Our Practice Areas
Whether you need a real estate attorney, you believe you were wrongfully terminated, you were injured due to someone’s negligence, or you are filing for divorce, we’ve got the expertise necessary.
Practice Areas OverviewA Premier, Full-Service Law Firm
We practice every area of the law to accommodate clients who have different needs.
Practice Areas Overview
Personal Injury
Our experienced personal injury attorneys are poised to help you recover the maximum possible settlement when someone else is at fault for an injury you experienced due to an accident. Get a free consultation by contacting us today!
Eminent Domain
Since the early 1970’s, Bathgate, Wegener & Wolf has provided services to clients affected by eminent domain. Peter H. Wegener, a founding partner of the Firm, leads the eminent domain department. He started representing clients along Route 70 who owned land within the Township of Lakewood during the 1970’s and since then has zealously protected the rights of property owners.
Mediation & Arbitration
Bathgate, Wegener, & Wolf has embraced ADR as a cost effective and efficient way in which clients can resolve almost any type of legal dispute. We provide representation to our clients during ADR proceedings and several of our attorneys have become highly regarded mediators.
Landlord – Tenant Law
The relationship between landlords and tenants in New Jersey is governed by local, state, and federal law. Under these laws, tenants and landlords have certain rights, responsibilities, and duties. However, even in the most amicable and professional landlord tenant relationships, misunderstandings and conflicts can arise.
Commercial & Residential Foreclosures
If negotiations are unsuccessful, our attorneys also have the knowledge and aggressiveness to challenge foreclosure actions in Courts across New Jersey. Our attorneys have successfully defended foreclosure actions in every County of New Jersey in the trial court level as well as in New Jersey Appellate Courts.
Attorney Ethics & Legal Malpractice
Practicing law can be a minefield for even the most seasoned professionals. We have a talented team of attorneys who have represented our clients in a wide range of ethics and disciplinary matters. We represent both lawyers and judges at hearings before the Supreme Court of New Jersey and various Supreme Court Committees, including District Ethics Committees, the Disciplinary Review Board, the Committee on Character, and the Advisory Committee on Judicial Conduct.
Municipal Law
The municipal law practice group at Bathgate, Wegener & Wolf understands the complex legal and business issues facing municipalities. Our lawyers provide municipalities with the legal support that enables them to achieve their public policy goals. The Firm has wide experience in municipal land sales, bonding, land use, zoning and planning, eminent domain, economic development and redevelopment, construction, water and sewer infrastructure, employment and collective bargaining, public bidding and litigation involving public entities.
Employment Law
Fighting your employer may seem like a difficult or unwinnable battle. But the law provides broad protection for employees who are wronged by their employers. Bathgate, Wegener & Wolf has successfully represented employees in all types of employment law claims against employers. The firm provides comprehensive employment law representation to employees in all aspects of the employment relationships. Our services include review and negotiation of employment agreements, non-compete clauses and severance agreements. We also protect the rights of employees who have been wrongfully terminated from their jobs or treated unfairly with respect to discipline and promotion.
Complex & Class Action Litigation
There are many complexities and intricacies involved with establishing a trust fund, but generally speaking, trusts allow you to ensure your estate gets passed into the right hands without the associated costs of probate court, which can run anywhere from 5-7% of your entire estate. Talk to one of our experienced estate planning attorneys today to discuss the different types of trusts and their advantages.
Municipal Court
Traffic tickets, ordinance violations, and minor criminal offenses are heard in municipal court. Even though the offenses are considered to be less serious, Bathgate, Wegener & Wolf knows how serious the problem is to you. Bathgate, Wegener & Wolf provides quality, personalized, efficient and affordable legal services to clients who are charged with offenses that are heard in municipal court.
Corporations & Business Law
We participate in the negotiation and preparation of commercial and business agreements, public contracts, employee agreements, employee handbooks, partnership agreements, shareholder agreements, licensing agreements and agreements relating to intellectual property rights. In addition, the firm represents established businesses and start up companies in all phases of financing, including secured and unsecured borrowings, venture capital, syndications, and public and private debt offerings.
Real Estate & Property Rights
Why Do I Need a Real Estate Attorney? Real estate attorneys are experienced in and are legally authorized to prepare and review documentation and contracts related to the sale of a home, which is often the largest transaction someone will ever have to make. We have a familiarity with the unique laws and processes of NJ and Ocean County, and can help local homebuyers expedite the process to make it as smooth and painless as possible.
Estate Planning and Elder Law
The attorneys in our elder care law department are ready to help answer these important questions, and to assist you and your loved ones in developing a custom-tailored plan that addresses these concerns. Estate planning is a creative field of law and we take pride in the satisfaction of solving problems for both individuals and families. Our estate, trusts and tax planning department treats each client’s personal financial affairs with consummate professional and personal attention. We listen carefully to your intentions, and then structure an estate plan that will achieve those results as tax-effectively as possible.
Worker’s Compensation
When you are injured on the job, you need immediate help: Who will pay the medical bills? How will I get paid while I’m out? Do I receive money if I am left with problems after my treatment? Can my employer fire me?
In New Jersey, you are entitled to receive reasonable medical treatment to help you heal, a percentage of your regular pay while you are disabled (known as temporary benefits), and an award of money for any partial or total disability you may have after your treatment is completed.
Land Use & Zoning
The Municipal Land Use Law (“MLUL”) is the legislative foundation of Planning Boards and Zoning Boards of Adjustment in the State of New Jersey. It defines the powers and responsibilities of boards and is essential to their functions and decisions. In New Jersey, pursuant to the MLUL, every municipality has adopted a set of Land Use and Zoning Ordinances which define and regulate permitted and prohibited uses within a particular zone.