Bruce Evan Chase has extensive experience representing divorcing and separating spouses in a wide spectrum of Family Law cases. Bruce regularly represents those planning to marry who choose to have pre-nuptial agreements in place prior to their marriage. Bruce also prepares separation agreements, custody agreements, and reconciliation agreements. Bruce also represents parents and relatives seeking repayment of loans made to their loved ones and spouses now pursuing divorce or separation.

Bruce’s experience in the areas of real estate, commercial transactions and business law serves him well in the field of Family Law. Bruce regularly represents those buying and selling local businesses and liquor licenses. Bruce also maintains an active practice in commercial and retail leasing.

Following his boyhood dream, Bruce was admitted to the New Jersey Bar in 1978, immediately joining his father’s existing legal practice as the firm’s only associate. A few years later, Bruce’s brother Marc joined the practice. Since 2015, Bruce has practiced as a sole practitioner and most recently, intending to expand the practice, created Chase & Chase LLC.

Bruce’s extensive trial experience serves as a necessary backdrop to his pursuit of fair and reasonable settlements. He has tried many contested divorce cases including those involving child custody, shared residential custody, the valuation and equitable distribution of businesses, alimony, child support and other family law related issues.

Bruce serves as a Chairperson of an early settlement panel through which he voluntarily dedicates his time to review settlement proposals and to meet with litigants and their attorneys to resolve contested divorce cases.
Bruce regularly appears as a panelist and as a presenter for the New Jersey State Bar’s Institute for Continuing Education.

He has appeared many times at the State Bar’s annual meeting, the Family Law Section’s annual “Hot Tips in Family Law” and other topical programs. Similarly, he regularly appears as a moderator, presenter and speaker for continuing education programs offered by the Bergen County Bar Association.

Bruce has authored many family law related articles for the Bergen Barrister, the official publication of the Bergen County Bar Association, for the New Jersey Family Lawyer, a publication of the New Jersey State Bar Association’s, Family Law Section and the American Academy of Matrimonial Attorneys-New Jersey Chapter.

A list of Bruce’s published writings and his continuing education appearances is provided under Articles and Lectures in our menu.

Bruce has been honored to be selected as one of New Jersey’s “Super Lawyers” as published in New Jersey Monthly Magazine in 2007 and every year since then through 2020. He was also chosen as one of “Bergen’s Top Lawyers” in “201 Magazine”.

Bruce’s extensive trial experience includes:

  • All divorce and family law related issues including custody, alimony, palimony, responsibility for children’s college expenses, emancipation of adult children and equitable distribution of assets;
  • Breach of contract;
  • Domestic violence;
  • Partition of real property;
  • Interference with economic relations;

Bruce’s commercial law experience includes:

  • Purchase and sale of local businesses;
  • Purchase and sale of liquor licenses;
  • Commercial leasing;
  • Disputes between co-owners of businesses;
  • Buy-outs of co-owners;
  • Bruce has advised and represented both buyers and sellers of restaurants, nightclubs, liquor stores, catering businesses, convenience stores, new-used car dealership car detailing businesses, day-care and nursery schools and other assets.

Admissions:

  • 1978, New Jersey and U.S. District Court, District New Jersey
  • 1983, U.S. Supreme Court

Law School

  • George Washington University Law Center
  • Rutgers University School of Law, J.D., 1978

College

  • American University, B.A., magna cum laude, with honors, 1975

Memberships

Bergen County Bar Association
President, 1997–1998
Member, Finance Committee, 1994–1995
Chairperson, Monthly Dinner Meetings, 1978–1985, 1985–1996
Co-Chairperson, Annual Golf and Tennis Outings, 1985–2020
Member, Bench-Bar Liaison, Monthly Meetings with Assignment Judge, 1993–1998, 2002–current
Member, Judicial Selection Committee, various terms
Member, Judicial Appointments Committee, various terms
Co-Chairperson, Family Law Committee, 1991-1992, 2001– present
New Jersey State Bar Association Trustee on behalf of Bergen County, 2000-2006
NJSBA Family Law Section, Executive Committee, 1998 to present
American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers – Fellow-N.J. Chapter