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Andrea M. Beckford
New Jersey Family Law & Civil Litigation Attorney
Andrea M. Beckford is an attorney at The Law Office of Rajeh A. Saadeh, L.L.C., representing clients in New Jersey in divorce and family law matters and civil litigation. Andrea came to the firm after a judicial clerkship in the Civil Division of the New Jersey Superior Court and private practice spanning family, civil, municipal, and appellate matters.
Why Clients Choose Andrea
Andrea began her legal career as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Stephen L. Petrillo, J.S.C., in the Civil Division of the New Jersey Superior Court, Essex Vicinage. She drafted orders and opinions on motions before the Law Division and the Special Civil Part, often about two hundred motions per motion cycle. That work showed her, from the judge's side, which arguments persuade and which do not.
In practice, Andrea has tried cases in person, delivering opening statements and conducting direct and cross-examinations. She has appeared before:
- the Family Part
- the Law Division
- The Special Civil Part, Including Landlord-tenant Court
- the Chancery Division, Probate Part
- municipal court
- the Tax Court
- The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
She has also appeared in mediations, arbitrations, and administrative hearings, and has facilitated mediations and negotiated settlement agreements. Our firm litigates as well as settles, and our willingness to try a case helps our clients reach favorable settlements.
Andrea's appellate work includes notices of appeal, briefs, and appendices for matters before the Appellate Division and the New Jersey Supreme Court.
Family Law & Divorce in New Jersey
Andrea represents clients in divorce and family law matters throughout New Jersey, including:
- Divorce and marital settlement agreements
- Prenuptial agreements
- Child custody and parenting time
- Child support
- Post-judgment modification of custody and child support
- Domestic violence hearings and appeals
- Adoption
- Guardianship
Many family law disputes, especially post-judgment custody and support applications, are resolved through motion practice. Andrea's experience drafting motion decisions as a law clerk informs how she prepares those applications as well as opposition to them.
Civil Litigation in New Jersey
Andrea's civil litigation experience includes:
- Landlord-tenant matters, including municipal rent control issues
- Contract, property, and homeowners' association disputes
- Estate litigation
- Insurance litigation involving premises liability and motor vehicle accidents
- Defense of claims under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, the Conscientious Employee Protection Act, and the New Jersey Civil Rights Act
- Public entity claims under the New Jersey Tort Claims Act
- Arbitration and mediation, including American Arbitration Association proceedings
- Appeals to the Appellate Division
Her municipal work included rent control matters before a municipal rent leveling board, including hearings, notices of violation, and board resolutions. Her practice has also included living wills, powers of attorney, codicils, and residential real estate closings.
Education
Andrea earned her Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School – Newark. There she served as an Associate Editor and Articles Editor of the Women's Rights Law Reporter. She was a member of the Child Advocacy Clinic, the Criminal & Youth Justice Clinic, and the Association of Latin American Law Students.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, cum laude, with a minor in Legal Studies, from Le Moyne College. She was a member of the Psi Chi and Pi Gamma Mu honor societies and the Le Moyne College Council of Honor Societies.
Publications
"We Need Equal Cheers for Boys and Girls: How the Absence of Cheerleaders at Women's Sporting Events Is a Violation of Title IX," published in Volume 26 of The Sports Lawyers Journal at Tulane Law School.
Bar Admissions
- State of New Jersey
- United States District Court for the District of New Jersey
Beyond the Office
Andrea is from Mendham, in Morris County. She cheered for an elite all-star team and has coached and choreographed for cheerleading programs in Mendham and neighboring communities. Cheerleading is also the subject of her published article on Title IX.
Contact Andrea M. Beckford
If you are facing a divorce, a custody or child support issue, a landlord-tenant dispute, or another civil matter in New Jersey, contact Andrea M. Beckford at The Law Office of Rajeh A. Saadeh, L.L.C., to schedule a consultation. We serve clients throughout New Jersey, including Somerset, Middlesex, Hunterdon, Morris, Monmouth, and Essex Counties and surrounding areas. Call (908) 864-7884 to schedule a consultation.
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