During the course of a divorce, there are many issues that spouses have to resolve: property division, alimony, child custody, child support, medical insurance, and taxes. One after thought of these many issues is the child dependency tax exemption. In a divorce, spouses can agree how to allocate the dependency tax exemption. For example, if…
Family Law
Protecting Your Pet in a Divorce
Despite pets being a loving and integral member of families, the law has not caught up with this view, and still sees pets as property. But because pets are such an integral part of families, during a divorce, it can be a “custody” battle over your pet that causes a lot of disagreement and friction.…
Essential Things You Must Do When Contemplating a Divorce
Divorce can release two people from a miserable marriage and set them free to pursue happier but separate lives. However, going through a divorce is never easy. When divorce becomes inevitable, there are certain things that you should do to make it easier. 1. Be Proactive on Family Finance If you have not been very…
As Gay Marriages Rise, Now Comes The Case For Same-Sex Divorce
In 2008, Lauren Beth Czekala-Chatham traveled with her then-partner from their home in Mississippi to San Francisco, a few months after gay marriage became legal in California. They’d been together for about a year and a half before they decided to get married. After the ceremony, they went back to Mississippi, where they lived together.…
Starting New Holiday Traditions After a Divorce
Holidays can be especially tricky to navigate as a newly divorced couple. It takes time to settle into the new normal — for you, your ex, and your children — and the holidays can be a great time for each of you to set new traditions that work for the shift in your family situation.…
5 Reasons Why Alimony Should Be Reduced or Terminated if You’re Living With Someone
1. If you are living with someone else, your financial need has likely been reduced or eliminated, thereby reducing or eliminating your need for spousal support. 2. If you are living with someone else, accepting (or taking) spousal support is, in essence, double-dipping. 3. If you are living with someone else, while receiving spousal support,…
Divorce Hits Children In Higher-Income Families The Hardest, Study Says
As the divorce rate began to rise in the 1960s and level off in the early 1980s, the face of American families underwent major reconstruction, leaving individuals and psychologists alike wondering: How are the children faring? Well, aside from the rich ones, it seems the kids are alright. The new research, which came out of…
The Legal Status of Parent Coordinators in Massachusetts
Parent Coordinators are commonly used in child custody and parenting matters in Massachusetts to facilitate resolving disputes between parents on issues relating children of divorce and children born out of wedlock. The Parent Coordinator typically acts as a referee to rule on any disputes, or works more like a mediator to help the parents negotiate…
How Divorced Parents Lost Their Rights
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — MY wife and I disagree, sometimes vehemently, about how best to raise our four children. She’s a lawyer, and I am sure the thought of suing me has crossed her mind once or twice. But she cannot. American courts consistently refuse to entertain child-rearing disputes between married parents. In 1936, the New…
Deciding To Become A Stay At Home Mom? Consider This Cautionary Tale
There’s a story I’ve heard countless times over the years, from both clients and colleagues. The details vary from one couple to another, but in general, the plot goes something like this: Out of school, Amy and John each landed plum jobs in their fields. They worked hard and made excellent salaries, affording them the…
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