The costs of insurance can be prohibitive and is a very important factor in may divorces both for the spouse and children. For the spouse and children most issues are similar: 1. The policy effect 2. What is the obligation of the coverage 3. The duration of that obligation 4. what happens if policy changes […]

Every case is unique but this is a common question. Many people are concerned with ‘abandonment”. This is typically not the issue with leaving the house(in a very few cases it might be) but moving out does impact you case. A negatives include that it sets a precedent and a divorce can take some time […]

Many times in probate and family court, the court refers you to probation or family service. What this means is in some contested cases, the court feels that it may be helpful to meet with a probation officer or family service officer(FSO). The term is for the same office. The idea is that sometimes you […]

As you probably guessed the answer is YES! Be very careful what you post. I have seen people claim to have no money in front of a judge and be confronted with Facebook posts of expensive vacations or new cars. I have seen many cases where one parent badmouths the other ( and sometimes the […]

In many counties in Massachusetts an ARC attorney can be appointed to represent the child’s voice. It is a pro bono program ( there is no costs to the parties). The ARC attorney acts as the child’s voice in court. This is not available in DCF C&P cases( child counsel may be appointed through CPCS) […]

Removing a minor child from MA usually requires consent of both parents or a court order. The standard is a “real advantage” which means that the parent seeking removal must show a “good sincere reason” for the move. the court should assess the child’s best interest. There are differences depending on if prior agreement and […]

Many people may have heard of a Guardian Ad Litem, but are not sure exactly what it does. What a GAL does is that it provides information and helps assist the Court in disputes relating to family or probate matters. There are different categories of a GAL; including an Investigator; Evaluator; and a “Next Friend”. […]

As most people are aware there are a lot of concerns about social media with issues of privacy and concerns about who you and your children might be “friending”.   In today’s legal climate there are a lot of legal risks associated with the internet that people are not aware of.  It is a fairly common […]

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 […]

In MA, child support is generally one of the more straightforward areas.  There is a guideline or formula that would be used and the Court is supposed to make a written finding if the guidelines are not being used within 2 percentage point.  The typical formula first looks at what the income for the recipient […]