Divorce and Family Law Blog
Divorce & Family Law Information, Answers, and Analysis from Experienced Massachusetts and New Hampshire Divorce & Family Law Attorneys
Termination of Permanent Restraining Orders
At what point is it possible to terminate a permanent abuse prevention order issued pursuant to Massachusetts General Laws chapter 209A? What qualifies as a significant change of circumstances for termination? The Massachusetts Appeals Court recently addressed these...
Deportation and the Termination of Parental Rights: New Case Law
Although family law is its own unique area of law, it often intersects with other parts of the legal field. One example is immigration law. In a recent case, Adoption of Posy, the Massachusetts Appeals Court decided whether the parental rights of an immigrant father,...
Victory in a New Online Harassment Case
In a recent case, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court addressed the issue of a civil harassment prevention order. A high school student uploaded to social media a rap song, in which he made threats against fellow students. The Background The parties in the case,...
How does Domestic Abuse affect Child Custody?
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...
Massachusetts Divorce Filing Requirements
Imagine: Five years ago, you married your spouse in Massachusetts. During this time, you had two children, shared a marital home, had a business together, and shared countless other assets. You have decided on filing for divorce, but things have gotten a bit...
Spousal Disinheritance
"Spousal disinheritance” refers to a person's ability to draft a will which leaves nothing to the spouse upon death. Massachusetts does not completely recognize this doctrine. That is to say, a person cannot entirely disinherit his or her spouse, whether by design or...
Medical Treatment for Co-Parented Children
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...
Child Custody for Unmarried Parents
Raising a child as an unmarried couple can be difficult. However, the state of Massachusetts has guidelines on how to navigate child custody issues. Some legal issues that unmarried couples will have to consider are: establishing paternity, child support, and...
Termination of Parental Rights Attorney
In a recent decision, Adoption of Ulrich, the Massachusetts Appeals Court addressed the termination of parental rights of a mother of five children, along with the mother’s entitlement to effective assistance of counsel. Background: The mother in this case had a...
Parental Rights of Custodial Parent Rights
In Massachusetts, when a parent separates their partner, they may not agree about how they will handle the various circumstances that arise when raising their child. Because of this, either party (or both) parties may ask a Massachusetts judge to write an order asking...