Divorce and Family Law Blog

Protecting Your Legal Rights When Cohabitating With Your Significant Other

Recent studies show that “shotgun weddings” are becoming less popular as cultural norms become more progressive. Rather than marrying due to a pregnancy, couples are moving in together, not marrying, and raising the child as a family. However, when a couple lives together out of wedlock, they are not afforded the same rights and benefits…

Get Divorced for $1500.00

One of the greatest benefits of mediation is the cost. Please read the below column from a mediation client of another firm. Our firm can get you divorced for $1500.00. COLUMN-How I got divorced for less than $1,500 in legal fees By Tim McLaughlin Jan 9 (Reuters) – When my wife and I decided to…

Weighing Divorce Options

What is the role of stock options in negotiating a divorce settlement? Far from being an academic question, the answer can actually determine the ownership of hundreds of thousands of dollars generated by the sale of appreciated stock acquired through company stock options. By specifying in the divorce settlement exactly how stock options will be…

How to Calculate Your Child Support

Under Massachusetts law, parents who are divorced or separated must continue to support their children. In Massachusetts, a parent’s child support obligation is calculated based upon the Child Support Guidelines. The Child Support Guidelines are a set of rules that dictate how to calculate a parent’s child support obligation, and what income must be included…

What You Should Know About Guardianship, Living Wills and Powers of Attorney

Adults who become incapable of caring for themselves, their property or their dependents may have a guardian appointed for them. However, guardianship can be avoided through the use of living wills and powers of attorney. In such circumstances, personal preferences can be respected without the need for court-appointed guardians. Living wills/healthcare proxies (“living wills”) and…

Antenuptial Agreements: Setting the Tone for Compromise and Communication in the Marriage

A pre-nuptial agreement is a great test for a marriage and the couple’s ability to compromise on what will likely be recurring themes in the relationship. Relationships, like a prenuptial agreement, are full of compromise and negotiation. Two people entering into a marriage need to know how to have the difficult conversations and find fair…

What You Should Know About Estate Planning With a Living Trust

In recent years, living trusts have grown increasingly popular as substitutes for wills in estate planning. They are sometimes called revocable trusts or inter-vivos trusts. Living trusts can have several advantages over wills, including avoiding probate, avoiding guardianship, maintaining liquidity, and keeping privacy. You can create a living trust with a simple trust document and…