Family Law

Oh No, A Surprise Snow Day!!

January 8, 2016 By: Mary Cushing Doherty This post originally appeared in the Local Living Magazine on December 2015 issue. Most parents of school age children react dramatically differently to snow days than their little ones. The overwhelming announcement that school is closed sneaks up by surprise: significant snow was not expected; rain should not […]

How Will Divorce Affect My Business? Will I Lose My Livelihood as Well as My Marriage?

By Mary Cushing Doherty, Esq. Successfully launching and running a business requires commitment and passion. It can be an exhilarating ride; the pride that comes from building something long lasting is hard to top. However, too often the journey never ends, and it can be all-consuming. Sometimes, despite the best efforts and intentions, the commitment […]

Ashley Madison: A Family Lawyer’s View of the Cheating Site’s Hack

July 23, 2015 Ashley Madison is an online “dating” service for those who are married or in a committed relationship. Yes, you heard that right; it is a dating service which functions just like any other, except it helps people cheat. Founded in 2001, the website’s slogan is “Life is short. Have an affair.” Lately, […]

Co-Parenting through Vacation Season

Advice for Single Parents Seeking a Stress-Free Summer by Melissa M. Boyd, Esq. June 11, 2015 I developed this post as one in a series to help parents and their attorneys plan for the slew of legal co-parenting complications the summer brings. Without the structure of school, even the tightest co-parenting plans are challenged. Whether […]

Divorce, Threats and Social Media: Lessons From The Elonis Case

June 2, 2015 By Melissa M. Boyd, Esq.   “There’s one way to love you but a thousand ways to kill you.” If your wife left you, and you wrote that post on Facebook, would it be construed as a threat? Certainly some people would see it that way, but the US Supreme Court has […]

Retirement Plan In Pay Status - Is It Income or Can There Be a QDRO?

Q: For divorce settlement, if a retirement plan is already paying the former employee, is this income or can there be a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) for division of marital property? A: You definitely want to treat the retirement payout as an asset subject to equitable distribution. If husband and wife were not living […]