During this unprecedented time, it is extremely important to understand how COVID-19 is impacting different areas of the law. I am starting a series of newsletter articles, website blogs, and videos in which I will discuss how it has affected the areas of legal practice that I cover in Massachusetts.  At the moment, courthouses are […]

When you get a Service Plan or Action Plan many people either just sign it if they need to sign it or refuse to work with DCF. Those are both certainly options and every case is unique. It is not a cookie cutter solution but you are allowed to negotiate the Service Plan and to […]

Both in Massachusetts and nationally there has been a significant increase in bankruptcy filings by older Americans; particularly over 55, but the percentages have gone way up overall in the last several years.  Part of the reason is that older Americans or elders might have substantial health or medical bills. Their income may be either […]

Legal custody is a major decision regarding the children on a day to day decision. There is a presumption that if the parties are married, that there be joint legal custody but that is not always the case. There are a lot of instances where parents that have joint legal custody have disputes about health-related […]

In Probate and Family Court many times when there is a dispute about custody or parenting plans the Judge may order an app such as Family Wizard or a similar app to have any kind of communication.  The reasoning behind this is so that there can be a record of communication; so, if there is […]

In a divorce case it is mandatory that both parents participate in a parenting education class within 45 days. There can be extensions and there are circumstances where it can be waived completely but those are unique. During the Coronavirus there are ways to have that done remotely by video. Make sure that it is […]

As of May 15th, 2020 the courts are still closed until June 1st, 2020 due to COVID-19, but with some exceptions. Letters from the Leaders of the Judiciary and the Massachusetts Bar Association have indicated that the courthouses will most likely be closed for most or all of the summer.  Emergency cases or ones in […]

Should you take steps such as taking cash advances, refinancing the home, making large charitable contributions shortly before filing bankruptcy? The answer is no. You want to be very careful of doing anything that would be looking to manipulate the bankruptcy situation. You should talk to an attorney before trying to take any steps like […]

Delinquency/Youthful Offender Proceedings The recent Standing Order OE-144 has closed courthouses off to the public other than for emergency situations. This order goes into effect May 4, 2020 and will be in effect until at least June 1, 2020. This is applicable to various non-emergency delinquency/youthful offender proceedings, according to Mass.gov. Probable cause (show cause) […]

My office is open during these unprecedented times and fully functioning remotely. I am meeting with clients by phone, Facetime and Zoom. Although courts are not open for in- person public hearings, I have been having more and more hearings by phone-whether or not they are contested or uncontested. In addition, courts are proceeding and […]