Monthly Archives: October 2009

Plumber. Flowers. Candy-Gram.

I am a proponent of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), such as divorce mediation, the collaborative divorce process and a good old-fashioned duel with flintlock pistols.  OK, I am just kidding on ADR method number three, flintlock pistols are unreliable and inaccurate. Some couples are more suited to mediation than others.  When I first meet with a couple for a mediation consultation they are evaluating what I have to say and how I say it, my personality, if they like my tie, etc. Perhaps they also realize that I am evaluating them and listening for any “red flags” that signal possible [...]

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Social Security and Divorce

I have received couple of questions on how divorce may affect social security benefits over the past week, so I thought a post on this topic might be helpful. First, a good point to remember is that social security is a federal system, and is thus controlled by federal regulations.   Social Security benefits cannot be bargained like other assets or retirement accounts since the receipt of social security benefits, how they are paid, and to whom are all controlled by federal law.   This is why you don’t see sections on social security benefits in divorce agreements. A divorced [...]

Posted in Collaborative Divorce, Divorce, Divorce Mediation, Family and Divorce Financials, Property Division | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Massachusetts Alimony Odyssey Continues…

Wellesley family law attorney and blogger Steven Ballard has another interesting post on the continuing coverage surrounding alimony reform and whether State Senator and divorce lawyer Cynthia Creem, a sponsor of the Senate bill, has a “conflict of interest” related to this legislation. The post can be found here at the Massachusetts Divorce and Family Law Blog.

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Massachusetts Alimony Virus – Still No Vaccine Available

First of all, I want to be clear that I think that there are cases that certainly call for alimony, also known as spousal support.  There are also cases where our current system seems to create some unfair results.  Those ordered to pay lifetime alimony  might equate their situation to a having a nasty virus – it can make you feel sick and takes a long time to go away.  In fact, one of the current Massachusetts alimony reform bills, HT 1785 even sounds like a new bug requiring lots of hand sanitizer. Much of this recent activity and information [...]

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