In Massachusetts, divorce and Family Law cases are handled by the Probate and Family Court. Under Massachusetts, law, proceedings in the Probate and Family Court are public and can be observed by anyone. Additionally, almost all cases in the Probate and Family Court are scheduled to be heard at 8:30 a.m. (which can be as…
Amaral and Associates PC
Why You Should Review Your Estate Plan When You File for Divorce
When going through a divorce, a spouse has enough legal problems to address that he/she may not want to also consider reviewing and updating his/her estate plan as well. However, because of the divorce, it is all the more important to review your estate plan at this time. Why? Because it is not uncommon for…
How Much Alimony Will I Get?
In any divorce, a common question divorce attorneys get is “Will I get alimony, and if so, how much?” In Massachusetts this is determined under the Alimony Reform Act of 2011, which is codified at Massachusetts General Laws c. 208 §§48-54. Under the Alimony Reform Act, there are 4 different categories/types of alimony: 1) General…
Six Tips On How to Minimize Your Attorney’s Fees in a Divorce or Family Law Case
When you are going through a divorce or family law matter, it can cost a lot of money to hire an attorney. However, if you want to successfully navigate through the Probate and Family Court and the litigation process, having a lawyer can be crucial. There are ways, however, to minimize your legal fees from…
Protecting Your Assets in a Dating Relationship Through a Cohabitation Agreement
Once a couple marries, there are certain protections and rights bestowed upon each spouse under the law. These rights include the right to property division in the event of divorce, the right to maintain medical insurance benefits through his/her spouse, and the right to alimony in the event of a divorce. However, with the divorce…
Going Through a Divorce When You Have a Child with Special Needs
Divorce is a difficult and emotion process for any spouse or parent. But when the spouse is also a parent of a child with special needs, the divorce can be even more emotional and difficult. In dealing with any divorce that involves children, issues such as child custody, parenting time, and child support must be…
Am I Going to Have to Pay Alimony?
With the enactment and implementation of the Alimony Reform Act in 2012, a popular topic among divorcing spouses is whether one spouse will be required to pay the other spouse alimony. With the Alimony Reform Act, the guidelines and requirements for awarding alimony have changed. At the cornerstone of alimony is case law that has…
Winning the Lottery and Then Getting Divorced
The odds of any person winning the lottery are very slim. However, if someone does win the lottery, and he/she is married at that time, under Massachusetts law, the lottery winnings are a marital asset. Under Massachusetts law, all property owned by one spouse individually, or both spouses jointly, is considered marital property. That means,…
Managing High Asset Divorces in Massachusetts
All divorces can be stressful and important to spouses facing a divorce. However, handling divorces with a high asset value has some additional inherent complexities that not all spouses, or even all attorneys, are aware of. When addressing high asset divorces, there are complicated issues that have to be addressed within alimony, property division, taxes,…
Establishing Paternity in Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, the custody of a child born to unwed parents is presumed to be solely with the mother of the child, unless and until paternity of the child is established, and there is a court order regarding custody. It is important for both a mother and father to have paternity established, because without establishing…
You must be logged in to post a comment.