Category Archives: Divorce Legal Information

Pets and Your Massachusetts Divorce

By Colleen Cunnally, Esq. – Divorce Lawyer and Mediator at The Divorce Collaborative Thanksgiving is over and now it’s time for Christmas!  My house is decorated and it’s time to start my Christmas shopping.  The usual suspects on my list include the hubby, my siblings, the nephews and nieces and last but not least my beloved DOG!  Yes, the dog gets her own stocking and assorted Christmas presents.  She even gets presents from her “cousins” Oreo and Angus. I admit, my family is a little dog crazy. Our dog obsession is not unusual.  I recently read Americans spend 50 BILLION dollars [...]

Posted in Divorce, Divorce Legal Information, Property Division | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Wrong Way to Find a Collaborative Divorce Lawyer in Massachusetts

By Stephen McDonough, Esq. Before I continue with explaining the wrong way for you to find a collaborative divorce lawyer in Massachusetts, you may be asking yourself this question: “Self, just what is collaborative divorce?” Collaborative divorce is an out of court process involving a cooperative, team-based approach.  Both parties have their own attorney that received special training in the collaborative dispute resolution process.   For more information on collaborative divorce, please click here to be transported through the interweb to our section about collaborative divorce. Although the collaborative process is definitely more cooperative than a court-based divorce, each party [...]

Posted in Collaborative Divorce, Divorce, Divorce Legal Information, The Business of Law | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Domestic Violence Awareness Month by Attorney & Mediator Katherine Thomas October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Domestic violence is not just limited to physical abuse. Domestic violence can be any physical, emotional, sexual or psychological action that one person uses to gain power or control over another. Domestic violence is not limited by gender, age, or race. In fact, men account for 15% of all domestic violence victims. Women between the ages of 16 and 24 are the most vulnerable to domestic violence. On average, three women lose their lives to domestic violence every day. Despite the progress that [...]

Posted in Divorce Legal Information, Domestic Violense | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Massachusetts Custody & Child Support Lawyer Comments on Recent News Story

By Colleen Cunnally, Esq As a Massachusetts divorce and family law attorney and mediator, I’ve been following the case of the convicted rapist who, as a condition of his probation, was ordered to financially support the child born to his then eighth-grade victim.  The father’s age at the time of the offense has been reported at 20, but another story on the ABC News website reported his age at 17.  He and the victim met at a church youth group according to reports.   Now the father, who plead guilty and was sentenced to 16 years probation, wants access to [...]

Posted in Child Custody, Child Support, Divorce Legal Information, News & Updates, Paternity | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Massachusetts Divorce – Don’t Try This At Home!

By Stephen McDonough, Massachusetts divorce lawyer and mediator serving the Lexington, Medfield, and Worcester areas. The September 2012 issue of the trusted Consumer Reports magazine did an interesting piece about some of the web-based do it yourself services that claim to allow people to complete their own legal documents. To read the article, click here. So what did Consumer Reports think about service such as Legal Zoom, Nolo, Quicken’s WillMaker and Rocket Lawyer? In a nutshell they were not impressed and concluded that many consumers would be better served by consulting with their own lawyer.  Yeah, I know.  I am a lawyer so you [...]

Posted in Divorce, Divorce Legal Information, Divorce Mediation, Family and Divorce Financials, The Business of Law | Leave a comment

Cohabitation, Alimony and Modifications in Massachusetts – Three’s Company

By Katherine Thomas, Esq. In case you missed it, a new Massachusetts alimony law went into effect in March of 2012. The Alimony Reform Act brought many changes to spousal support in Massachusetts, not the least of which being the official introduction of cohabitation to the statute. Under the new alimony statute, “general term alimony may be suspended, reduced, or terminated upon the cohabitation of the recipient spouse when the payor shows that the recipient spouse has maintained a common household…with another person for a continuous period of at least 3 months.” M.G. L. Ch. 208 s.49. Gone are the [...]

Posted in Alimony, Divorce, Divorce Legal Information, Family and Divorce Financials, Massachusetts Alimony, Post-divorce Issues, Spousal Support | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Same Sex Marriage in Massachusetts and Beyond

By Colleen Cunnally, Esq. As of July 2012, eight states (including Massachusetts) allow same-sex couples to marry.  As a Massachusetts divorce and family law lawyer and mediator, I’m proud to say Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to declare in the landmark decision Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, 798 N.E. 2d 941 (2003), same sex couples have a fundamental right to marry.  Since 2003, seven more states have passed laws to afford their citizens that same right.  I believe it’s a matter of time before more states pass similar legislation.  In the meantime, divorce and family law [...]

Posted in Collaborative Divorce, Divorce, Divorce Legal Information, Gay Marriage, same-sex divorce, Same-sex Marriage | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Massachusetts Divorce Lawyer and Mediator Tells All!

First, this post is wicked long, as we say here in the Boston area.  Also, be glad the title is not Massachusetts Divorce Lawyer and Mediator Bares All! I was flipping through Smart Money magazine a few weeks ago and came upon an article by Catey Hill, 10 Things Divorce Attorneys Won’t Tell You.  Even though I had the story, a number of others told me about it.   First, you may want to read the article on the Smart Money website.  Please click here to go to the article, which has a slightly different title online. What do I [...]

Posted in Collaborative Divorce, Divorce, Divorce Legal Information, Divorce Mediation, Family and Divorce Financials | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Massachusetts Divorce FAQ – Moving Out

By Massachusetts divorce lawyer and divorce mediator Stephen McDonough of The Divorce Collaborative LLC of Bedford and Franklin, MA. If you are getting a Massachusetts divorce, can you make your spouse move out of the marital home, or can your spouse make you leave the house? Should you move out voluntarily?   Is it OK to wear white pants after labor day? With the exception of the fashion question, these are some of the most frequent questions our Massachusetts divorce and mediation clients worry about.   The best answers to these questions really depend on your specific situation, so get [...]

Posted in Divorce, Divorce Legal Information, Family and Divorce Financials | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Massachusetts Divorce Myths

Whether I am talking to a prospective divorce client from Lexington, Concord, or Milford, here are three of the most common divorce myths that we hear over and over during initial consultations. 1.  “My spouse and I are legally separated” You may not be living together, but you are not legally separated. In some states, such as New Hampshire and Rhode Island, married couples are allowed to file a petition with the court for a legal separation. The process and filing fees are often the same as a divorce petition, and the courts will typically decide the same issues it [...]

Posted in Divorce, Divorce Legal Information | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment