Having a child is a monumental moment in many families’ lives. Social media sites such as Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook provide many ideas on planning a baby shower or gender reveal, as well as lists of the “Top 10 Newborn Must-Haves.” Information inundates...
Issues of grandparents’ rights to visitation with their grandchildren always hinge on the best interests of the child standard. That is, the Massachusetts Probate and Family Courts will order grandparent visitation only where it is in the best interests of the child...
Under what circumstances is there an issue with becoming a guardian of a minor under Massachusetts family law? For example... Consider the following scenario: Ten-year old Rebecca and her seven-year old brother Leon live with their mother, Jodi. Rebecca and Leon were...
What Massachusetts laws govern health insurance during divorce and custody cases? Divorce: When seeking a divorce and/or dealing with custody of children, a question that often concerns individuals is the issue of health insurance coverage. This is a great question to...
In some cases, the services of a Guardian ad Litem play a key component. Imagine the following scenario: A doctor diagnoses a 10-year-old child named Jacob with a “curable” form of cancer. Jacob has a chance to beat the disease with regular chemotherapy treatments,...
Approximately 800,000 children annually are reported missing, according to U.S. Department of Justice statistics. That's a staggering 2,000 minors daily on average. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children ("NCMEC") claims that family members account for...
Kelly and Ken are divorced and share custody of their three minor children. Kelly maintains a modest but clean and safe home in a small town. Ken lives in a one-bedroom apartment. Ken’s building is pretty run-down. It is located in an area of a large city known for...
Matt and Mary are going through a divorce. Matt alleges that during the marriage, Mary had engaged in a repeated pattern of physical and verbal abuse toward him. The couple had two children together, and the children live with Matt. Both parties want to know whether...
A judge may draw a negative inference from a parent’s absence and find that the parent is unfit. This thus terminates parental rights, according to a recent decision of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. Background: In Adoption of Talik, the Court terminated parental...
Benjamin and Sarah are divorcing. They have four children between the ages of 6 and 17. Both parties contest the issue of custody of the children. And, both parties want to establish a plan to share legal and physical custody. The parties want the parenting plan to be...