Bruce Matez, APM

Bruce Matez has a built a 30+ year stellar reputation as one of Southern New Jersey’s most well-respected divorce and family law mediators, arbitrators, and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) professionals. He has experience handling all types of family law matters, including, but not limited to, divorce, custody and parenting time, child support, alimony, adoption, domestic and intimate partner violence, equitable distribution of marital property, equitable allocation of marital debt, child abuse and neglect (formerly DYFS, now called the DCP&P) matters, same sex Civil Unions and Domestic Partnerships and all other areas of divorce and family law. He has substantial experience in negotiating, drafting, and reviewing pre-marital (pre-nuptial) agreements, cohabitation agreements, divorce settlement agreements, and other family law agreements.

Having been a divorce and family law litigator for 30 years, and having recognized the limitations of the judicial system in addressing divorce and family law disputes including the time and financial costs, Bruce currently focuses his practice on mediating divorces and other family law disputes, such as post-divorce disputes, non-married parents involved in custody and parenting time disputes, and others. He has been mediating divorce and family law disputes for over 25 years and is often appointed as mediator by judges or chosen by fellow attorneys. As a mediator, Bruce is widely recognized for his ability to help parties resolve divorce and family law disputes in a non-adversarial, mutual problem-solving, respectful, efficient and time saving, as well as cost-effective manner using creative and sometimes innovative solutions. He conducts mediations in person at his office in Cherry Hill and via Zoom, which offers clients from throughout New Jersey and those living in other states the ability to benefit from his mediation skills, and mediates with couples either with or without attorneys present.

As an attorney and mediator, Bruce focuses on assuring that his clients understand the law as it relates to their own case, and making sure his clients reach a level of comfort to be able to move forward with their lives and realize their personal goals and interests, without causing significant negative impact upon themselves and their families financially, emotionally, or otherwise.  Clients truly value not just his years of experience as a successful divorce and family law attorney and advocate, but his ability to understand the convergence of the financial, personal, and emotional issues in such matters.

In addition to his mediation practice, Bruce serves in various other professional roles including Arbitrator, Parenting Coordinator, Guardian ad Litem for minor children, and Collaborative Divorce Law practitioner. His practice is devoted to alternative dispute resolution methods to keep people out of court whenever possible. While he no longer litigates or appears in court on behalf of clients, Bruce continues to represent clients who are engaged in forms of alternative dispute resolution.

Bruce served as President of the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators (NJAPM) from 2021-2023 and continues to serve as an officer of the Board of Directors. He is a member of the Academy of Professional Family Mediators (APFM), the New Jersey State Bar Association (NJSBA), and several local county Bar Associations.

Bruce was a founding member of the Thomas S. Forkin Family Law American Inn of Court.  He served in various leadership roles on the Executive Committee from 1997-2009 and now is a Master Emeritus. In June 2018, The Inn of Court presented Bruce with the Honorable Joseph M. Nardi, Jr Award. This prestigious award is presented to a member of the South Jersey family law community whose commitment to the practice of law encourages and exemplifies civility, humility, compassion, and a moral/ethical obligation to the welfare of children and families, in general and is further evidenced by participation in continuing legal education, whether formally or informally, and a willingness to act as an advisor/mentor to less experienced attorneys.

A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Maryland (1986), Bruce received his law degree from Villanova University School of Law (now the Charles Widger School of Law) in 1989. He teaches Family Law Mediation courses at Rutgers Law School in Camden, New Jersey currently and previously taught Family Law Motion Practice at Rutgers.

Recognizing the value of community, philanthropy, education, and volunteerism, Bruce was an active member and a leader of Congregation M’kor Shalom (now Congregation Kol Ami) in Cherry Hill, NJ, where he served on the Board of Trustees from 2006 until 2021, as Financial Secretary from 2010-2012, and President from 2012-2015. He taught religious school for 18 years and chaperoned 10 Israel trips of the Confirmation Class (10th grade). For 10 years, he also served on the Board of Directors, as Secretary, and Vice President of The Starting Point of New Jersey, a non-profit education, referral, and resource center for individuals and families seeking support for mental wellness, personal growth, and recovery. Bruce was an avid participant in local community theater for many years, both on and behind the stage, and continues to volunteer his time and energy to other worthy charitable organizations.

Having raised his son with his former spouse after divorce, Bruce is proud and grateful to have maintained healthy and caring relationships with his son’s mother, her husband, and their extended family and understands first-hand the complexities of raising a family post-divorce.