After disposition of a lengthy and hotly-contested matrimonial action, a dispute arose about the lien of one of defendant's former attorneys and whether it required payment of the attorney's fees from an escrow account holding the net proceeds of a sale of marital property. With one minor exception, the trial judge ruled against the attorney.
The court recognized that N.J.S.A. 2A:13-5 permits the attachment of an attorney's lien, as relevant here, only to an "award" or "judgment" entered in the client's favor. Because the trial judge awarded all marital assets to plaintiff, the lien could not attach to the escrow fund that was part of the award to plaintiff. And, even if it did, the court held that the lien only gave the attorney an opportunity to assert his claim; ultimately, the trial judge was required to ascertain which of the competitors to the fund had the more equitable interest. In this case, plaintiff – having been victimized by defendant's contumacious conduct and unwillingness to honor his support obligations – had the greater equitable right to the fund than defendant's former attorney.