“Divorce is more about people, not statistics”
As a dedicated family law attorney, Tim McGoughran’s primary goal is to understand each client’s needs and provide them with insightful and immediate counseling to help them navigate what can be one of the most difficult times in their lives.
Divorce is more about people, not statistics. He makes every effort to save divorcing spouses not only financially, but emotionally as well, in times of economic and emotional stress while providing them with clear, concise, and compassionate representation. Mr. McGoughran strives at all times to guide his clients through the difficult process of understanding their legal rights while they determine their individual and family needs. In this manner, his goal is to give each client more control over the outcome of their divorce, or other family law matter, while moving towards a resolution that benefits them both financially and personally.
Timothy F. McGoughran is the founding partner of the Law Office of Timothy F. McGoughran, LLC. He has engaged exclusively in the area of family law since 1988. He provides counsel encompassing all aspects of family law including separation and divorce proceedings, alimony, child custody, parenting time, grandparent rights, guardian ad litem, annulments, prenuptial agreements, distribution of assets and liabilities, modification, protection of exempt assets, business valuations, domestic violence, same-sex marriage, custody relocation, and child support. He has been appointed as a guardian ad litem, Receiver, parenting coordinator and special discovery master by the Superior Court in cases based upon his experience and expertise. Mr. McGoughran represents clients at motions, at trial, mediation, arbitration, and post-judgment enforcement and modification hearings. Mr. McGoughran’s client base is diverse and includes business owners, accountants, police officers, musicians, teachers, nurses, doctors, attorneys, firemen, corporate executives, restaurant owners, tradesmen, educators, soldiers, craftsmen, real estate brokers, pharmacists, construction technicians, engineers, as well as many other people from diverse backgrounds. Mr. McGoughran takes the time to develop the best strategic approach for each client with the intention of pursuing a settlement that minimizes the financial and emotional costs while attaining the most favorable outcome.
Mr. McGoughran served as Municipal Prosecutor for the Township of Ocean from 2000 until 2011 and served as the Municipal Court Judge in Ocean Township from January 2012 to January 2023.
Mr. McGoughran is the President of the New Jersey State Bar Association (2023-2024), which has over 18,000 members. He was the 2020 Co-Chair of the Family Law Committee of the Monmouth County Bar Association as well as serving in this role 2009-2011. He served as President of the Monmouth Bar Association from 2007-2008. He had served as a Trustee for the Monmouth Bar Association for over 21 years, retiring after being nominated Secretary for the New Jersey State Bar Association in 2018. Mr. McGoughran is a Life Fellow of the American Bar Association. He previously served as the Trustee for Monmouth County on the New Jersey State Bar Association’s Board of Trustees for the term of 2013-2017.
He has been recognized by the New Jersey State Bar Association with the Distinguished Legislative Service Award in 2010 and 2013 as well as the Family Lawyer of the Year Award in 2012 by the Monmouth Bar Association Family Law Committee.
Mr. McGoughran is a regular speaker and presenter at numerous symposiums regarding various facets of law and ethics. Mr. McGoughran was the moderator of the 2017 NJSBA Family Law Symposium and has been an annual speaker at this event since 2014 including and up to ‘2022. The NJSBA Family Law Symposium is the seminal family law lecture held annually and attended by over 700 matrimonial practitioners, accountants, judges, and other family law professionals.
Mr. McGoughran was a Past President and Trustee to the Legal Aid Society of Monmouth County.
Mr. McGoughran has served as Secretary of the District IX Ethics Committee for Monmouth County.
Mr. McGoughran is certified as an R. 1:40 Mediator for both private and court-appointed mediations for litigants throughout the State of New Jersey.
Mr. McGoughran argued the amicus position of the NJSBA before the New Jersey Supreme Court in Bisbing v. Bisbing resulting in a seminal case where the court agreed with the NJSBA position elicited at oral argument. This decision impacts the ability of divorced parents to remove their children from the State of New Jersey.
Mr. McGoughran graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in Political Science in 1982. He graduated from the Seton Hall University School of Law with a Juris Doctorate in 1986.