1.  Look at options- is bankrupty right for you.  Look at the options, is a legal debt settlement a possibility or a different type of chapter such as chapter 13. 2.  Find an attorney that can provide good advice.  Many attornies inclduing myself offer a free intitial meeting 3.  Be Honest- full disclosure is needed.  […]

The courts have a long history of involvement with issues related to parental rights and obligations. With rapidly changing societal norms and the ease of paternity testing, there has been a great deal of confusion about the definition of a “legal parent” and even what constitutes a “family”. In Massachusetts there was a very controversial […]

Most people going through Taunton probably has seen the construction of the new courthouse.  As a lawyer, I am very excited about the courthouse opening hopefully by early fall.  The courthouse is supposed to contain eight courtroom including district court, juvenile court, housing court and probate and family court. The courthouse will replace many old […]

I am offering some matching costs versus my legal fees and some initial meeting for a donation to the PAN Mass.  I have Hodgkins, which is a very treatable form of cancer.  I have been in remissions for about 7 years.  I was treated at Dana Farber and saw all sorts of people who were battling cancer […]

How do the courts deal with pets?  As pets become more and more parts of families lives what happens in court?  Is it the pets best interest such as children?  The answer is no.  The court generally do not like dealing with who gets “custody” of pets and looks more of it as personal property.  […]

There are a lot of issues with children going through a divorce. There may be significant emotional and behavioral issues. The state now requires that parents attend a parenting education class prior to finalizing the divorce.  The idea is that the divorce is difficult on children and parents should be educated regarding not how to […]

Grandparents rights are very limited.  In MA, there is a complaint for grandparent visitation but to meet the burden a grandparent has a high burden.  The grandparent must show that they basically cared for the child at some point.  It is almost easier to get custody through a guardianship where the grandparent must show that […]

OUI have traditionally been one of the most litigated criminal cases in MA.  There are a lot of defenses and many cases that do not look winnable can become so.  Do not automatically plead out to your case.  A few things to do are: 1.  Have your attorney file an omnibus discovery motion that includes […]

In Ma, to get a guardianship you need to have a medical letter ( a specific court form) showing that the elder is not competent.  Marge and Homer would need to be able to show why Abe is not competent and why they should make decisions about him.  The Simpsons would need to be able to […]

Holidays have a lot of good things about them but as everyone know can be very stressful.  I am a lawyer who helps people in trouble.  One of the most troubling times for people is during and after the holiday season.  This is one of the busiest times of the year for an attorney as […]