Limited Assistance Representation or commonly called LAR is where an attorney is retained for a limited task such as to review a divorce agreement, prepare a divorce agreement, prepare a pretrial memorandum or prepare a financial statement. It is not a process that is designed to replace the representation of a litigant to do the…
The remarriage of a parent can be a very traumatic event for a child depending upon the child’s age, maturity and his or her relationship with a parent who is remarrying. The wedding, even if the child is included in some way, is a major event. I have found that children under the ages of…
WHAT A MAN SHOULD WEAR TO COURT You will be appearing at a court for a matter that is of great importance to you. It is, therefore, imperative that you wear appropriate clothing. The preferable attire is a suit or a sports jacket and casual dress pants (not jeans). Your clothing should be similar to…
WHAT A WOMAN SHOULD WEAR TO COURT You will be appearing at a court for a matter that is of great importance to you. It is, therefore, imperative that you wear appropriate clothing. The preferable attire is a dress or suit or a skirt and a blouse. You should not wear pants. Your clothing should…
DIVISION OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS One of the least favorite aspects of divorce for judges is the division of household goods. Amongst themselves, lawyers and judges refer to such division as the division “pots and pans”. As distasteful as this may be to the court, it still has to be done. Typically the courts do not…
JUDGE SHOPPING In Massachusetts, a judge is assigned to hear a case such as a divorce or separation, according to when the case is docketed. When a case is filed with the Probate and Family Court, a docket number is assigned to each case as the case is filed at the courthouse. The cases are…
A SAMPLE VISITATION SCHEDULE Mid-Week: It is the intention of the parties that both parents will be integrally involved with the life of the child on a daily basis is possible. However, the parties are cognizant of the realities of life, and have agreed that the Wife will move to the xxxxx area, but that…
LITIGATION: THE TRADITIONAL PROCESS FOR DIVORCE Litigation is a process where one or both parties (“litigants”) file a court complaint to give a judge the authority to resolve family disputes. The Judge is either appointed by the Governor or an elected official who, after hearing each point of view, makes a decision. If the hearing is…
THE ADVANTAGES OF A TRUTHFUL FINANCIAL STATEMENT The courts have a philosophy of open book discovery, which in short means that you need to fully disclose all of your finances and assets to the other side and to the court. It is interesting that during the courtship phase of marriage, in a traditional relationship, the…
HOW TO ORGANIZE DIVORCE RELATED DOCUMENTS We recommend that you maintain a 3-ring notebook containing four sections in order to organize all of the documentation, which we will be forwarding to you during the course of these proceedings. The first section, Pleadings, will contain motions and complaints. The second section, Financial, should include financial statements…
