NJ Appellate Law Blog

"Consistent With Prior Practice," Judge Blee is Assigned to the Appellate Division and Designated as Acting Administrative Director of the Courts

Chief Justice Rabner announced today that, effective today, Judge Michael Blee has been assigned to the Appellate Division and designated as Acting Administrative Director of the Courts. The Order doing so is available here....

Statutory Ban on Retroactive Reduction of Court-Ordered Child Support is Inapplicable to Reductions Based on a Child's Emancipation

Bournes v. Harris, ___ N.J. Super. ___ (App. Div. 2026). This post-dissolution appeal from the Family Part involved several questions arising out of a Marital Settlement Agreement ("MSA") entered in a Texas court. In an opinion by Judge Firko, the Appellate Division affirmed a ruling by Judge Lougy, whom the panel identified by name, that New Jersey courts had jurisdiction to enforce and to modify the Texas MSA, and that Judge Lougy properly enforced arrears....

Common Law Bad Faith Claims and Claims Under the Insurance Fair Conduct Act Should, In Many Cases, be Deferred Until After Resolution of Underinsured Motorist Claims

Tenenbaum v. Allstate Ins. Co., ___ N.J. Super. ___ (App. Div. 2026). Judge Natali's opinion for the Appellate Division in this matter today involved two matters that were before the court on leave to appeal. The issue in both cases was whether and when "common law bad faith claims under Pickett v. Lloyd's, 131 N.J. 457, 467 (1993), and those brought under the recently adopted Insurance Fair Conduct Act (IFCA), N.J.S.A. 17:29BB-1 to -3," should be stayed until resolution of all disputes relating to underinsured motorist ("UIM") claims brought in the same action....

Coming Soon to the Appellate Division: Summer Parts

The Appellate Division's schedule and roster of summer Parts has been announced. These summer sessions begin on June 15 and run through September 6....

Appellate Division Oral Argument of the Week: Does Denying a Father's Right to Communicate With His Son Due to the Father's Inability to Pay for Reunification Therapy Violate Due Process?

On Wednesday, April 29, judges on Part B of the Appellate Division will hear oral argument in Dornacker v. Laborante. The case is an unusual one....