When a spouse is going through a divorce, or a parent is going through a custody or child support battle, it can be a stressful time in that person’s life. Navigating through the family court process can be confusing under the best of circumstances. If the case is very contentious, then this only makes the…
Divorce and Family Law Blog
Hey, Divorced Parents, How About Going Beyond Civility?
I’m living with my ex-husband again. It’s not what you think. When we married in the spring of 1998, before wedding registries were online and photos were still shot on film, our chances of staying together forever looked pretty darn good. Great, in fact. We were 26-year-old college graduates who had dated for four years,…
Massachusetts custody proposal rightly stresses time with both parents
Slowly but surely, Massachusetts is reshaping its laws around divorce. First, a task force of experts and advocates prompted a sweeping overhaul of outdated alimony laws. And two years ago, the governor’s office convened a similar committee to review the state’s child custody laws. That committee’s work is done, and the result is promising: a…
Getting Divorced? What Can You Do For Your Children?
Divorce and what leads up to it are not tidy and polite affairs. The children who bear witness to the demise of their parents’ marriage inevitably get wounded — some very deeply and invisibly at first. No matter how old a child is when his/her parents’ divorce occurs, the child learns a life lesson about…
Children of divorce grieving their losses
In my last two columns, I addressed the grief and loss process experienced by couples during separation and divorce. But what do the children experience? At a time when so many marriages fail, it is important to understand how youngsters are affected by the loss. Children of divorcing parents go through the same four stages…
How Are Pets Handled In Divorce?
Researchers estimate that about 50% of American marriages end in divorce. They also say that 62% of American households include at least one pet. So, it seems reasonable to conclude that many divorcing couples are pet owners. But when a married couple calls it quits, what happens to their furry friends? Sometimes, the decision isn’t…
Why your engagement ring was a bad investment
According to the Journal of Accountancy, the IRS has increased resources devoted to scrutinizing alimony. As is well known amongst divorcing individuals and financial professionals, the tax code allows the payor of alimony to deduct it from taxable income, while the recipient must include it in taxable income. So if Kevin pays Kate $30,000 of…
The IRS thinks you are cheating on your alimony
According to the Journal of Accountancy, the IRS has increased resources devoted to scrutinizing alimony. As is well known amongst divorcing individuals and financial professionals, the tax code allows the payor of alimony to deduct it from taxable income, while the recipient must include it in taxable income. So if Kevin pays Kate $30,000 of…
Paying for Children’s College Costs After a Divorce
In a divorce, it is not uncommon for child-related issues to be disputed. Issues such as child custody, parenting time, and child support, can become very heated and contentious issues. However, there are other important issues related to children that can sometimes be overlooked or forgotten in a divorce. One example of this is paying…
Calculating Child Support When One Parent is Unemployed or Underemployed
In Massachusetts, child support is calculated based upon the Child Support Guidelines. The Child Support Guidelines use a mathematical calculation to determine a child support obligation based upon each parent’s gross weekly income, as well as the number of children for the child support order. When these numbers are entered into the formula, a number…
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