Divorce & Family Law Blog
In a landmark decision, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Cavanagh v. Cavanagh issued several new rulings on the treatment of alimony and child support in divorce, which have changed the way Probate and Family Court judges and attorneys address these issues. Pre-Cavanagh, courts typically only ordered a spouse to pay alimony and child support […]
After a married couple makes the difficult decision to end the marriage, the next step is to legally dissolve the marriage by filing for divorce. One of the decisions the Petitioner (spouse filing the divorce) must make before initiating the divorce process is the grounds to be used when requesting the divorce. Although some states […]
There was a time when the law and the court system would effectively ignore domestic abuse if the victim was married to the abuser. Fortunately, those days are long gone. If your spouse is abusive, you can request a court to issue a Restraining Order against your spouse in Massachusetts that will result in […]
Getting through the process of divorce can be difficult even when the parties remain amicable. Ideally, however, a divorce ends in the parties reaching a settlement agreement that resolves all issues in the divorce. What happens though if you want to modify something in that settlement agreement after the fact? Understanding what circumstances might allow […]
Adoption can create a new family or enlarge an existing family. The process itself, however, can be complicated, intimidating, and stressful. Trying to navigate an unfamiliar legal system during such an emotional time can be extremely difficult. If you are considering adoption, do you need a lawyer to help you? The Massachusetts Adoption Process The […]
How Are Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements Different? Marriage is usually contemplated and entered into because the parties are in love and plan to spend their lives together. The reality, however, is that almost half of all first marriages and significantly more second and subsequent marriages end in divorce. In addition, the age at which […]
When parents go through a divorce, it affects the children as well. Even a relatively civil and amicable divorce will directly impact everyone involved. Once the divorce is final, the hope is that the parents and children will settle into their new lives with as little ongoing drama as possible. When one parent starts a […]
My Spouse Remarried. Will This Affect My Alimony Or Child Support Payments? The terms of a divorce often require one party to pay alimony and/or child support to the other party. If you are the party paying support, you may be looking at making those payments for years to come. What happens though if your former […]
How Living Together Affects Custody of Children from a Prior Marriage While living together outside of marriage was once considered socially unacceptable, it is now very much the norm. The majority of couples cohabitate prior to marriage and many couples never choose to legally marry. If you have children from a prior marriage, however, you […]
Adoption can enlarge an existing family or create a brand-new one. The adoption process itself, however, can be plagued with legal obstacles and hurdles that can cause stress and anxiety for prospective parents. While adoption was once only an option for married couples, state laws have changed in recent years to reflect the societal changes […]