divorce and finances

Child Support, Alimony & Taxes

When going through a divorce, there are many financial issues that spouses must address. Some of these financial issues have tax consequences, and other financial issues do not. One area where taxes come into play is support. Under Massachusetts Law, there are two categories of support. The first category is alimony, which is the periodic…

General Term Alimony: What is It?

  Q: What is General Term Alimony? A: There are 4 types of alimony under Massachusetts law.  The four types are: General Term Alimony: the periodic payment of support to a recipient spouse who is economically dependent. Rehabilitative alimony: the periodic payment of support to a recipient spouse who is expected to become economically self-sufficient…

How Much Will My Divorce Cost?

Many times one of the first questions a potential client will ask our firm is “How much will my divorce cost?” Unfortunately, there is no straight answer for this question. There are many variable factors that can affect how much a divorce will cost, and there is no “standard” legal fees for a divorce. One…

Who gets the house in a divorce?

Q: I’m getting a divorce.  Who gets the house when the divorce is finalized? A: The short answer is, it depends.  There are many factors that must be considered in determining who gets to keep the marital home during a divorce.   Q: What factors are considered in determining who gets the marital home in…

Property Division in a Divorce

Q: What is martial property? A: Massachusetts law has a very broad definition of marital property.  It defines marital property as property owned by either or both spouses, whether acquired during the marriage, or prior to the marriage.  This means that if property is in only one spouse’s name, or was bought before the marriage,…

Getting Divorced? Do Not Ignore Your Credit Score (and How to Rebuild it if You Did)

Credit scores are one of the most critical finances pieces of recovering financially from a divorce. Credit scores are also one of the most overlooked pieces of post-divorce, as I’ve found by communicating with thousands of followers of my blog, WealthySingleMommy.com. I reached out to Gerri Detweiler, director of consumer education for Credit.com, and author…

Certain changes in financial behavior and conversations about money are sure-fire signs that your spouse is preparing to split up.

Over 25 years, I’ve worked on the financial aspects of more than 1,300 cases of divorce. Rarely are both spouses in sync when it comes to filing; one spouse is usually laying the groundwork before the other. In hindsight, most people on the receiving end of the filing have their “aha!” moment. One homemaker told…