Recent Blog Posts
Who Pays for a Child’s College Education Following a Massachusetts Divorce?
All parents have a legal obligation to financially support their children up to the age of 18. Even beyond that point, many Massachusetts parents will pay for their child’s college education. Of course, if the parents are in the process of getting a divorce, the question of who will pay for the child’s college… Read More »
Tax Issues That Can Affect Your Massachusetts Divorce
Divorce represents a major life change for the parties involved. There is the emotional impact of ending the marriage itself. There are the practical consequences of each party rebuilding their lives as single people. And of course, there are also the financial consequences of unwinding what was, in many respects, a legal partnership. These… Read More »
4 Common Myths About Divorce Mediation in Massachusetts
Even when a split is amicable, divorce itself is never a simple process. There are a number of issues the separating spouses need to resolve. One method for seeking resolution outside of litigation is divorce mediation. While mediation is quite common in business disputes, it is often less well understood in the divorce context…. Read More »
Collaborative Divorce vs. Divorce Mediation: Which Is Right for You?
If you and your spouse have decided that divorce is the best option for your family, there are ways to resolve any remaining differences you have outside of fighting in court. Two common forms of alternative dispute resolution here in Massachusetts are collaborative divorce and divorce mediation. If you are not familiar with either… Read More »
What Is Considered a Dissipation of Marital Assets in a Massachusetts Divorce?
When a marriage breaks down, there is sometimes a temptation by one spouse to either try and hide assets or to spend down assets on themselves in order to keep the other spouse from getting it in the looming divorce. The latter course of conduct is known as dissipation of marital assets and it… Read More »
Can a Massachusetts Judge Modify an Alimony Agreement After the Fact?
There are a number of reasons why one or both parties to a final divorce judgment might seek modification of its terms. But what about terms resolved through a negotiated settlement agreement? Can a party still request modification if it would alter the terms they previously agreed to in the settlement? Appeals Court Backs… Read More »
How Can You Prove Fraud in a Massachusetts Child Support Modification Order?
One of the more common problems that can affect Massachusetts divorce cases is a lack of financial transparency between the parties. In order for any final divorce judgment or settlement to be effective, each person must rely upon the other’s disclosures with regard to income and assets. When one side feels the other is… Read More »
How “Double Dipping” Can Affect Your Massachusetts Divorce Settlement
An issue that can arise in high-net-worth Massachusetts divorce cases is a practice commonly referred to as “double dipping.” As the Appeals Court of Massachusetts explained in a recent decision, double dipping is a phrase sometimes used by legal commentators to “describe the seeming injustice that occurs when property is awarded to one spouse… Read More »
Moving Your Child to a Different State? What Divorced Parents in Massachusetts Need to Know
Even when a parent has primary physical custody of a child, that is the child lives with that parent most of the time, that does not mean the parent has the unilateral authority to move with the child out of state. To the contrary, when one parent seeks to relocate a child without the… Read More »
Are Modifications of Child Support Retroactive in Massachusetts?
All Massachusetts parents are required to financially support their minor children. Courts use a series of guidelines to establish a non-custodial parent’s child support obligations based on income and other factors. Either parent is also free to request a modification of an existing support order, which can increase, decrease, or outright abolish support payments… Read More »