Divorce and Family Law Blog
Divorce & Family Law Information, Answers, and Analysis from Experienced Massachusetts and New Hampshire Divorce & Family Law Attorneys
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...
Grandparent Visitation Standard: New Case Law
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...
Uncontested Divorce: The Process in Massachusetts
In some cases, an uncontested divorce may be the most cost-effective and efficient option. For example... Mike and Barbara have been married for nine years. After meeting in college, they were married when Mike was nineteen-years old and Barbara was twenty-years old....
Guardianship of a Minor
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...
The New Tax Laws & Your Alimony
If you are beginning the divorce process, there are many questions you may have for your divorce attorney regarding your finances. You many find yourself in a situation where you could be paying your former spouse alimony. Or, you could be the individual receiving...
Special Considerations When Doctors Divorce
According to recent studies, divorce among doctors is not as common as one would expect. If you are a doctor who is considering getting a divorce in spite of the positive statistics, there will likely be special considerations that you may need to address with a...