Divorce and Family Law Blog
Divorce & Family Law Information, Answers, and Analysis from Experienced Massachusetts and New Hampshire Divorce & Family Law Attorneys
Can I Lower My child Support if I deviated from the Guidelines?
People settle their divorce and child custody cases, resolving many issues in the process. Child support must be calculated whenever there are minor children involved, or emancipated children up to the age of 23. This applies if they are dependent on the child support...
Is a Lawyer Needed for a Prenuptial Agreement?
Prenuptial or premarital agreements have become more popular in recent years for a variety of reasons. With the shrinking middle class, many entering their first marriage expect significant inheritances or gifts from parents. People entering second marriages often...
Relocating with a Child Out of Massachusetts
Those of us living in the Northeast tend to have a certain pride about where we come from. If you're from Massachusetts, you likely take pride in your roots and current home. It surprises many Bostonians when, during a custody case, one party requests court permission...
Length of Marriage for Alimony Purposes
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court weighed in today on how to determine the length of a marriage for the purpose of establishing an alimony award when the parties have married, divorced, and then remarried . . . and then divorced again. Yes, this actually...
Should I Handle My Own Divorce?
I am a bit biased on this issue. This bias is likely to be expected. I'm a divorce and family law attorney I believe my knowledge and experience are invaluable when it comes to handling your own divorce. However, I also recognize that everyone, myself included, faces...
How the Alimony Reform Act Applies to Prior Issued Orders
The third case issued by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts on January 30, 2015, was Doktor v. Doktor. As in Chin and Rodman, this case dealt with the issue of an existing alimony award, merged into final judgment, and the application of the retirement...
Bankruptcy and Divorce in Massachusetts
Financial stress causes many divorces. So, it's no surprise that many couples considering divorce also think about bankruptcy. This post examines the intersection of bankruptcy and divorce. It explores how these two areas interact and impact individuals. In many...
Can I Modify an Old Alimony Order based on the Alimony Reform Act of 2011?
When lawmakers reform a section of law, they generally rewrite a large body of its provisions. When that happens, accounting for every possible application of the law becomes impossible. As a result, the law evolves through judicial interpretation. The most recent...
Alimony Order Predating March 1, 2012 – Modification
In January 2015, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued three major cases on the interpretation of the Alimony Reform Act of 2011. Here, we take a look at the second of those cases. The case, Rodman v. Rodman, deals with the question: "Does Mass General Law,...
Plum Island Pink House
If you've lived in the greater Newburyport area or vacationed on Plum Island, you likely know the pink house. It's located off Plum Island Turnpike, on the way to the island past the airport. I know I have driven past it many a time, usually peering at it with...