Bruce Matez

Practice/Organization Description

My focus is to help clients reach agreements and avoid the heartache, stress and financial burden of litigation through the court. I will take the time to educate clients on the law, to explain the range of possible resolutions of issues and likely best and worst case scenarios, and work toward an amicable resolution of the issues based upon my client’s informed and rational decision. I work with clients to act in a rational and reasonable manner. In my representation of clients, I strive toward striking a healthy balance between negotiation and strong advocacy. When necessary and appropriate, I will use my knowledge, experience and advocacy skills in litigation. As a divorced father and having been practicing family law for over 20 years, I have gained an understandiing of the emotional dynamics of divorce and all family law issues and the interplay between the emotional issues and the legal issues. I believe my ability to communicate with my clients, empathize with them, listen to them and provide personal service has earned me the respect of my colleagues and the gratitude of former clients. I also serve as a mediator for parties seeking to resolve their family law issues in a neutral setting thereby avoiding litigation through the court system. I am also appointed regularly as a binding arbitrator by my colleagues on various family law issues.

I am now practicing Collaborative Divorce, having completed training last year. An alternative to costly divorce litigation

Collaborative Law provides divorcing couples with a viable, meaningful, less contentious alternative to litigation which is all too often expensive, time consuming, emotionally draining and devastating to families. It is an increasingly popular alternative to traditional adversarial divorce litigation for couples wishing to end their marriage with dignity and respect which utilizes a mutual problem solving approach. The parties and their attorneys, along with other specially trained professionals involved (e.g., custody experts, forensic accountants, etc.) agree in writing to work together toward a settlement agreement without litigating in court.

In general, spouses choosing a Collaborative Divorce end their marriage with:

less acrimony,

less pain,

less cost,

more privacy,

more control of the divorce process and,

with better results for the entire family—Especially Children.

I am a volunteer attorney working with the Camden Comprehensive Center for Fathers, providing pro bono services to their participants on legal issues such as child support and parenting time.

Bar Admissions

New Jersey 1989

Supreme Court of United States 2000

Education

Villanova University School of Law- JD 1989

University of Maryland, College Park- BA English 1986

Professional Associations & Memberships

South Jersey Collaborative Law Group

International Association of Collaborative Practitioners

New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators

New Jersey State Bar Association

Camden County Bar Association

Gloucester County Bar Association

Burlington County Bar Association

Honors and Awards

2011-SJ Magazine Top Family Law Attorney

2010-SJ Magazine Top Family Law Mediator

2004-South Jersey Magazine Awesome Divorce and Family Law Attorney

Areas of Practice

• Family Law