Get the Court’s Go-Ahead Before You Go Custody of children can be one of the touchiest and most heated parts of a divorce settlement and of life after divorce. Any change to a visitation schedule, even a one-time change, is best made in writing if the situation between parents is acrimonious. Any permanent change, even […]
A non-biological, non-adoptive parent who has acted in a parental role may be considered a de facto parent. As defined by the Massachusetts courts, a de facto parent is “one who has no biological relation to the child but has participated in the child’s life as a member of the child’s family. The de facto […]
What Is a Deed? While the ‘title’ to a property is the abstract concept of rightful ownership, a deed is a legal document recognizing an individual’s, individuals’, or legal entity’s ownership of a property. A deed will include a detailed description of the property, including property lines, and name the seller (grantor) and buyer (grantee). […]
What to Do When Probate Meets Civil Litigation Civil litigation and the probate process: both can potentially drag out for months, if not years; both cost those involved dearly in both financial and emotional terms; both can be made less likely, or less painful, by careful planning and consultation with skilled legal representation. Yet, even […]
In the Balance Between Safety and Privacy, Federal and State Laws Favor Safety As the world enters a “new normal”—a society which is not quite post-pandemic, but which seems to be through the worst of COVID-19—business owners face the new challenge of protecting employees and customers now that vaccines are widely available, and masks are […]
As part of the divorce process, both parties are required to complete a financial disclosure. This ensures both parties have a complete picture regarding finances. The financial disclosure includes details about all assets and compensation, including and Restricted Stock Units (RSU) grants. Before understanding how RSUs are divided in a divorce, let’s review a few […]
Believing Before Seeing? How You Can Handle Home Improvement Contractor Payment Disputes Home Is Where the Legal Liability Is As the old saying goes, a man’s home is his castle—or a woman’s home is her castle, as the case may be. A home is also the largest single investment most of us will ever make […]
The Fundamentals of Trusts Trusts: A Powerful Tool for Protecting Wealth Despite what the term “trust fund baby” would suggest, trusts are not just for billionaires, celebrities, or old-money families. Trusts are a powerful tool for protecting wealth, both during life and following one’s passing, even for people of less-than-Vanderbilt means. When a trust is […]
Under Massachusetts law, no one can be forced to own property against their will. It’s not uncommon for unmarried couples to purchase a home together. However, when couples decide to break up and only one party wants to sell the property, legal actions can be taken. When one party refuses to sell, the party wanting […]
Planning Your Estate Around IRAs: What You Need to Know About Required Minimum Distributions With the decline of employer-funded pensions, and the steady decrease of Social Security checks’ purchasing power compared against inflation, an individual retirement account (IRA) has proven to be an important part of millions of Americans’ retirement savings. However, an IRA is also […]
