We are Clifton, NJ Personal Injury, Family & Criminal Defense Attorneys
Protecting your interests, your assets, your parental rights, and your freedom in Clifton and throughout Passaic and Bergen Counties.
When you are facing a legal crisis in Clifton, New Jersey, you do not have to travel all the way to a massive, impersonal firm in Newark or New York City to find elite representation. You need an attorney who is physically close, intimately familiar with local courts, and deeply invested in the North Jersey community.
At Raff & Raff, LLP, we have represented residents and business owners of Clifton for over 100 years. Our central office on Church Street in Paterson is located less than a 10 to 15-minute drive from downtown Clifton. Additionally, for our clients’ convenience, we maintain a fully staffed second office in Ridgewood, making our team exceptionally accessible across both Passaic and Bergen counties. This dual-office footprint ensures we can provide flexible meeting locations and seamless representation whether your legal matter is centered in Paterson, Hackensack, or Clifton’s local municipal court.
We know that whether you are navigating a painful divorce, fighting for custody of your children, or standing before a judge in the Clifton Municipal Court facing a DWI or disorderly persons offense, the outcome of your case will define your future. We approach Clifton representation with absolute honesty, strategic trial preparation, and practical efficiency. We guide you through the local legal system from a position of strategic strength, ensuring your rights are protected every step of the way.
“Whether you are seeking recovery after a serious injury or navigating a high-stakes legal dispute, local courtroom familiarity is irreplaceable. For over 100 years, we have represented our neighbors in Passaic and Bergen counties from a position of strategic strength, rather than treating them as just another file number. True trial advocacy isn’t about taking quick, cheap settlements—it is about being fully prepared to go the distance to protect your future.”
— Michael Raff, Esq.
Our Clifton, NJ Legal Representation Services
Select a category below to discover how we represent Clifton residents in personal injury, family disputes, and criminal and municipal dockets:
Clifton Personal Injury & Accident Recovery
If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident, collision, or slip-and-fall incident in Clifton, you do not have to battle the insurance companies alone.
- The High-Risk Highway Corridor: Clifton is intersected by some of the most dangerous, high-speed roadways in Northern New Jersey, including Route 3, Route 46, and the Garden State Parkway. We immediately secure police report files, preserve local highway surveillance footage, and aggressively negotiate with insurance adjusters to recover the maximum compensation you deserve.
- Our No Recovery, No Fee Guarantee: We represent Clifton injury victims strictly on a contingency fee basis. This means you do not pay us a single dollar upfront, and we only collect a fee if we successfully win a settlement or jury verdict for your medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
- Accident Claims We Actively Litigate:
- Multi-Vehicle Car Accidents & High-Speed Highway Collisions
- Commercial Truck & Tractor-Trailer Wrecks
- Motorcycle Collisions & Pedestrian Strikes
- Slip, Trip, and Fall Incidents (Premises Liability & Icy Walkways)
- Construction Site Accidents & Work Injury Claims
Clifton Family Law & Divorce
If you live in Clifton and are facing a divorce, child custody dispute, or child support modification, your case will not be decided in Clifton. Under New Jersey law, all family court matters in our region are handled strictly at the county level at the Passaic County Family Court in Paterson.
- The Proximity Advantage: Because our office is located less than a 5-minute walk from the Passaic County Family Court Complex, we are uniquely positioned to handle emergency filings, attend fast-tracked hearings, and represent you seamlessly without charging you massive travel fees.
- Services We Provide:
- Amicable Uncontested Divorce & Matrimonial Settlement Agreements (MSAs)
- Contested Divorce Litigation (Property Division, Pensions, Alimony)
- Child Custody & Parenting Time (under New Jersey’s updated child custody laws)
- Child Support, Extracurricular Splits, and College Contribution Disputes
- Civil Temporary & Final Restraining Orders (FRO)
- Amicable Private Divorce Mediation
Clifton Criminal Defense & Municipal Court
If you are arrested, issued a summons, or pulled over in Clifton, your charges require an aggressive advocate who understands both the county superior and local municipal court systems.
- The Courtroom Split: Under New Jersey’s criminal code, serious indictable (felony-grade) crimes and gun charges (governed by the Graves Act) are handled at the Passaic County Superior Court in Paterson (blocks from our office). If you are pulled over on Route 3, Route 46, the Garden State Parkway, or arrested for a misdemeanor-level Disorderly Persons (DP) offense, your case will be handled in the local Clifton Municipal Court (900 Clifton Ave, Clifton, NJ 07013).
- Our Defense Edge: We regularly stand before the Clifton municipal judges and coordinate with the Passaic County prosecutor’s office. We understand police traffic stops, discovery review, and court schedules, allowing us to resolve your dockets with maximum efficiency.
- Cases We Actively Defend:
- Serious Indictable Superior Court Crimes (Drug distribution, grand theft, aggravated assault)
- Graves Act Gun & Prohibited Weapons Defense
- DWI, DUI, and Alcotest Breathalyzer Refusal Charges
- High-Point Speeding, Careless Driving, and License Suspension Tickets
- Simple Assault & Harassment (including domestic violence dockets and restraining order contempt)
- Shoplifting (retail theft under 200 dollars), Burglary, and Criminal Mischief
Fast, Convenient In-Office and Zoom Consultation for Clifton Residents
We understand that you are busy, and taking time off work to travel to a physical office in Paterson can be difficult, especially when you are dealing with the stress of a pending court summons, family crisis, or physical injury.
To keep your legal representation as frictionless as possible, Raff & Raff, LLP offers secure, face-to-face Zoom consultations.
- Real-Time Paperwork Review: We can share screens to review your Clifton Municipal Court complaints, Passaic County Family Court motions, insurance correspondence, or medical invoices in real-time.
- Zero Commute Stress: Bypassing traffic on Route 3 and parking in downtown Paterson allows us to begin analyzing your legal strategy immediately.
- Fast Action: We can meet, evaluate your case, and outline a clear action plan within hours of your call, ensuring your rights are protected from day one.
Frequently Asked Questions for Clifton, NJ Litigants
If you reside in Clifton, your divorce, child custody, alimony, or domestic violence restraining order trial will be held at the Passaic County Superior Court, Family Division, located at the Court House Complex in Paterson, NJ. Because our physical office is located just blocks from the Passaic county courtrooms, we are uniquely positioned to represent Clifton residents with maximum efficiency.
If you are convicted of a first-offense DWI in Clifton with a Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) between 0.08% and 0.10%, the penalties include the mandatory installation of an ignition interlock device in your vehicle for 3 months, approximately 1,000 dollars in court fines and statutory fees, 12 to 48 hours of attendance at the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center (IDRC), and 1,000 dollars per year in MVC surcharges for 3 years. We aggressively audit the Clifton Police Department’s Alcotest calibration logs and stop procedures to fight to defeat these charges.
First, seek immediate medical attention and ensure an official police report is filed by the Clifton Police Department. Do not speak to the other driver’s insurance adjuster or sign any quick-settlement release forms without an attorney. Insurance companies are notorious for offering tiny settlements early on that fail to cover your long-term medical needs, physical therapy, or lost income. Speak with us first to evaluate the true, complete value of your claim.
If you are charged with an indictable crime of the first, second, third, or fourth degree (such as drug distribution, grand theft, or unlawful possession of a firearm under the Graves Act) in Clifton, the Clifton Municipal Court does not have the jurisdiction to decide your case. Your case will be immediately transferred to the Passaic County Superior Court, Criminal Division in Paterson, where it will be handled by Passaic County Assistant Prosecutors.
Protect Your Future. Schedule Your Free In-Office or Zoom Consultation Today.
Do not allow a legal dispute, divorce, injury, or municipal summons in Clifton to jeopardize your career, your family, and your freedom. Speak face-to-face with an experienced, honest Northern New Jersey trial attorney via a secure Zoom meeting. We will analyze your case, review your options, and outline a clear, aggressive strategy.
Schedule Your Complimentary Strategy Session Today!
Fill out this form or call us directly at 973-742-1917 to schedule a complimentary strategy session with a lawyer.