Victory in the New Jersey Supreme Court!

Hegge & Confusione has persuaded the New Jersey Supreme Court to reverse lower court rulings limiting their client to equitable distribution of assets earned only during the parties’ brief, 14-month marriage. Hegge & Confusione persuaded the Supreme Court that the family court, as a court of equity, was required to evaluate the client’s equitable share of a $2.25 million deferred compensation bonus paid to the ex-husband in light of not just the formal marriage period but, also, the parties’ eight years of living and raising their daughter together preceding the formal marriage. Applying principles of unjust enrichment and constructive trust, “Aucoin-Thieme is entitled to a percentage of the portion of the closing bonus that Thieme earned during the parties' cohabitation," Justice Patterson said in a unanimous ruling for the Court.