Divorce & Family Law Blog

When the Court enters a Judgment of Divorce Nisi, in many cases, the litigation is not over. The Judgment of Divorce Nisi (and Temporary Orders) provide the rights and obligations of the parties. A common issue, in many cases, is enforcement of those rights and obligations. The Massachusetts Probate and Family Court has the authority […]

When parents are divorcing, child support and alimony are often at the forefront of the discussions. While it is true that current income is a factor that can determine alimony and child support, current income isn’t the only determining factor. Imputation of Income or Attribution of Income may enter into the discussions. Here’s some information […]

Paying for college is an issue that regularly concerns parents, and many begin planning for it when their children are young through savings accounts, 529 accounts, and other means. For divorcing parents, however, paying for college poses other challenges. Who pays for the college expenses when the parents are divorced? How will college savings accounts […]

On May 18, 2018 the court announced that a new child support guidelines worksheet will be effective as of June 15, 2018. While the base Guidelines themselves have not changed, the language will be updated to reflect the changes to the worksheet. The new guidelines are expected to be released by the court on May […]

Equitable Division of Marital Estate

  • By: Karpenski & Schmelkin
  • Divorce

During the course of your marriage, you and your spouse have acquired assets and liabilities. Now that you and your spouse are going through a divorce, you need to determine how to divide the marital assets and liabilities equitably. In the event that you and your spouse cannot agree on an equitable division of the […]

During the divorce process, the more information that you have about your spouse, the better you will be able to prepare your case. Some divorcing couples make the mistake of assuming that they have all of the information they need about their spouse. However, sometimes there are hidden assets, whether they were hidden intentionally or […]

A divorce in Massachusetts can be filed either under the “fault” section or “no-fault” sections of the Massachusetts Divorce Statute. A “no-fault” divorce can be filed either as an uncontested joint petition for divorce or a contested Complaint for Divorce. While it is ideal that the parties are able to come to an agreement on […]

During the divorce process in Massachusetts, there are many discovery tools available to the parties. Discovery in an action for divorce allows a party to request and receive important and relevant information and documents from the other party. Engaging in discovery helps a party build his/her case for negotiations and in the courtroom. There are […]

When a couple who has children decides to separate, ideally they can come to a custody and visitation arrangement with the help of legal counsel. However, if they aren’t able to come to an agreement, custody will be decided by the court. Many times, in high conflict custody cases, the judge will benefit from having […]

Wedding planning can be stressful for a couple. The decision to enter into a prenuptial agreement is a very personal decision. Most couples believe their marriage will last forever and don’t think there is a need to enter into a prenuptial agreement. The reality is that every married couple can benefit from having a prenuptial […]