Hi there, Last Friday the Appeals Court posted a new decision on its website which broadens the authority of Probate and Family Court judges. In Cesar vs. Sundering, slip opinion No. 11-P-351, the Court held that a Probate and Family Court judge, in a case where the division of a family business is at issue,… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Articles
Subscribe to Articles RSS FeedConsidering Military Pensions in Divorce Cases
Posted in ArticlesHi there, My talented Burns & Levinson colleague, Ron Barriere, has worked on several military divorce cases. In this week’s post, Ron explains important considerations regarding pensions and retirement accounts for military spouses facing divorce. Enjoy! Nancy This past summer, while most Massachusetts divorce lawyers (myself included) were busily studying the new Alimony Reform Act, the… Continue Reading
Top Three Professionals You Need in Divorce Process
Posted in ArticlesHi there, If you are thinking about divorce or have already commenced the divorce process, you should be considering what kinds of resources you will need to help you through this most difficult of times. First, and I will admit to professional bias here, you need to consult an attorney. I’ve written before on how to… Continue Reading
Pornography and Divorce
Posted in ArticlesHi there, The last couple of times that I have been asked to be interviewed on television and on the Internet, the interviewer has been interested in stories of cheating spouses. The recent interview on the Internet was about how Facebook relationships have affected divorce. That made me go a step further and think about how the Internet has… Continue Reading
Involuntary Abortion
Posted in ArticlesHi there, A really shocking guardianship case was overturned by the Appeals Court last week. This kind of sad family problem can come up in divorce cases more frequently than in the general population because parents with disabled children are statistically more likely to divorce. My very able colleagues, Lisa Cukier and Tiffany Howard, kindly agreed… Continue Reading
Planning For The Future When You Have A Disabled Child
Posted in ArticlesHi there, Divorce is even tougher if you have special needs children. They need more stability and the divorce agreement should reflect their needs. My very skilled colleague, Elizabeth Crowley, has written a great post on special needs trusts, which are as necessary in a divorced family as in an intact one… How many of… Continue Reading
Happy Thanksgiving!
Posted in ArticlesHi there! Have a Happy Thanksgiving all, and try not to get trampled on Black Friday! Best, Nancy
The New Normal
Posted in ArticlesHi there, We don’t live in a vacuum and what is happening in the global economy affects all of us (think of your 401K’s roller coaster ride this year). If you are divorcing, you, your counsel, and hopefully your financial advisor, should be thinking about what nasty surprises may be in store as a result of the… Continue Reading
Pets and Divorce
Posted in ArticlesHi there, It’s coming up on Halloween and the pet stores are selling pet costumes… I have two big dogs and one very tough cat, and while I don’t think I’m going to be buying them costumes any time soon, I do understand the urge. We think of and feel about our pets the way we do our children. … Continue Reading
Divorce and Tax Cheats
Posted in ArticlesHi there, Among the many things that astonished me as I began practicing divorce law, were the stupendous number of people who openly and flagrantly cheat on their taxes and, apparently, never get caught. First, there are massive numbers of folks who just don’t report all of their income. I think this seems to hold true… Continue Reading
5 Simple Tax Tips About Divorce
Posted in ArticlesHi There, Happy New Year! Tax season for 2009 has now begun. Here are 5 simple tax tips about divorce: 1. Child support is not taxable to the recipient, or to put it more bluntly, she who pays her ex child support also pays the taxes on it. 2. Alimony is taxable to the recipient, so he… Continue Reading
Tax miscellany
Posted in ArticlesHi There, Since quarterly taxes are due now, the IRS is on my mind, and so I thought that a post on taxation might be apt. The tax implications of divorce is an area where questions come up consistently. Taxes affect both support and property division. The rules and results are very different in gay and… Continue Reading
Divorce and Taxes
Posted in ArticlesHi there! Divorce and taxes aren’t quite as inevitable as “death and taxes,” but with one out of three marriages ending in divorce it is close. One of the blogs I subscribe to is called taxgirl and I just read a very good article there on divorce and taxes. One thing to remember if you are part… Continue Reading