Can you imagine being separated from your adorable, furry companion? Increasingly, pets are becoming subjects of contention for couples undergoing divorce. In some cases, pets are even included in prenuptial arrangements, also known as “pre-pups.” There are nearly 179 million cats and dogs living in U.S. homes, according to the Human Society of the United…
divorce
The Important Difference Between a Merging and Surviving Separation Agreement
It is not uncommon for a spouse to want to modify certain provisions of his or her Separation Agreement after a divorce. As time goes on, circumstances will most certainly change for the former spouses. However, not all Separation Agreements are modifiable. Before a spouse files a modification action, it is important to ascertain whether…
Home schooling and child custody
When parents split up, and there is a dispute over who is to get primary custody, judges generally decide this based on what they see as “the best interests of the child.” One recurring question is whether a judge may consider the ideology that a parent is teaching the child— for instance, may a judge…
Important Documents a Spouse Should Bring to a Consultation with a Divorce or Family Law Attorney
If you are thinking it has come the time to file for divorce, or any other important family law matter, there are certain types of documents a spouse or parent should always bring with him or her when meeting with a lawyer for the first time. Being prepared with these documents can assist an attorney…
What Happens When a Prenuptial or Postnuptial Agreement is Invalidated in Massachusetts
Both prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements can be valuable tools for spouses. It can give guidance regarding the division of assets and support in the event of a divorce or a spouse’s death. It gives some predictability and certainty, which is not always guaranteed in the circumstances of a divorce in which there is neither…
What a Divorce or Family Law Attorney Can Do That a Spouse or Parent Can’t Do on Their Own
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…
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…
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