Divorce and Family Law Blog
Divorce & Family Law Information, Answers, and Analysis from Experienced Massachusetts and New Hampshire Divorce & Family Law Attorneys
Foreign Marital Contract and Comity
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...
LGBTQ Issues in Family Law
Massachusetts generally recognizes marriages and divorces between LGBTQ-identified persons, but the issues that may occur for LGBTQ-identified people are as unique and nuanced as people themselves. Note that there is not a separate or different process for separation...
Domestic Abuse and Intimate Partner Violence
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...
Step-Parent Adoptions
Today, society embraces blended families. Heartwarming stories about adoption and the wonderful gift of having a child abound. Often, a new marriage following a divorce brings children into the equation. If you are a new step-parent, you may be interested in the...
The Best Interest of the Child Standard
When embroiled in a divorce, children play an important factor in many decisions such as child custody and child support. As these issues can greatly impact a family, our family law attorneys educate parents and soon-to-be-divorcees on how the court views these...
Video or Phone Testimony in Divorce Cases
What if a party in a family law proceeding is unable to testify at trial or a hearing in person? Should the court permit him or her to testify through the use of video or telephone? The Massachusetts Appeals Court addressed this issue in a recent case. Background: In...
Unapproved Post-Divorce Agreement
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?...
The Intersection of Immigration and Family Law
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...
Lifestyle of the Parent as a Custody Factor
Consider the following hypotheticals involving parents, children, and the lifestyle of the parents: 1. A Massachusetts judge must decide whether a parent with a history of drug addiction should have custody over the parent’s two children. 2. One parent,...
Surrogacy Laws in Massachusetts
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...