Scott Laterra, ESQ.

I am a certified divorce mediator, a New Jersey Certified Matrimonial Trial Attorney, and a Fellow of the American Academy Lawyers. I have been practicing family law since graduating from Seton Hall Law School in 1996. It's all I have every practiced. I probably couldn't get you out of a parking ticket, but I can digest a family law case pretty accurately. 

Litigation sucks. All of the time. Even when you win it sucks. Because even when you win, you lose. You lose a lot of time, money, and emotional energy. And it's not fun, being under the microscope, having to be alert all the time because someone would love to be able to portray you poorly to a judge. Misunderstandings. Constantly having to clarify or justify. 

Your case keeps getting adjourned, and not once but like ten times. And not for a week, but sometimes months. Your told it's because the courts are backed up (which is true) because each county only has a handful of judgers and thousands of cases filed each year. It's not the judges' fault, it's just math that doesn't add up. 

And everything depends. There's no certainty of outcome. Everything is discretionary and comes down what the judge feels is fair or equitable on a particular day, but of course everyone has a different idea of what that means. 

So you're stuck on this path where the finish line keeps moving, the outcome is uncertain, everyone is angry, and the legal fees never seem to subside. 

Life is too short to spend it in a courtroom. 

My philosophy is simple. Don't do it. Find another way. Mediation or collaborative dispute resolution is the way to go.  

When I'm not trying to deescalate tensions and encourage mediation over litigation, I spend most of my time travelling around the state from one high school gym to another to following my kids' wrestling. I'm a writer, and my first book, Wrestle Dad, is coming out in November 2026. 

I already have my follow up book in mind, and it's going to be a dark satire about New Jersey divorce law.