An Eatontown-based family law firm focuses on reasonable solutions for splitting spouses

by Jessica Jones-Gorman • Photos By Doug Polle

With divorce rates at an all-time high and close to 50 percent of U.S .marriages resulting in a split, there are a multitude of family law practitioners in the State of New Jersey who cater to couples who have decided to end domestic bliss. But for one boutique powerhouse family law firm, divorce is not simply about facts and figures. Instead, the focus is on a realistic and personal vision of how divorce proceedings can and should work.

“No one grows up and plans on getting divorced,” noted Marguerite A. Maggs, one of three partners in the Eatontown-based Amdur, Maggs & Shor firm, which maintains a strong matrimonial division focused on all family law matters, including divorce, custody and parenting time, spousal and child support, domestic violence matters, and post judgment divorce issues.

“Divorce is just not in the traditional story line,” Maggs continued. “We don’t teach our kids what to do after their first marriage ends or how to handle going back to work and supporting the children after their first divorce, yet 50 percent of the world grapples with it.”

That’s why Maggs and partner Irene Shor concentrate on the human side of their clients’ cases.

“Nobody wins in a divorce. Everyone has a sense of loss and often mourns the death of a marriage,” Maggs said. “That’s why we don’t treat our clients like they’re just another legal case. We help them see that with every end there is a new beginning. We try to help them make the best of the situation and keep them attuned to what’s coming next. People are naturally fearful about the unknown. Our job is to make transition as fearless and as seamless as possible.”

For Maggs, the journey to becoming a lawyer began after she first enrolled in premed studies at the University of Miami.

“I was a student athlete and went down to the University of Miami in Florida to play basketball and start my studies in pre-med,” she said, detailing original career aspirations inspired by her father, an esteemed general surgeon in New Jersey at the time. “I was very interested in medicine, but basketball practice was twice a day, the team traveled often, and it was hard for me to keep up with both team obligation and the rigorous courses.”

So, she switched majors and began studying psychology. After a little research, Maggs was surprised to find that course of study was popular among law students.

“I realized that I was better suited for a career in law, and my psychology background supported that,” Maggs said. “I went on to Seton Hall Law School and graduated with a JD in 1985. From there, I joined the Amdur firm and was trained as a trial attorney, specializing primarily in the defense of professional liability and medical malpractice/hospital liability cases.”

The only woman on a team of five attorneys, Maggs began trying cases three days after she passed the bar.

“I was sent to court each Monday with ten files, not knowing which one was going to trial that day, so I had to study each one carefully and was forced to really know my stuff,” she said. “It was a wonderful experience and I learned all of the nuances very quickly, representing a number of local hospitals and doctors.”

In the early 1990s, after handling the defense of a medical malpractice case for an area doctor, Maggs was asked to represent that same doctor in his own divorce settlement.

“He asked me if I would handle his divorce and, although I was reluctant to say yes, he persuaded me that, given the trust established during my representation of him in his malpractice case, he would appreciate it if I would agree to handle his divorce,” Maggs recalled. “It went well for my client, and that was the beginning of what has turned out to be a thriving family law practice. It also turned out that my psychology and business backgrounds, together with the trial experience, helped me tremendously in this area of the law.”

So much so that, even with part-time associate attorneys helping throughout the early years, she needed additional help for the growing practice.

Enter Irene Shor, who applied for a position 13 years ago.

“We immediately knew this would be a good fit,” said Maggs. “She answered an ad for a part-time position but somehow talked herself into a full-time role that didn’t even exist. We had such similar ideas and were on the same exact page—from the moment we met we knew it would be a very special union.”

Shor graduated from Binghamton University with a major in literature and rhetoric, and attended Rutgers Law School before working for lead matrimonial Judge James Convery in Essex County. She started with the firm in March of 2003 and became a partner in 2006. Her entire legal career has been devoted to matrimonial and family law matters, which Maggs explained has been a defining fact for their firm.

“Together we’ve formed this little powerhouse firm that is completely based on a team approach,” Maggs said. “Irene and I realized many years ago that we could provide a better service and more thorough representation of our clients if we help each other and participate in every file. This includes our meetings with clients, appearances at court events, our review of documentation submitted to either the other attorney in the case or to the court, and it allows our clients access to an attorney just about any day, because one of us is always available.”

Weekly office meetings are held with the firm’s support staff, which consists of 12 different attorneys, paralegals, and legal secretaries. There are roundtable discussions every file, and Maggs said a high-energy, efficient work environment allows the partners to put out an enormous amount of work for a small firm.

“We meet for initial consultations and develop a game plan almost from the beginning of a file as to how we can accomplish what the clients are seeking,” Maggs said. “We are also cognizant that in our area of law, we are not likely to have many repeat customers, and that our business depends upon recommendations and word-of-mouth referrals.”

Their partner, Richard A. Amdur, remains one of the premier trial lawyers in the state, and handles primarily medical malpractice defense/professional liability. This allows Maggs and Shor to focus on strictly family cases.

Divorce fast facts

“We have the qualifications and experience to handle the most simple family matters, as well as the most difficult contentious litigated matters requiring a trial,” said Maggs. “We recognize that people going through a divorce or other litigation related to custody, parenting time, or post-judgment of divorce difficulties are not always happy, and are oftentimes frustrated, agitated, and upset. We are committed to finding the best result possible in every case.”

The partners offer pro bono work for the 180 Turning Lives Around Domestic Violence Group, and also volunteer time to the Early Settlement Panel Program in Monmouth County—a program all litigants going through a divorce are required to participate in if they have not yet reached a settlement.

Maggs is divorced and remarried herself, and is also a 15-year breast cancer survivor. Her husband, Michael Fitzgerald, also an attorney, practices in Brielle. Both her son and step-daughter are currently away at college.

“I had a very amicable divorce, and I think I bring that personal experience to each of my cases,” she added.

Shor is married to a dentist practicing in Ocean Township and Brick. Together, they have two children.

“Most partners are happy if they work well together, but Irene and I are the best of friends as well,” Maggs said. “I think we are blessed in that regard. We have a very unique dynamic.”

“Relationships are not always fixable,” she said. “But they can be manageable. And if you have to go through something like this, you should go through it with people who care.”

57% of attorneys nationwide noticed a downturn in divorce filings during the 2008 recession.

15% of couples choose long-term separation (ten or more years) over divorce because of money issues.

The states with the highest divorce rates are (in order) Alaska, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Alabama.

Couples who divorced their first spouse typically wait four years before getting remarried.

Couples on their first marriage who later divorced were usually married approximately eight years. Interestingly, that eight-year figure is the same for couples in their second marriage who later divorced.

82.5% of couples manage to make it to their fifth anniversary. 6.2% celebrate their 50th anniversary.

Those with a high school diploma are 60% likely to make it to their 10th anniversary. A bachelor’s degree increases that figure to 85%.

If couples are under 20 years old when married, they have a 54% chance of making it to their 10th anniversary. Those 25 or older increase that chance to 78%.

Both New York and New Jersey are “equitable distribution” states, meaning that in a divorce, property is divided in a way that is deemed equitable or fair—as opposed to “community property” states like California, in which assets acquired during marriage are divided equally.

Amdur, Maggs & Shor
1 Industrial Way West, Eatontown / 732.389.3800