Michael A. Conte, Esquire

I take a pragmatic and results-focused approach to the complex and often emotionally charged issues that arise in divorce and family law matters. I understand the personal challenges my clients face, while providing steady and effective advocacy throughout the legal process. The strategies I develop are designed to achieve favorable outcomes both in the short term and over time. My experience enables me to guide clients through the family court system efficiently and with clear purpose.

After completing graduate school, I began my career as a probation officer in Middlesex County, New Jersey. Shortly thereafter, I enrolled in law school and transferred my employment to Mercer County. Over time, I was promoted to Senior Probation Officer. In that role, I was responsible for enforcing child and spousal support orders across a caseload of approximately 1,000 matters and appeared regularly before hearing officers and Family Part judges in support enforcement proceedings on behalf of the probation department. This experience provided me with substantial firsthand exposure to the procedures, expectations, and decision-making processes of the Family Part.

Immediately following law school, I served as a law clerk to the Hon. Mary C. Jacobson, the then-Presiding Judge of the Family Part in Mercer County. When Judge Jacobson was reassigned, I continued my clerkship under the incoming Presiding Judge, the Hon. Catherine Fitzpatrick. These clerkships gave me valuable insight into how family law cases are evaluated from the bench, and how judicial perspectives can differ depending on the facts, legal issues, and courtroom dynamics. Having served both within the court system and alongside the judiciary, I bring an insider’s understanding of how to navigate even the most complex family law matters.

After completing my clerkships, I joined a distinguished New Jersey law firm, where I practiced for the next decade before founding Conte Family Law LLC. Throughout my career, my practice has been devoted exclusively to divorce and family law. I have handled all aspects of family law litigation, including divorce, domestic violence matters, contested custody disputes, complex child and spousal support cases, post-judgment litigation, family law mediation, and appeals.

I grew up in Flemington, New Jersey, in the heart of Hunterdon County. I graduated magna cum laude from Rutgers College with a bachelor’s degree in English and Philosophy and later earned a master’s degree from Columbia University in Philosophy of Education. I went on to receive my Juris Doctor from Temple University Beasley School of Law, where I was recognized as a Law Faculty Scholar and was consistently named to the Dean’s List. While attending law school at night and working full-time in the Middlesex County and Mercer County courts, I earned membership on both the Temple Law Review and the Moot Court Honor Society. As part of the Moot Court program, I received the Best Brief award in the Samuel L. Polski Competition and was a finalist in the I. Herman Stern Competition.

I was recognized as a “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers and New Jersey Monthly Magazine each year from 2015 through 2019. I established Conte Family Law early in 2021.