Divorce is difficult for anyone, but it can be especially difficult for children. Once parents decide to divorce, the children then have to face the reality of their parents no longer living under the same roof. This is a difficult transition for almost all children, but it can be especially difficult at the holidays. Parents…
Family Law
Mediating Your Prenuptial Agreement
When a couple is engaged and planning their wedding it is a happy time in each of their lives, perhaps the best of times. Consideration of a divorce is probably not an option at this point. However, with the national divorce rate being somewhere above 50%, it is something an engaged couple should consider and…
Types of Child Custody in Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, like most other states, there are two types of child custody. The first is legal custody and the other is physical custody. Legal custody is the “decision making” custody. The parent or parents who have legal custody of a child have the authority to make decisions regarding the child’s care and upbringing, such…
When Can a Parent Receive a Retroactive Credit on Child Support?
It is not uncommon that as children get older, the custody and parenting schedule for the children change over time. This can include children moving in with the other parent. When these changes happen, it is also not uncommon for child support to be updated at the same time. The law requires that any changes…
The New 2017 Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines: What’s New? What’s the Same?
The Trial Court of Massachusetts issued new Child Support Guidelines, which took effect last week on September 15th. There are many changes to the new Guidelines, but also a lot of things stayed the same. This article will explain the changes to the new Guidelines, but what also stayed the same compared to the 2013…
Can Alimony Last Past the Scheduled Termination Date?
When the Alimony Reform Act was enacted in 2011, it provided for set termination dates of General Term Alimony, which is the most common type of alimony in Massachusetts. Under the statute, M.G.L. c. 208 §49(b), General Term Alimony will terminate after a certain period of time, depending on how long a couple was married. …
The Benefits of Engaging a Parenting Coordinator
A Parent Coordinator is a Family Law Attorney or mental health professional who works with families relating to child custody and parenting time, whereby the Parent Coordinator assists parents to resolve and reach agreement concerning disagreements about co-parenting, custody, and the parenting schedule. Parent Coordinators are commonly used in child custody and parenting matters in…
How to Effectively Co-Parent At the Beginning of a Divorce
When parents divorce, there can be a significant impact on the children. For divorces involving children, some judges have referred to such a divorce as a corporate reshuffling, and say that the family corporation remains the same, but has undergone some reshuffling. That is to say, the family unit continues to exist, but in a…
How to Help Your Child Emotionally Through a Divorce or Child Custody Matter
Going through a divorce or fighting over child custody is difficult and emotional for any parent, and any child. When a child realizes that their parents are breaking up, and will now live in separate houses, it can be very traumatic. This can cause a child to feel unstable and like the rug was swept…
How to Ask Your Fiancé for a Prenuptial Agreement
Congratulations! You’re engaged. You’re on your way to walking down the aisle on the happiest day of your life. There’s a lot to do to plan for the wedding. Find a location, book a caterer, find a dress, pick out a cake, and oh so much more. But there’s one more thing engaged couples should…
You must be logged in to post a comment.