When facing divorce, you may find yourself overwhelmed with the legal jargon used throughout the process. Add this frustration to the mounting stress and heightened emotion, and you may be left making poor decisions. While our firm is here to help guide you through the process and answer any questions you have, this guide may help […]
Family Law
Tracking Child Support Payments
Under Massachusetts law, both parents have a duty to support their child emotionally and financially. Typically, following a separation or divorce, one parent is considered the custodial parent and the other the non-custodial parent. The custodial parent is the parent with whom the child lives most of the time and who has primary care of […]
What does it mean to be “held in contempt” by the court?
The Probate and Family Court in Massachusetts has the authority to enforce temporary orders and judgments. A party (Plaintiff or Defendant) who violates or disobeys a court order risks being held in contempt by the court. This includes failing to pay alimony or child support or refusal to comply with a parenting schedule ordered by […]
Understanding Child Support in Massachusetts
Divorce cases involving children often require a court decision regarding which parent should have physical and/or legal responsibility. Whether granted joint or sole custody, physical custody designates where the child will actually live. The parent who the child resides with most of the time is considered the custodial parent. The non-custodial parent may be required […]
Massachusetts Grandparents, Know Your Rights Regarding Visitation and Custody of Your Grandchildren
When it comes to grandparents’ rights, Massachusetts laws can be tricky to navigate. However, grandparents do have financial, visitation, and custody rights under certain circumstances. To utilize such rights, legal assistance might be necessary to help you take action. Grandparents today are frequently faced with decisions about what is best for their grandchildren under challenging […]
An Update on Massachusetts Probate & Family Court Reopening Procedures and What It Means for You
Slow Re-Open With COVID-19 still posing a serious risk to health and safety, the courts, like the rest of our society, continue to adapt their procedures to minimize the risk to court workers and private citizens. The Probate and Family Court is no exception and is adhering to the same general guidelines as the rest […]
How to Land on Your Feet After Divorce
Divorce takes a toll emotionally, physically, and mentally on everyone involved. It’s not uncommon for individuals going through a divorce to want to curl up in bed all day and abandon all responsibilities. As tempting as this sounds, it’s not practical. In fact, doing so can even make things worse. The first step to landing […]
What is co-parenting, and how do we do it once we are divorced?
Co-parenting describes a parenting relationship in which the two parents of a child are not romantically involved but still assume joint responsibility for their child’s upbringing. The extent to which parents can effectively co-parent significantly impacts how children will adjust to the transitions associated with a separation or divorce. In a shared custody situation, parents […]
When Your Co-Parent Is an Essential Worker
Custody and COVID-19 These are difficult times for everyone, but for divorced and blended families there are particular and unique challenges. Many of these challenges center around custody. In a time when travel is discouraged and transportation—by plane, train, or public transit—is limited and fraught with worry, moving children between households, especially across great distances, […]
Contemplating Your Estate Plan During Covid-19
Get Your Affairs in Order For most of us, coronavirus and the threat it poses has made us contemplate the status of our estate plans. As thousands of people in the Commonwealth have died of COVID-19 and its complications, many thousands more are ill, and many, many thousands more face unemployment and financial hardship. There […]