Typically, the Massachusetts Probate and Family Courts look to the marriage duration to determine the duration of alimony payments. The Alimony Reform Act of 2011 put in place specific calculations on alimony duration. Courts are reluctant to veer away from those...
Deciding on medical treatment is a tough decision for most people. It becomes even more difficult if the treatment is for a loved one. For any parent, there is nothing more terrifying and painful than the feeling that you cannot help your child. This is compounded if...
Marital property is often at the center of contention in a divorce case. Among the many types of property that may be considered part of the marital estate are retirement accounts and pension plans, business assets, and inheritance assets—and these assets are often...
In Massachusetts, judges of the Probate and Family Court may award alimony to one of the spouses during the divorce process. Alimony is payment by one former spouse towards the maintenance of the other spouse. Under the Massachusetts alimony law, there are four types...
Divorce can inevitably become a very stressful period in a person’s life. As emotions run high and become all-consuming, many parties do not realize that financial mistakes can be made during a divorce. This article will discuss some of the financial errors your...
As divorce attorneys, we often see litigation and settlement questions regarding individual retirement accounts (IRAs). A pension plan, IRA, or other type of account is considered marital property for purposes of distribution during a divorce. New questions may arise,...
Increasingly in our global society, legal issues of an international scope arise in family law cases. A recent appellate case dealt with one. In Ravasizadeh v. Niakosari, the Massachusetts Appeals Court decided for the first time an issue regarding enforceability of a...
Warning: This post includes reference to domestic abuse and may trigger strong emotions in you. If you are in an emergency situation, please do not hesitate to contact local authorities. Very little is more precious to most people than their loved ones. Our family and...
In order for a divorce to be legally binding, court approval and judgment must be rendered. What happens, however, where the former spouses reach a post-divorce agreement between themselves without court approval? Do those types of agreements have any legal effect?...
Many natural born citizens in the United States take for granted the ease of navigating the legal system as a US citizen. This assertion is especially true in comparison to the ease of navigating the legal system for non-naturalized citizens. Many citizens do not...