Same-sex marriage is now the law of the land, but the scope of family law is broader than marriage. Take the recent example of a same-sex couple that got married in a neighboring state and had a child by artificial insemination before the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic decision. Since the couple’s home state did...

There are many reasons why people may believe that they should contest some provision within a will. However, not everyone has the legal standing to do so. Understanding who is granted the right to contest a will in certain scenarios is a good place to start when considering whether or not you should attempt...

Even when going through a divorce, it’s not premature to consider revising one’s retirement or estate planning. The two are related, since an individual needs to estimate his or her liquidity in retirement, plan for medical emergencies or the possibility of incapacity, and potentially protect eligibility for Medicaid through the use of smart estate-planning...

Our family law firm understands that a client may require assistance not only before and during a divorce, but also after. For example, changed career circumstances may necessitate a post-judgment modification of a divorce decree regarding alimony payments. An uncooperative former spouse may need to be officially prodded by the court via a...

A pregnancy for an unmarried couple may raise questions about child support. In most cases, an expecting mother may want assurances that the father will contribute his fair share toward the expenses of raising the child. In Massachusetts, there are mandatory child support guidelines. An attorney that focuses on family law...

When you're going through a divorce, it's easy to find people who've already been down that road. While it may feel good to commiserate about your no-good exes, at some point you have to start seeing the positive in your new life and stop dwelling on the past. The people with whom you surround...

Anyone who has gotten a divorce should understand this little fact: things change. People change. A couple's relationship changes. A married couple can change into a divorced couple. And just as a couple's satisfaction within a marriage often changes, so can their satisfaction with their divorce settlement. Massachusetts law takes the unavoidable shifts in life...

There has been something of a movement in Massachusetts over the years to reform alimony laws. Though alimony technically can be paid by either higher-earning spouse, regardless of gender, the cliche is that men most often have to pay and women most often receive it. As such, when people talk about reforming the laws,...

Are there reasons why a couple might seek a separation, as an alternative or even an addition to their divorce filing? Is legal separation even an option in Massachusetts? Our firm focuses on a full spectrum of family law matters, including child support and divorce. While the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation's

A divorce involving children may have to address both child custody and child support issues. Yet with the new health insurance rules, additional complications may arise. Specifically, a non-custodial parent may have a child support obligation that includes paying for health care premiums. The divorce decree may indicate that such support will end when the...