Terms Used In New Jersey Statutes 2A:23D-13

  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • person: includes corporations, companies, associations, societies, firms, partnerships and joint stock companies as well as individuals, unless restricted by the context to an individual as distinguished from a corporate entity or specifically restricted to one or some of the above enumerated synonyms and, when used to designate the owner of property which may be the subject of an offense, includes this State, the United States, any other State of the United States as defined infra and any foreign country or government lawfully owning or possessing property within this State. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
  • State: extends to and includes any State, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia and the Canal Zone. See New Jersey Statutes 1:1-2
13. a. Subject to sections 14 and 15 of P.L.2014, c.50 (C. 2A:23D-14 and C. 2A:23D-15), a family collaborative law communication made by a party or any nonparty participant is privileged under subsection b. of this section, is not subject to discovery, and is not admissible in evidence.

b. In a proceeding, and in addition to application of the lawyer-client privilege provided under the laws of this State, the following privileges apply:

(1) A party may refuse to disclose, and may prevent the party’s lawyer, or a nonparty participant, or any other person from disclosing, a family collaborative law communication.

(2) A nonparty participant may refuse to disclose, and may prevent a party, a party’s lawyer or any other person from disclosing, a family collaborative law communication of the nonparty participant.

c. The privilege created by this section may be claimed by the party or nonparty participant in person, or if the party or nonparty participant is incapacitated or deceased, by his guardian or personal representative. Where a corporation or association or other legal entity is the nonparty participant claiming the privilege, and the corporation, association or other entity has been dissolved, the privilege may be claimed by its successors, assigns or trustees in dissolution.

d. Evidence or information that is otherwise admissible, readily available from other sources, or subject to discovery does not become inadmissible or protected from discovery solely because of its disclosure or use in a family collaborative law process.

L.2014, c.50, s.13.