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Who is a Legal Parent? Part 1
Many have tried to frame the debate over same-sex marriage or LGBT rights to be a debate over the changing definition of parents and family. But the truth is that the definition of family has been...
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Married with Children - Who is a Legal Parent? Part 2
Post by Valerie Qian. Valerie is an Associate at Skylark Law & Mediation, PC. Valerie's practice includes family law & divorce representation, mediation, and collaborative divorce.The...
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UnMarried with Children - Who is a Legal Parent? Part 3
Unmarried mothers in Massachusetts are presumed to be the legal and physical custodian of a child without going to court. Unmarried fathers in Massachusetts are not provided with any legal or physical...
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99.9% Probability of Paternity - Who is a Legal Parent? Part 4
As discussed in our previous post, in order to include the father's name on the birth certificate he and the mother must sign a Voluntary Acknowledgment of Paternity. If a mother or father refuses to...
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Adoption - Who is a Legal Parent? Part 5
Post by Julie Tolek. Julie is an Associate at Skylark Law & Mediation, PC and runs her own practice, Think Pink Law. Julie's practice includes family law & divorce representation, firearms...
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The Worst Mistake People Make when Negotiating a Prenuptial Agreement
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements can be strong and useful planning tools that help couples plan their lives together. Just like a properly done estate plan, a prenup can protect a families' most...
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Co-Parent Adoption - Who is a Legal Parent? Part 6
Guest Post by Joyce Kauffman and Patience Crozier both of Kauffman Crozier LLP. In addition to an extensive divorce and traditional family law practice, Joyce's practice focuses on issues impacting...
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Three's Company - Who is a Legal Parent? Part 7
Post by Julie Tolek. Julie is an Associate at Skylark Law & Mediation, PC and runs her own practice, Think Pink Law. Julie's practice includes family law & divorce representation, firearms...
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De Facto Parents - Who is a Legal Parent? Part 8
Our previous posts in this series have all addressed legal parental rights created or enabled by statute. In some instances, though, the Probate and Family Court has extended legal parentage rights...
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Grandparent Visitation Rights v. De Facto Parents - Who is a Legal Parent?...
Our last post discussed the de facto parent standards in Massachusetts. Grandparent visitation rights in Massachusetts are similar in some ways to de facto parent rights but also different. They are...
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Guardianship - Who is a Legal Parent? Part 10
A Guardian is a person appointed by the court to make non-financial decisions for another person, such as personal welfare, medical, housing and educational decisions, in the same way that a parent can...
View ArticleIncome: What's In and What's Out when Calculating Child Support?
In Massachusetts, the Child Support Guidelines define the income that can be used when calculating child support. The list is exhaustive and as a starting point almost all income is considered with...
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Bringing Peace to E-mail
About six months ago, I changed my e-mail sign-off. This may seem like a trivial thing that many people wouldn't notice, but sometimes the small details about how you manage your practice have a big...
View ArticleReforming Alimony Reform - A Bill to Fix Chin v. Merriot
On Friday, February 19, 2016, Massachusetts Representative John Fernandes filed House Bill HD4546 to override the ruling of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in Chin v. Merriot, a case which...
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Who has More Power in a Divorce: You or a Judge?
In most cases, an experienced divorce attorney can tell you after a one hour consultation the range of what you can expect to happen if you go to court. Good attorneys will give you reasonable...
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Is Fair a Dirty Word in Divorce?
I recently read a post entitled "Why 'Fair' is the F-Word in Divorce Negotiations" by Shawn Weber, which posits that fairness, as a subjective concept, bogs people down and can keep them from reaching...
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What does Your Favorite Break-Up Song have in common with Mediation?
A good break-up song doesn't make everything okay, but it can make a break-up seem more bearable. Music allows us to express feelings of hurt or anger rather than hide them, and healing depends on that...
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I'm in Mediation, do I need a Lawyer too?
A recent LinkedIn discussion debated the value of consulting a lawyer when participating in mediation. Here are the pros and cons:Benefits of Hiring a Lawyer while Participating in Mediation:Legal...
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4 Common but Incorrect Assumptions about Legal Custody in Massachusetts:...
Guest Post Series: Attorney Nicole K. Levy of Stevenson, Lynch & Owens Explores Massachusetts Law in Search of a Clear Definition for "legal custody" in Massachusetts.There are few family law...
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4 Common but Incorrect Assumptions about Legal Custody in Massachusetts:...
Guest Post Series: Attorney Nicole K. Levy of Stevenson, Lynch & Owens Explores Massachusetts Law in Search of a Clear Definition for "legal custody" in Massachusetts.There are few family law...
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