. He also has maintained an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell since 2003, attesting to the highest legal ability and professional ethics.

Accredited Mediator

Epstein is a Fellow of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Matrimonial Law Attorney. He serves on the NJ Supreme Court Committee, which has final approval over attorneys who apply for certification. He has also served on the executive committee of the Family Law Section of the State Bar, and has been a blue ribbon panelist for the Mercer County Early Settlement Program.

In addition, he has served as a featured presenter for the annual case law review before the Middlesex County Bar Association, and has lectured for the New Jersey ICLE (Institute for Continuing Legal Education). He is also an accredited mediator, having received mediator training with ICLE and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

A certified matrimonial attorney, Epstein has a sub-specialty in child custody cases. A graduate of Touro College School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review, he attended law school at night, and worked full-time during the day. He explains that his specialty in family law evolved over the years. “In the beginning, it just happened that family law cases came along. I continued with it, as the cases touched on various aspects of the law, and allowed me to work closely with clients during challenging times in their personal lives.”

As the cases became more diversified and thought-provoking, he saw that he could make a difference in what his clients were experiencing.

“This aspect of the law can be painful at times for all concerned, he points out. “It is stressful, difficult, and yet very rewarding. Interesting and challenging, it can also be gut-wrenching.”

Healthier Situation

“Custody cases are hard, he continues. They can involve sole custody, shared custody, visitation rights, and out of state location issues. “You focus on the best interests of the children, and try to convince parents to move past their own anger toward each other for the benefit of the kids.

“Divorce can be very difficult for children. If the communication between the parents is civil, however, the children do much better in adapting to their changing family. Therapy is often recommended for the parents and children, and this can create a healthier situation for all. It can also continue after the divorce, as that can still be such a stressful time for everyone as they adapt to their new family structure and often, new home environment.”

Epstein stresses the importance of establishing a good working relationship with his clients from the very beginning.

“When a prospective client comes in, we have an in-depth consultation, discussing their reasons for seeking a divorce and what is important to them. It is essential to have a good rapport. Very personal issues can be involved. I try to emphasize to the client that being reasonable, honest, and forthcoming is the best way for us to plan a strategy together.

“For the initial consultation, I prefer to meet in person, but if the client prefers Zoom, we will accommodate. In this practice, it is crucial to develop a comfortable and personal relationship with your client while also remaining objective. This is sometimes a difficult balance to achieve.”

A typical divorce can take a year to be finalized, or even longer, he explains. There are so many complex factors involved. Asset valuation issues, taxes, insurance, debt, real estate, business issues, alimony (New Jersey has five different kinds of alimony), child support, personal injuries, contents of the house, and even distribution of household pets, among many others are major concerns.

Negotiated Settlement

As part of the process, mediation is mandated, says Epstein. This usually involves meetings with an accredited mediator, a neutral third party family law attorney, who tries to help clients identify and overcome obstacles to reach a negotiated settlement. The Mercer County Courts also provide mediation on parenting issues.

“Money is usually the biggest issue,” he points out. “Both parties will want to continue the lifestyle they have been accustomed to, and this can be difficult to achieve, and can result in considerable acrimony. Often, the house is sold, and the clients move. That can be an emotional trigger for many people.

“If taxes, business valuation issues, or real estate are involved, we may have to consult experts in other fields, including financial advisors, accountants, appraisers, and others,” he adds. “It also may be necessary to involve arbitration. Although 95 percent of cases are resolved without going to trial, some seek resolution through binding arbitration. Some people just have real difficulty with final decision-making. If they can’t reach an agreement, but don’t want to go to trial in Court, the parties can retain an arbitrator to decide the issues.”

As cases go forward, and as further information is gathered, and the opposing lawyers confer and interact, other issues can emerge. Alcohol, drugs, other addictions, such as gambling, are all very difficult to navigate in a divorce proceeding. Domestic abuse, including physical or mental harm, or sexual issues can also be revealed and adjudicated.

Population Spectrum

These are not easy to deal with, and as Epstein notes, “I am trying to help people when they are often at their worst. I have learned a lot about human nature, People should understand that their lawyer has their back, and any issues they are dealing with will be handled with understanding and support.”

His cases come from all over New Jersey, with the main focus on Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, and Burlington Counties. “I tend to take cases from a wide variety of people and places as it keeps me on my toes about trending or relevant issues from across the population spectrum.”

Some of his work involves out of state, international, and immigration issues, he adds. “Some cases involve people from other countries who are not citizens. They may be here with only a visa, and this can add another level of complication.”

Changes in the norms of society have also brought new kinds of cases, including same sex marriage divorces, and un-married households. These can involve additional legal issues, and emotional factors are often at the forefront.

The internet and social media have an impact too. In many cases, a more alienated, meaner environment has been created. “People can be more impatient and less understanding today,” Epstein points out. “While online communication can assist with visitation coordination, often social media plays its own role in driving people toward acrimonious divorce.”

Some clients have been married many years, others only a few, he reports. In one case, the client had been married 50 years, and when asked why he was seeking a divorce, “He said, ‘From the very beginning, each day has been hell!’”

Hugs and Kisses

Other times, people just grow apart over the years, and there can be an amicable outcome. In one memorable case, he recalls, “My client and the ex-spouse had been married many years, and when the divorce was settled, they hugged and kissed! Then, one said to the other, ‘Let’s go celebrate!’ And with family, friends, and attorneys, they got into their Rolls Royce and went to White Castle for hamburgers!”

Such feel good moments are certainly welcome in such a usually stressful and fraught process, and Jeff Epstein is grateful for such a moment.

A happily married man for more than 40 years, he is able to bring understanding and compassion to his clients whose own marriages have been less successful.

As he says, “The key to being a good matrimonial attorney is to recognize the individual needs of a particular client, both in terms of the issues involved and setting realistic goals. Much off our time is spent providing advice to clients on staying focused on the ‘big picture’ and prioritizing pivotal issues.

“I try to help them realize there are more important things than a marginally more lucrative settlement, such as peace of mind and good health for themselves and their children.”

For further information, call (609) 275-0400. Consult the very thorough website at www.szaferman.com.