The best way to ensure you have a parenting plan that will work for both you and the other parent is to be able to agree upon a parenting schedule between the two of you rather than having a judge (who doesn’t know you and will only hear about your case for a very brief amount of time) throw something together that may or may not work out for either of you.  It can be difficult trying to come up with a plan both you Read More

Protective orders obtained from the Court that does not allow your abuser to contact you or abuse you can be instrumental in getting you out of an unsafe situation and protecting you and your kids from future harm. Unfortunately, and all too often, the seriousness of what protective orders are meant to do are minimized by people who go out and get them, sometimes by lying outright and sometimes by blowing a Read More

If you and your ex were able to agree upon the terms of your Separation Agreement (or Divorce Agreement) without having to spend a great deal of time or effort fighting each other, that’s wonderful!  If it took a bit of negotiation and give and take (sometimes feeling like you give more than you take in order to reach a settlement), that still means that, when push came to shove, you and your ex were able to work Read More

There are two ways you can file a divorce in Massachusetts: Uncontested or Contested. Let me explain the difference: UNCONTESTED: Filing for an uncontested divorce means that both you and your spouse are in agreement with the divorce and have been able to work out ALL of the issues that need to be determined within a divorce judgment (custody, parenting time, child support, property division, alimony, etc.) Read More

Prenuptial agreements may seem like preparation for the worst case scenario, but you should think of them more like a premarital insurance policy. A prenuptial agreement is meant to give you peace of mind before marriage and make sure both parties are on the same page financially before making those ‘for better or worse’ vows. These legal documents, also called “prenups” for short, can define how you and your spouse Read More

If you are interested in filing for divorce in Massachusetts, you may be surprised to know that there is a mandatory waiting period between the time when your divorce is granted and when it is final. The time between when a judge grants your divorce and when the divorce is final is known as the “Nisi period.” The Nisi period lasts 90 days. If you filed a joint petition, there is a 30-day waiting period before the Read More

One of the main worries of divorcing couples is how their property will be valued and distributed after the divorce. Your family home, car, and other assets must first be assigned a value before they can be distributed. It is important to get an accurate and fair valuation of your assets to ensure that you receive you fair share.  You and your spouse can either agree on the value of your assets or, if an agreement Read More

One of the ways that an individual can recover from the financial burden of a divorce is by being awarded alimony and utilizing the money to start a new life. Alimony allows an individual to make positive changes such as preparing for a career or relocating, or being reimbursed for support they provided their ex-spouse during the marriage. It can also help provide the financial stability needed for a lower-earning Read More

Even in the most amicable divorce, shared custody can be difficult at times. Normal difficulties become something much more sinister when one parent attempts to sabotage the relationship of their child with the co-parent. The parent on the receiving end of such manipulation is often hurt, confused, angry, and unsure of their legal options. By learning to identify signs of parental alienation and utilizing simple tips Read More