New Jersey Criminal Lawyer BlogIn 2011 in Fernandes v. Arantes, a Hudson County judge awarded Fernandes palimony, despite the same-sex couple not having a written agreement or being formally married. They had been living together since 1996, and in 2005 they bought a home in New Jersey. When the relationship dissolved, attorney Michael Pastacaldi filed a complaint, alleging palimony and unjust enrichment. Pastacaldi successfully argued that the couple had been engaged in a marital-type relationship, and his client was awarded palimony.