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Key Takeaways A “quiet divorce” is not a legal divorce. Spouses may emotionally separate, sleep in different rooms, separate their finances, or live largely independent lives, but they remain legally married until a court dissolves the marriage. Waiting can change the...
Key Takeaways A "quiet divorce" is not a legal divorce. The parties remain legally married in Massachusetts despite emotionally and even physically separating. Assets and debts continue to grow or shrink. In Massachusetts, new property, retirement contributions, and...
I was recently interviewed by Holly Hooper for a Redfin article on selling a home during a divorce. It covered the major options: sell and split the proceeds, one party buys the other out, continue co-ownership temporarily, or trade the home for other assets. Those...
When custody disputes arise, few scenarios provoke more anxiety than the prospect of one parent taking a child abroad and failing to return. While parental kidnapping may occur domestically, international parental kidnapping is a significantly more complex issue....
An automatic restraining order is a court order that issues as a matter of course in every Massachusetts divorce or separate support case. Unlike the commonly understood meaning of a restraining order, an automatic restraining order does not have anything to do with...
Grandparents are often some of the most influential extended family members during a minor’s childhood. In some cases, grandparent involvement in the lives of their grandchildren is limited by the parents. This is particularly true where the parents separate or...
Certain marriages that are unlawful in Massachusetts are subject to annulment by court order. Annulment also describes a church tribunal proceeding that challenges a marriage’s validity under Catholic law. This post reviews the differences between state court civil...
A couple’s hostile, emotionally charged separation or divorce can trigger the dark response of one partner stalking the mate. Stalking and harassment involves physically following an individual. However, menacing stalking behavior also can occur in cyberspace. The...
Annulment mediation may seem counter-intuitive. Why mediate something you are trying to undo? While both divorce and annulment can end a marriage, and one would file either action in the Probate and Family Court, the legal basis for each is very different. A...
Warning: Themes of domestic abuse. Jacob and Leah are 7-year old twins. Their parents, Jeff and Hannah, were married for eight years before finally deciding to pursue a separation and ultimately a divorce. The relationship between Jeff and Hannah was tumultuous. For...