With the Olympics come the sentimental commercials of Olympians thanking their parents for helping them become the athletes they are today. We see images of these young Olympians learning how to walk on a ski slope, falling down over and over, and being woken up in...
Everyone has heard horror stories about divorces dragging on for years, with families and children caught in the middle of a seemingly unending war. The reality is that, depending on the parties and their dedication to resolving their outstanding issues, a divorce can...
As children get older and start attending school, parents who are not living together will have to determine how/if they will amend their parenting plan to accommodate school vacations (if a provision for same has not already been included in a temporary order or...
Speaking to your children about divorce can be an extremely difficult process. Parents often disagree on the amount of knowledge children should have about the divorce process and what his/her parents are going through. Speaking to your children about divorce can be...
When deciding on a child support amount, the parties must also determine whether or not they want to use the Department of Revenue (DOR) for collecting and distributing payments. While going through DOR may not work for everyone, I usually recommend it. When deciding...
Harassment prevention orders are found under chapter 258E of the Massachusetts General Laws. This chapter was enacted as a response to inadequate protections for those being abused by acquaintances or strangers, as such protections are not available via Abuse...
On July 26, 2012, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued an opinion in the matter of Elia-Warnken v. Elia. This case involved a same-sex couple who was in the midst of divorce litigation. On July 26, 2012, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued an...
Judge Michael Haas of Cass County Minnesota retired in 2002 after 26 years of service as a Judge. The following 200 words issued by him (we are not certain whether they were stated on or off the record) have been referenced in multiple appellate court decisions and in...
One of the most difficult cases I work on are those dealing with parental alienation. Parental alienation often occurs during or following divorce, and is characterized by a child expressing unreasonable, unjustified and strong dislike or even hatred for a parent. One...
On March 6, 2012, the Supreme Judicial Court held that a father who consents to in vitro fertilization is the legal father of the children born of this artificial insemination, even if the parties agreed that he would take no responsibility for the needs of said...
