Family Law
Family Law
Divorce can be a difficult and emotional process. Our team has many years of experience in this area of the law and is dedicated to providing our clients with compassionate, efficient, and attentive representation.
Family law matters often require court appearances. We have represented clients in all of the local courts in Massachusetts and have the expertise and knowledge necessary to guide our clients through their courtroom experience.
In addition to representing clients in the court system, we are also dedicated to helping our clients resolve their disputes without litigation. The divorce process is less stressful, less expensive, and often results in a more successful outcome when parties work together to reach a satisfactory agreement. We are qualified to advise clients in all types of alternative dispute resolution including mediation and arbitration.
We have a dedicated team that is available to assist with all divorce related matters as well as appeals, preparation of prenuptial agreements, post-marital agreements, paternity issues, adoption, guardianships, nontraditional marriage disputes, suits for separate support, modifications, conptempts and all other domestic issues.
Our office assists clients with a broad range of issues that affect the family unit. These matters include:
- Divorce
- Post-divorce issues
- Child custody
- Visitation
- Child support
- Asset division
- Alimony
Family Law Mediation/Conciliation
Mediation is an alternative to litigation. It is a process in which an impartial third party facilitates communication and negotiation and promotes voluntary decision making by the parties to the dispute.
There are many family law matters than can be resolved through mediation. Our office can assist with an initial determination as to whether your case is appropriate for this process.
We are trained to help you with reaching agreement through discussion and facilitated negotiation. There are many advantages to the mediation process versus litigation. First, the parties are the sole decision makers resulting in a resolution unique to the particular circumstances of the case. Second, after mediation, you are able to move forward amicably and preserve your relationship so that you can continue to effectively communicate with each other as future issues arise. Third, you avoid the high financial costs of litigation.
Mediation involves a collaborative process with the mediator and the parties. You will schedule and meet with the mediator in private one or two hour sessions. As many sessions can be scheduled as are necessary to resolve the contested issues. The process is voluntary and you can choose to withdraw from it at any time. The mediator is a neutral party and can provide legal information to the parties, but not legal advice.
Once an agreement is reached, we will draft all documents necessary to finalize the divorce or other matter. The agreement will concisely express the terms reached by the parties and the considerations weighed in reaching resolution. If both parties wish, the mediator can accompany the parties to court to facilitate the entry of the judgment.
The following are examples of issues that can be addressed and resolved through mediation:
- Division of Marital Assets
- Division of Assets Between Life Partners
- Physical and Legal Custody of Children
- Parenting Plans
- Child Support
- College Expenses
- Health and Life Insurance
- Alimony
- Pre-Nuptial and Post-Nuptial Agreements
- Equity matters
Conciliation
Conciliation is another form of mediation which involves evaluation and recommendations made by the conciliator. Some parties choose this process in order to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each party’s position as well as receive legal information regarding likely outcomes in connection with a particular issue. The conciliator still acts as a neutral third party, however, in this process, the conciliator provides a legal analysis of all claims based upon extensive experience in the field of family law. The parties control the outcome and still have the benefit of avoiding high litigation costs. Our attorneys have the skills necessary to assist with navigation of the conciliation process through settlement.
