AAML NJ Blog

By Wilmington Trust | Leading provider of Investment Management and Financial Advisory Services | AAML NJ Gold Sponsor

The start of a new year often inspires fresh goals, and for those navigating life after divorce, financial stability should be at the top of the list. Making informed decisions now can help lay the foundation for a secure and confident future.

In our Family Lawyer Magazine newsletter article, 6 Key Financial Resolutions for a Stronger Post-Divorce Future, Sharon L. Klein, EVP, President-Family Wealth, Eastern U.S. Region, shares six essential financial resolutions designed to help individuals rebuild, protect, and grow their wealth post-divorce. From reassessing estate plans to preventing the death of a family business, these steps can make a meaningful difference in achieving long-term financial well-being.

Contact Sharon L. Klein, Head of Wilmington Trust’s National Divorce Advisory Practice at 212-415-0531 or sklein@wilmingtontrust.com to discuss ways Wilmington Trust can help your clients successfully navigate transition.

By LEAP | AAML New Jersey Silver Sponsor

For family law firms, legal drafting can make up a significant portion of the daily workload. Whether you’re preparing discovery requests, drafting divorce complaints, or assembling financial disclosures, these tasks may consume more of your time than you’d prefer—time that could otherwise be spent advising clients, preparing for hearings, or focusing on long-term firm development.  

Thankfully, advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are making it easier for family law firms to reclaim time. AI drafting tools can help you produce documents more efficiently while maintaining full control over the finished product. When these drafting tools also integrate with your practice management system, they can further enhance speed and accuracy by drawing from details stored in your matters. 

As with any use of AI, the quality of your instructions influences the quality of the output. A detailed, thoughtfully structured prompt can help guide the AI toward producing drafts that are more aligned with the desired result and tailored to the specifics of your case. 

Why Use AI Prompts in My Drafting Process? 

Legal AI prompts are carefully written instructions developed to help AI produce well structured, matter-specific content. By providing key details, such as formatting expectations, tone, jurisdiction, and practice area, you can help the AI produce output that is more precise, structured, and easier to refine into your desired final draft. 

Even when AI delivers a strong starting point, careful review is essential. As an attorney, you are fully responsible for the accuracy, quality, and compliance of every document you create. 

Writing and Using AI Prompts for Drafting 

Here are some best practices for creating and using AI prompts: 

Pre-Built AI Prompt Templates and Libraries 

While developing your own AI prompts is valuable, you can save even more time by using pre-built prompt templates. Templates that have been designed by family law experts can provide an extra level of reliability. 

Prompt templates can support drafting for documents such as: 

• Certification of insurance coverage
• Notice of motion or proposed form of order  
• Schedule of assets and liabilities  
• Summaries of mediation, case history, child care expenses, and more 
• Divorce finalization letters 

Strengthen Your Firm’s Drafting with AI Prompts 

LEAP’s legal practice management platform brings case management, document automation, billing, accounting, and award-winning AI together in one system. Pre-built family law matter types, automated NJ forms and templates, and a curated library of AI prompts tailored to family law practice can support efficiency at your firm. 

LEAP also offers a customizable Case Information Statement (CIS) with built-in calculators, split billing capabilities, secure document sharing, and more. Visit LEAP for New Jersey Family Law to learn more about our intelligent tools that can transform your day-to-day practice and help drive long-term success. 

By: Aislinn Koch 

Aislinn Koch is a family lawyer on the Content Development Team for LEAP Legal Software US. She began her legal career as a clerk for a Judge in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Family Part. She then went on to practice law at prestigious family law firms throughout the state of New Jersey. Aislinn is passionate about helping lawyers leverage technology to streamline their practices, boost efficiency, and stay organized.

Learn more https://info.leap.us/l/111142/2025-11-20/7c3ptt

By Wilmington Trust | Leading provider of Investment Management and Financial Advisory Services | AAML NJ Gold Sponsor

Although ghouls and goblins are on the prowl at Halloween time, partnering with an experienced divorce financial advisor to plan for your clients’ unique goals can make the next chapter of their lives a bit less frightening.

William T. Bennett, CFA, Senior Wealth Investment Advisor at Wilmington Trust shares 4 foundational steps for a customized financial plan for those who are navigating divorce in our Family Lawyer Magazine newsletter, Divorce Does Not Have to be Scary with the Right Financial Plan.

Contact Sharon L. Klein, Head of Wilmington Trust’s National Divorce Advisory Practice at 212-415-0531 or sklein@wilmingtontrust.com to discuss ways Wilmington Trust can help your clients successfully navigate transition.

By Crossover Capital | AAML NJ Gold Sponsor

For years, cryptocurrency has carried the reputation of being a secretive digital form of wealth that can be moved in the shadows, beyond the reach of courts and regulators. It should come as no surprise that in divorce cases, clients often fear that a spouse could be using crypto to conceal assets. While crypto is complex and can create challenges in divorce proceedings, it is not totally “untraceable.” In fact, with the right expertise and tools, digital assets can be uncovered, properly valued, and equitably divided.

Alex Pron, founder of Crossover Capital, explains why it’s becoming increasingly important for family law attorneys to understand how to handle crypto assets in divorce cases.

Learn more at https://crosscapadvisors.com/tracing-the-untraceable-how-crypto-can-be-discovered-and-valued-in-divorce/

By LEAP | AAML New Jersey Silver Sponsor

Choosing document automation software for your family law firm is about more than just faster document drafting. The right solution can reshape how your team operates—supporting greater accuracy, flexibility, efficiency, and reliability across matters. By reducing time spent on manual data entry and repetitive tasks, you can focus more energy on providing the attentive, high-quality care individuals and families require during life’s more complex moments. 

But with so many legal document creation platforms on the market, how do you know which one is the best fit for your firm’s needs? Here are five essential questions to help guide your evaluation: 

 1. How will it help my firm draft documents more efficiently and accurately? 

At its most basic, legal document automation saves time by auto-populating fields in forms and templates—pulling in client details you’ve already gathered to reduce repetitive data entry and the risk of errors. More advanced platforms can take this a step further, using AI-powered drafting to give you a head start by generating high-quality first drafts of letters, court forms, emails, and more. 

Look for a solution that offers regularly updated New Jersey-specific forms and templates, such as the Case Information Statement (CIS) and Child Support Worksheets. Having an up-to-date library at your fingertips saves you the time of having to search online and can give you confidence in your filings. 

Bonus points if the platform includes tools for financial disclosures and child support calculations to further streamline document preparation. 

 2. Does it offer customization for family law matters? 

Every family law case is unique, and your software should reflect that. A strong platform allows you to customize forms for divorces, custody arrangements, prenuptial agreements, post-judgment motions, and more. 

For New Jersey family law practitioners, a customizable CIS is particularly valuable. Features like flexible columns, editable fields, built-in calculators, and expandable sections make it easier to tailor the form to each client’s circumstances while staying compliant with court requirements. 

3. Can it integrate with my existing apps and tools? 

Technology should simplify your current workflow—not complicate it. Look for legal software that integrates with the programs you already use regularly, such as Microsoft 365. When working within a connected ecosystem, you can continue using trusted tools while creating court-ready documents like parenting schedules and marital settlement agreements more efficiently. 

4. Will it scale as my family law firm grows? 

While simple form-filling might meet your immediate needs, you’ll likely want more sophisticated tools as your practice expands, and you can realize even more benefit from leveraging legal technology. Choose a scalable platform that can grow with you, offering: 

• Additional features like case management, online billing, accounting, and task workflows 
• AI tools to assist with document drafting, legal research, and timekeeping 
• Regularly updated New Jersey–specific form and templates 
• Ongoing training and support 

Selecting a platform with growth in mind helps you avoid the disruption of switching systems later. 

5. Does it have robust security? 

Family law matters involve sensitive client information. The platform you choose should safeguard this data with encryption, secure cloud storage, file access controls, and compliance with SOC 2 Type 2 standards. These protections help build client trust, ensure confidentiality, and keep your firm aligned with regulatory requirements. 

Find the Right Fit for Your Firm 

Choosing document automation software is a strategic decision that can reshape how your firm provides legal services. Ultimately, it should help you draft faster, minimize errors, and deliver trustworthy results for you and your clients. 

As platforms vary widely in features and usability, carefully compare your options and schedule live demos. Seeing the software in action is one of the best ways to understand its capabilities, test how it fits your workflows, and guide you toward a solution that truly supports your firm’s needs. 

Explore how LEAP’s document automation—with AI drafting, an extensive library of forms and templates for New Jersey family law, customizable CIS features, and more—can help you work faster, freeing up time to focus on what matters most. Schedule a personalized demo today. 

About the Writer 

Aislinn Koch is a family lawyer on the Content Development Team for LEAP Legal Software US. She began her legal career as a clerk for a Judge in the Superior Court of New Jersey, Family Part. She then went on to practice law at prestigious family law firms throughout the state of New Jersey. Aislinn is passionate about helping lawyers leverage technology to streamline their practices, boost efficiency, and stay organized. 

By Wilmington Trust | Leading provider of Investment Management and Financial Advisory Services | AAML NJ Gold Sponsor

 As technology continues to advance, some may think the “personal feel” we once had has been replaced by the cold hands of technology. In the private client space, a trusting and personalized relationship is key to understanding the complexity of each client’s unique financial situation. Kayleigh Farrell, Wealth Associate at Wilmington Trust discusses how attorneys are using AI to make their work more client facing, as featured in Family Lawyer Magazine: Finding Values in an AI World.

By Crossover Capital | AAML NJ Gold Sponsor

Divorce is never easy, as there are both emotional and financial implications. For many non-financial spouses, the end of the marriage is also the beginning of managing finances independently (often for the first time in decades). That was the case for Freda Freshstart, a 52-year-old woman navigating divorce after 24 years of marriage.

Freda wasn’t the spouse who handled the money. She had focused on raising their two children and working part-time in an administrative role while her husband built a successful career. As they moved toward divorce, she found herself overwhelmed and unsure how to protect her financial future.

That’s where smart, coordinated financial planning came in.

Identifying What Wasn’t on the Surface

Freda’s spouse was the higher earner and controlled most of their financial accounts, including retirement plans, executive benefits, and stock options. Working alongside her attorney, we dug into past tax returns, pay stubs, and benefit statements, and uncovered:

●      Deferred compensation that hadn’t been initially disclosed

●      Restricted stock units (RSUs) scheduled to vest post-divorce

●      A valuable pension with no lump-sum option

By flagging our findings, Freda’s legal team was able to negotiate with clarity and confidence.

Modeling Her Settlement Options

One of Freda’s biggest questions was:
“Which settlement structure gives me the best shot at long-term stability?”

We modeled multiple scenarios, including:

●      A larger lump sum with no alimony

●      A smaller settlement with lifetime spousal support

●      A blended approach combining up-front cash and structured support

Each model showed projected spending, investment growth, and risk exposure, allowing Freda and her attorney to negotiate based on data, not just emotion.

Considering the Overlooked Details

Beyond the basics, we helped Freda understand and plan for:

●      Healthcare costs, including COBRA vs. marketplace plans

●      Social Security benefits she could eventually claim from her ex-spouse’s record

●      Income planning based on potential part-time work or phased retirement

●      Long-term care needs later in life

These are often the "blind spots" in divorce negotiations, and they can be costly if ignored.

The Outcome

With the attorney using our financial models as a backbone for negotiation, Freda walked away with:

✔   A fair share of retirement and investment assets

✔    Spousal support structured to meet her actual expenses

✔    A roadmap for her financial life post-divorce

✔    Confidence to take control of her money moving forward

Why This Matters

For attorneys, financial projections aren’t just helpful, they’re strategic. They clarify what your client needs not just now, but 10, 20, or 30 years from now.

For clients like Freda, understanding the “what ifs” can transform fear into confidence.

At Crossover Capital, we specialize in helping individuals, especially non-financial spouses, navigate the complexities of divorce with clarity, compassion, and smart strategy. If you’re an attorney looking to strengthen your client’s case with financial expertise, or a client starting your own Fresh start, we’re here to help.

Want to talk through a case like Freda’s? Let’s connect

By Wilmington Trust | Leading provider of Investment Management and Financial Advisory Services | AAML NJ Gold Sponsor

Divorce is complex and overwhelming for everyone involved; it is important to be a stable and consistent figure for your children both financially and emotionally. Explore practical strategies to support children’s financial development throughout and following divorce as featured in Family Lawyer Magazine, How Money Messages from Divorced Parents Impact Children, written by Sharon Klein, EVP, President - Family Wealth, Eastern U.S. Region & Marguerite Weese, National Head of Family Office Experience, at Wilmington Trust.

By LEAP Legal Software US | All-In-One Legal Software for All Practice Areas of Law | AAML NJ Silver Sponsor

If you’ve practiced family law in New Jersey for any length of time, you’re all too familiar with the Case Information Statement (CIS). Required in virtually every divorce case, this form is a detailed financial affidavit that provides a snapshot of a client’s past and present financial situation. Judges rely on it to help determine child support, alimony, and equitable distribution, making it one of the most critical documents in a divorce proceeding.

Despite its importance, the CIS can be cumbersome for both family law attorneys and their clients. Due just 20 days after the filing of an answer or appearance, clients often struggle to gather tax returns, pay stubs, and other key financial documents in time. Next, the attorney must review, calculate, and enter the data using the required CIS format, while ensuring accuracy within a structure that can feel restrictive and outdated.

And the work doesn’t stop after the initial submission. As a client’s financial circumstances change over time, you’re required to update the CIS and go through the same manual steps again. Ultimately, the entire process can feel tedious, time-consuming, and inefficient.

The good news? Advances in legal technology and document automation are changing the game, making New Jersey CIS preparation smoother, faster, and more adaptable to you and your clients’ unique needs.

A Smarter Approach: Flexible & Automated CIS

Legal tech and integrated practice management solutions are making CIS preparation far more manageable and efficient. Today, family law attorneys can get access to a smart, customizable, and automated CIS that can streamline the entire process.

Here’s how document automation and flexible formats can transform the way you handle the CIS:

• Auto-Populated Data: Reduce the need to manually re-enter client and financial information across multiple forms. With automation, relevant data is pulled directly from your client’s matter file in your practice management software.
• Faster Updates: Need to make changes? The automated CIS allows you to easily update client and financial details and push them across the CIS instantly.
• Editable Fields: Change the names of labels to best reflect each case’s unique circumstances.
• Adjustable Columns: Expand beyond the two columns in Part D to customize your client’s monthly expenses.
• Additional Lines: Add new lines to the monthly budget and assets and liabilities sections.
• Built-In Calculators: Convert your client’s financial information into required formats with integrated calculators.
• Microsoft Word Integration: Prepare, customize, and automate the CIS within Microsoft Word’s user-friendly software.

Why This Matters for Your Practice

Beyond saving time, document automation can significantly reduce the risk of errors, helping you avoid costly mistakes that could impact your cases. By streamlining CIS preparation, you can free up time to focus on tasks like strategizing with clients, preparing for court, or growing your practice.

And let’s not forget the client experience. A smoother, more efficient CIS process reduces stress and confusion for your clients as they navigate what is likely an already difficult time in their lives.

Turn CIS preparation into a more seamless, efficient process that can benefit both you and your clients. LEAP’s practice management software solution features automated forms and templates for New Jersey legal documents, including the CIS. To learn more about how LEAP can support New Jersey family law firms, visit leap.us/states/new-jersey.

By Wilmington Trust | Leading provider of Investment Management and Financial Advisory Services | AAML NJ Bronze Sponsor 

Carly Nathanson, Senior Investment Advisor at Wilmington Trust explores a powerful shift in the financial landscape as women acquire unprecedented control over wealth. Carly suggests seven foundational steps to empower women to become transformers and take control of their finances in this month’s newsletter, as featured in Family Lawyer Magazine: The New ‘Transformer’: Women with Wealth.

Contact Sharon L. Klein, Head of Wilmington Trust’s National Divorce Advisory Practice at 212-415-0531 or sklein@wilmingtontrust.com to discuss ways Wilmington Trust can help your clients successfully navigate transition.