There are times during the separation of two parents that a child is completely thrown into the middle of the situation. Neither parent intends to do this to the child. In fact, often neither parent realizes that the child is in the middle of their war. The child is in a tough spot. He, or […]
Areas of Practice
Massachusetts & New Hampshire
Massachusetts Only
Family Law
Whether you need advice on a outstanding child support obligations, modification of a parenting plan, are considering, divorce or a potential custody issue, having knowledge will put your concerns at ease. Christine can help advise you on the correct avenue for your situation.
Divorce/Post Divorce
Divorce and separation are tough on a family. Everyone wants to provide advice and it’s hard to know who to trust. You need an advocate that is fair, experienced and compassionate. Christine has over 20 years experience working with families in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Appeals
An appeal is a request for relief from a decision of a lower court. It’s basically asking the Court to overturn a lower court’s ruling, order or finding based upon the fact that the lower court’s decision was in error. Christine is an experienced lawyer; both at trial and appeals. She can help if you’ve been convicted at trial or received an unfavorable ruling in family court.
Custody Law
When everyone claims to want the best for your child, it’s difficult to put aside your emotions as a parent. Christine is parent and knows first hand how difficult that can be. Knowledgeable in both the law and the court processes, she is a fierce advocate for the best interest of the child.
Criminal Cases - MA
The outcome of a criminal matter will affect your future. When you are in a difficult situation that requires the assistance of a knowledgeable, caring representative, turn to the Christine. She has the experience to help you get the best results by making sure you have the facts to protect your legal interests. Having an experienced advocate on your side matters.
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5 Appeals Cases To Follow and Why
Although there are a number of high profile wrongful conviction cases in the news, they are still a small percentage of all convictions. The news media would like to have us believe that all police investigations are tainted and that all detectives are on the take when that’s simply not true. However, there are some […]
Free Consultation: Is it Worth It?
We often read other articles and posts and we came across a series of discussions recently debating whether or not there was a benefit to contacting an attorney for a free consultation. While not all lawyers offer this service, our office does offer this service. We thought we would write this article to discuss our […]
It’s Vacation Time: Don’t Take it Out on the Kids
Holidays and vacation time can be stressful. There seems to be more to do than your average day. If you are a parent going through a divorce or separation, it’s magnified. Not only do you have your own emotions in play, but you have your children’s emotions to consider as well. Sometimes, children add to […]
Things To Know About Your Family Lawyer
Family law can encompass many aspects of law. It covers divorce, child custody, separation agreements, post and pre nuptials and much more. Some families have an attorney they can go to for estate planning. As you can see family law is a wide field so it’s important that your family lawyer be well versed in […]
Topics You Should Discuss With Your Divorce Lawyer
Hiring a divorce lawyer is the first important step in a long list of your divorce. Once you retain a lawyer it is vitally important that you communicate openly and honestly with her. She is there to to advocate for you to get the best solution for your situation. We often receive a number of […]
Should You Represent Yourself in an Appeal
There are some cases where I tell my clients you can represent yourself. An appeal is not one of those cases. Appeals are not like other cases, whether they are criminal or civil appeals. In this article, we will explain how appeals are unique and why they require the expertise of not only an attorney, […]
Using Social Media During Divorce
Social Media During Divorce You May Have a Right to Post But Should You? Our article today happens to many families going through separation, divorce and working through child custody and parenting plans. At some point communications break down, emotions take over and fingers fly over the keyboard or phone to send those thoughts and […]
COVID – The Impact on Families
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and its variants are continuing to have significant impacts throughout the world. This pandemic came out of nowhere and has changed lives personally and professionally. What we thought was a one time situation appears to be something we may need to learn to wrap into our daily routine. How do we do that […]
Filing a Protective Order: Preparing to Leave
Filing a protective order is an extremely difficult decision. It takes a toll physically and emotionally on a person. After the filing, many decisions still have yet to be finalized. This article is not intended to override your existing plans regarding self help; only you know what you need to keep yourself safe if you […]
Filing a Protective Order
Filing a protective order (209A) can be a scary time. Maybe you aren’t sure where you will go. Maybe you have children to consider. Perhaps your family is not as supportive or available as you need. There are places and ways to get help so that you are not alone. Here is a helpful step […]
Domestic Abuse During a Pandemic
The year 2020 is now behind us but in many ways, we are still living through a full scale pandemic. COVID-19 hit this world and affected us in a large number of ways we did not expect. For many, being forced to stay in their homes, brought on anxiety, depression and other forms of health […]
NH: Can I Hire an Attorney During COVID-19
For my New Hampshire clients, here’s the update: Currently, the Courts are closed. You may not go to the court, but the Family Division is conducting some of the court’s business behind closed doors. Here’s what to expect: In an emergency situation, you will likely be assigned a hearing by telephone for the court to […]
MA: Can I Hire a Lawyer During COVID-19
Q: Can I hire a lawyer during COVID-19 with the courts being closed? Can they still work on my family law related case? A: Even if the court is closed, having an attorney assist you is so important. Most importantly, you should not go through this alone. Having an attorney by your side removes the […]
Massachusetts: The Annie Dookhan Drug Lab Scandal
Update: if you have not watched Netflix’s “How to Fix a Drug Scandal”, we recommend you do so. It discusses this case and the Sonja Farak case. If you feel you have been impacted by either of these, please contact us. By now I am sure that a lot of you have heard of this […]
Parenting During a Pandemic FAQ
We understand that the past couple of years has been an unusual time in our history. We are writing FAQ’s as we receive questions. Please keep those questions coming in and we will do our best to respond. that may help you as well. Remember that we are all in this together, so please try […]
Parenting During COVID-19
How do I handle parenting time during COVID-19 and a stay-at-home mandate? The world is abuzz amidst COVID-19 and daily life seems to have changed for most of us. In fact, it’s continuing to change on a regular basis. This is a new situation – one that we have never encountered before and most of […]
Substance Abuse and Parenting
A parent or other caregiver with an alcohol or drug addiction has a profound impact on their children. Substance abuse and parenting are more common than most people realize. Unfortunately, the parent does not always see that his or her behavior is harmful or won’t acknowledge that there is an issue. Children need a lot […]
Making an Appeal in Massachusetts
Update: In recent news, Avery’s attorneys have submitted a number of appeals documents. Several of these have been denied, however it appears one or more of these are still winding their ways up through the Appeals Courts. Brandan Dassey, however, may have exhausted all of his appeals. He has appealed to the current Governor for […]
Paying Child Support Without a Court Order
Paying child support without a court order Paying child support without a court order is a question that comes up very often in my practice. This can apply anytime there is a child between two people, whether the couple is married, or unmarried. Here is a common scenario. You’ve moved out of the home. You’re […]
The Importance of an Appeal
Aaron Hernandez, famed football player who was convicted of murder and later, committed suicide has, once again, been in the news. You may recall that before his death, his murder conviction was working its way through the stages of the Appeal’s Court. Aaron Hernandez died while his appeal was pending. After his death, the Court vacated […]
Quality Time With Kids
Children of divorced or separated parents have a bum rap. There is just no other way to state it. No matter what parents do, kids dream of having mom and dad together. Behind the scenes this is not always the best solution for the children so what is the best plan for ensuring quality time […]
Missing Mollie – Trial Update
UPDATE According to the Des Moines Register, a trial date has been set for the man accused of abducting and killing Mollie Tibbetts. The trial date is set for April 16th, 2019. He is accused of kidnapping and killing Mollie while she was out for a run. Updates can be found here as we have […]
Is It Safe To Leave an Abusive Marriage?
A co-worker, “Pat”, confides to you during lunch one day that her “marital bliss” has all been a sham and that she thinks she has just learned to accept her husband’s abusive behavior. All of the stories she shares at work about her family are lies and have been for years. You are shocked. Of […]
Testimonials
“Christine is the professional, organized, and empathetic. 100% recommended.” SC
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“Ms. DeBernardis has been nothing short of the perfect advocate for me. I can honestly say without hesitation that had I knew of her from the begging [sic] of my divorce, I would have had a much much smoother go of it and would have had a legitimately more favorable outcome. I am very grateful, however, to have found her on the tail end of it all and have her wrap it up for me.
She is the perfect blend of tough, when she needs to be, compassionate when the situation calls, patient when she knows I needed to vent, and firm with opposing council [sic] when the situation called for hit. She also keeps expectations in check… but seems to exceed them at every turn. She also is prompt in replying and is exceedingly fair with her billing.
I only wish I could do more than just write this testimonial for her to let her know how much I really do appreciate the exemplary service provided. Whomever decides to use Christine will not be disappointed. Guaranteed.”
– Dan
“Christine is compassionate, smart, dedicated, professional, diligent and has your back. I had tried two other lawyers who had let me down before I found Christine. I just wish I had found her first. CS
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“Despite the circumstances leading to my hiring Christine, working with her on my case turned out to be a pleasure. She is very communicative, understanding, and made my divorce process as quick and smooth as possible.
I reached out to her after the case had closed for needed documents and she responded same day eager to help. I would absolutely recommend her for any legal work regarding divorces, custody, child support, etc – “
Jacqui
I had the pleasure of working with Christine on my divorce. It was a very difficult and heartbreaking process for me. From the moment I sat across from Christine, I knew, I was in the right place. Christine took control and put my best interest front and center. Christine is a consummate professional. I could not fight for myself I was broken. Christine fought for me. Her passion and determination brought me through one of the toughest times of my life. Do not hesitate to ask her to fight for you. I guarantee you will not be disappointed. It is not about the money she truly cares.