Linda A. Schofel , Of Counsel
Family Law

Linda Schofel has been a family law attorney for more than 30 years, including more than 20 years as a partner at her previous firm: Newman, McDonough, Schofel & Giger, P.C. In March of 2022, she moved to Snyder Sarno D'Aniello Maceri & da Costa to join their family law division as "Of Counsel.” She has Masters Degrees in Rehabilitation Counseling and Social Work. Ms. Schofel is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and is collaboratively trained. She is a trained mediator for domestic violence matters in the New Jersey pilot program. Her background, training, and experience in individual, group, and family therapy together with her degree in law led her to serve as a family and divorce mediator. Out of her dual background, she has developed an award-winning reputation as a fair, patient, thoughtful, and resourceful parenting coordinator and guardian ad litem for children and adults. Ms. Schofel has been working with the courts in matters pertaining to families and children in various capacities since 1973, including serving as a court-appointed therapist and forensic social worker, as well as directing the Adolescent Assessment Team at the District Court in Somerville, Massachusetts. She also maintained a private therapy practice in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Ms. Schofel’s level and scope of achievement have resulted in appointments from judges in Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Middlesex, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex, and Union County Superior Courts to serve as a Guardian Ad Litem and/or as a Parent Coordinator where she has served with distinction. She has appeared in court on numerous occasions, including an argument before the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Among her many honors, Ms. Schofel has been included by Super Lawyers for the years 2007 through 2019. In 2009, she was named as among the top 50 New Jersey women attorneys.

Her expertise has also been recognized by numerous invitations to speak on matters pertaining to parenting law, including appearances as a:

Guest Speaker at numerous ICLE Seminars from 2005 to the present, including in 2015, “Handling Child Sexual Abuse Allegations in Family Part Cases”
Moderator at ICLE seminar in 2007, "Ethical Issues in Representing Children in Custody and Other Family Court Proceedings”
Guest speaker at ICLE ADR Day 2011, "Improving your Emotional Intelligence"
Guest speaker at ICLE 2018, "Trends in Psychology and Family Law”
Guest Speaker at Morris County Bar Association, 2009 and Middlesex County Bar Association 2014, “The Role of Guardian ad litem and Role of Parenting Coordinator”
Guest speaker at New Jersey Association for Justice-Meadowland’s conference November 2013, “The Role of Guardian ad litem and Role of Parenting Coordinator in High Conflict Divorces”
Guest speaker at AFCC, April 2016 “Managing Psychopathology and Difficult Personalities in Forensic Family Law Practice”.
Guest speaker at Barry Croland Inn of Court, November 2018, “Proposed New Statute Pertaining to Joint Custody”
Presenter at ICLE Family Law Mediation Training Program 2021 and 2022, ''Impact of Divorce on Children"

Linda Schofel was also featured in numerous other speaking engagements at seminars, symposiums, county bar association meetings, and on radio and television.

Ms. Schofel has also written extensively about parenting and the law. Among her articles:

“Trial Practice Considerations” Family Law Practice In New Jersey, co-author with Gary Newman, Esq., 1995.
“The Role of the Guardian Ad Litem”- Institute for Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) 2005 and Essex County Bar Association Chronicle, Vol. XXXI, Issue I, Summer/Fall 2007, and Vol. XXXI, Issue I, Spring 2008.
“The Role of the Parenting Coordinator”- ICLE (2008) and New Jersey Family Lawyer, July 2010.
“Parenting Coordination in New Jersey: It Is Time to Establish Uniform Standards and Qualifications” New Jersey Family Lawyer, December 2022, co-authors with Holly M. Friedland, Esq. and Amy Wechsler, Esq.

Among her professional associations, Linda Schofel is a past member of the Executive Committee of the Family Law Section of the Essex County Bar Association, a member of the Essex County and Morris County Early Settlement Panels, the Vice President in the New Jersey chapter of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts, as well as a member of the Essex County, Morris Country, New Jersey, and American Bar Associations.

Practice Areas

Parenting coordination
Mediation
Guardian ad litem
Parenting time
Custody
Divorce
Family law
Support

Admitted
New Jersey, Pennsylvania 1992
Florida, 1995

Education

Boston University (M.S., 1974 M.S.W., 1981)
Ohio State University, B.S., 1970
Rutgers University, J.D., with honors, 1992

Recipient

Selected for inclusion to New Jersey Super Lawyers, 2007 through 2022
Recipient, Outstanding Achievement Award, New Jersey Chapter of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Award – 1992
Recipient, Family Lawyer Achievement Award, Essex County, Bar Association – 2016

Articles

The Role of the Parenting Coordinator

The Role of the Guardian AD LITEM

Reported Cases