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Should You Date Before Your Divorce Is Final?

You filed a Complaint for Divorce and are ready to move on with your life. Should you date before your divorce is final? Can dating someone hurt you while you are going through the divorce process? Could dating hurt you at all? Although it is always best to wait...

What is Sole Custody?

Often people come to me and want “sole custody” of their child. What does this mean? Is it often awarded? Why? How can you convince the Court to award it to you? Sole Legal Custody in MA: In Massachusetts, the Court will award “legal” custody, which refers...

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...

Kid’s Corner: The “Do’s”

This is part two of my advice for dealing with your children in divorce. I’ve already made my disclaimer that I’m not a therapist by any means. I do have children of my own. I do help my clients deal with their children’s issues in the course of my representation...

Just When We Thought He Was Beyond Reach

By now you may have heard that Bill Cosby was recently criminally charged by one of the women who claims that she was drugged and touched by him in the past. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania charged Bill Cosby today with aggravated indecent assault, sneaking the...

Divorce Without Consent: Can I divorce without my spouse’s consent?

A very common question is whether you can get divorce without consent. Of course! The old adage that you need your spouse to “give you a divorce” is no longer. You can proceed with a divorce even if the other party does not want to divorce. You don’t need a spouse’s...

What Happens to the Family Home in a Divorce?

A large concern during divorce consultation is the marital home. What will happen? Can I stay? Will I be forced out? Can I afford it? How will the Court decide to which party the home is awarded? The answers to these questions will often determine the outcome of other...

Should I Use Software Law Rather than an Attorney?

When I was in law school, my brother gave me a box of software used for estate planning as a gift. He thought that since I was in my first year of law school, it would be a great way to analyze the documents that are used, learn about the process, etc. Though a very...

Massachusetts: Parent Education Program Attendance

All parties to a divorce action in which there are minor children, are ordered to attend and participate in an approved Massachusetts Parent Education Program. This requirement applies to divorces brought under Ch. 208 §1 (fault divorces); and Ch. 208 §1A and §1B...

Convicted of OUI May Get New Trial

If you follow our blogs or the local news, you may have read about an issue involving the breathalyzers used in Massachusetts for the detection of alcohol. The Draeger Alcotest 9510 is being challenged by defense attorneys, alleging that the results may be inaccurate...

Can my spouse take my inheritance when we divorce?

Can my spouse take my inheritance when we divorce? Often my clients arrive concerned for their divorce consultations and are very worried about their spouse taking an inheritance that they received during the marriage. Will my husband take a portion of this money when...

Estate Planning in Detail

Since estate planning is on my mind this week, I decided to feature a series of blogs that will give information about the many areas of estate planning in detail. With these general guidelines and information, it is my hope to lessen the stigma of estate planning so...

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...

Protecting Your Children From Sexual Predators – Part III

In our last two related posts, we wrote about ways you can take precautions to protect your child from sexual predators who are related to the child - either by blood or marriage or are acquaintances to you or your child. In this third and final article of this three...

How do keep my divorce moving forward?

This is a common question in my field and it’s one of the most difficult to answer, unfortunately. Divorces can take many paths. The outcome of each case is truly dependant on the parties. So, how can you keep your divorce moving forward...

What are temporary orders in Massachusetts?

What are temporary orders in Massachusetts? When a divorce begins, rarely do the parties consider temporary orders in Massachusetts to be a necessity, however they ask the court for many things. When the divorce begins, the parties rarely sit in a position to agree...

Visitation: Part 1: What happens if a parent never shows up for visitation?

While you hate to give up time with your child, you know that the visitation with his other parent is good for their relationship, can be a very positive thing and (let’s face it) is a little break for you. Even if you don’t look forward to that time when your...

Legal Lessons From a Mistress

The following is from someone who asked to share her story so others could learn from her Legal Lessons From a Mistress. Several years ago I went through a nasty divorce after 17 years of marriage. At the end of it, I vowed never to allow myself to fall for another...

Divorce and Drama…oh the Drama!

We laugh about it when we see it on TV. We shake our heads in disbelief when our friends tell us about it in their lives. But suddenly, you find yourself in the midst of a divorce and right smack in the middle of a real life reality drama series just like those made...

What does Child Support Cover: Medical Bills

We are continuing the series about Child Support and the things it covers. This article will focus on expenses incurred that are outside the actual child support payment but perhaps still required by the court as a form of supporting your child. Our previous article...

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...

Does Your Child Need Her Own Lawyer?

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...

Fight For Your Right – For Child Support

I get calls from clients on a regular basis who ask me if they should "go after" child support. Some clients are preparing for a divorce, some are previously divorced and others are parents who were never married. There are a couple of things to point out here. If...

When Children Take on Parenting: After Effects of Divorce

The son of recently divorced parents finds Mom crying in the kitchen. "What's wrong, Mom?" he asks. "Your Dad doesn't love me. He has a new girlfriend. How could he do that to us?" The boy is angered and hurt. He hugs his mother as she cries. He consoles her in...

The Queen Had Soul But No Will

Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, was recently laid to rest. Her service was like no other in our history. Musicians from all genres came out to pay respects with praise and song for a women who battled against the odds to become one of the true legends of our...

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...

Am I Going To Jail for Shoplifting?

Many times I speak to a new client that is charged in a criminal case and their main concern is “am I going to jail?” That is a logical question when you commit a criminal act. It is entirely dependent on a number of key factors. Let me guide you through the...

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...

For my Massachusetts Divorce, do I need my marriage certificate?

In Massachusetts, when you file a Complaint for Divorce, you must also file a certified copy of your marriage certificate. You may want to keep your copy or you may not have it. So, how do you get one? This is an easy issue to resolve. Contact the city hall in the...

The New Tax Bill & Alimony

It's a new year and we thought we would start it off with an article about something that's been all over the news for weeks - the new tax bill. Some love it. Some hate it. Some have no idea that there is a new tax bill. One thing is for sure: there will be...

When to seek counseling for your child?

Divorce and separation issues are very hard on children. Whether parents are starting the divorce, discussing the break up or have already gone their individual ways, children are often assumed to be in the dark about the whole situation. Nothing could be further...

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. ...

Massachusetts: Joint Petition or Complaint for Divorce

In Massachusetts, there are two ways by which a party can file for a divorce. The first is commonly known as a “joint petition.” The second is commonly referred to as a “complaint for divorce.” A “joint petition” is filed when the parties agree on how to resolve all...

New Hampshire Law: Alimony

Alimony is always hot topic in matters of divorce. Not everyone understands on what basis it is determined and if awarded, how the amount and length of the award is determined. In New Hampshire, the mystery...

Prenuptial Agreements: Why Would I Want That?

It's hard to think that a divorce might happen when you are in the midst of planning your marriage and happily dreaming about the rest of your life, isn’t it? How do you plan a happy life while deciding what to do if it all goes south? The problem is that most...

Changing Your Name After Divorce

Many things change when you get married. One of those is often the changing of your last name. If you changed your last name to your husband’s last name upon marriage, you now have a decision of whether to return to your maiden name or continue using your married...

Custody Case Takes a Turn – The Brad Pitt Saga

If you’re not living under a rock, and if you are a loyal reader here on my site, I am sure you’ve heard about the custody battle between Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Some months ago, Angelina claimed that Brad abused their child and sought full custody of all six...

My husband filed for divorce and tells me I have to leave. Do I?

Question: My husband filed for divorce. He had me served with the papers at my office. I did not know this was coming and he tells me I have to be the one to leave our home – with our children! He says this is his home. NH: Do not leave your home. You don’t have to...

Should my Ex’s New Girlfriend/Boyfriend visit with my child?

You’ve separated from your partner and he now has a new girlfriend. He sees nothing wrong with that girlfriend being present during visitation with your kids. You think that she should not be there. You are not alone. This is a very common issue in the world of...

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...

New Child Support Guidelines 2017 – Part 2

Welcome back to part 2 of our series on the new Child Support Guidelines (2017 version). This section will address the increase to the minimum child support order. If you missed our previous article, you can find it here, at: New Guidelines Overview. Increase of...

Should You Ask For a Lawyer?

Asking for an attorney, whether you have committed a crime or not, is not only smart - it's YOUR right. In spite of news media or the way TV portrays our legal justice system, the right to counsel is one of the most fundamental parts of our justice system. Every...

Physical Custody

Series Part II - Physical custody/Residential responsibility Often people come to me and want “sole custody” of their child. I wrote last week about sole legal custody (MA) and decision making (NH). This article will continue that series discussing physical custody...

Family Vacation After the Divorce

The reality of a divorce or separation often hits families the hardest over holidays and vacation time. Family vacations may have been where many memories were created over the years. Now, after a breakup of the family, it's an emotional time since nobody is quite...

Can you get a restraining order on behalf of your child?

As a parent it is our number one job to protect our children. In today's world, with all of the technology, there are more ways than ever for a child to be targeted. Children can be targeted by their own peers, by adults pretending to be other children or by...

Can I Keep My Home

In the first part of this series, we discussed the marital home and what happens in a divorce to that home. Click here for our last article- What Happens to the Family Home in a Divorce. Continuing that series, we will start with the next question which involves...

I Want Her Out Now!

I want him/her out - now! When a married couple agrees to divorce, it signals the end of the union. However, it is easy to recognize that there are still many unanswered questions. I am often asked this question by one of the parties: "We have already agreed the...

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...

Can I sign away my rights to my child?

I am asked the question, "can I sign away my rights to my child" rather often, whether it be asked by the father or the mother of a child. Here’s an example of what I see in my practice: You were in a relationship where a child was conceived and you have been...

What To Do (and Not Do) If Your Spouse Is Cheating

It’s a difficult prospect to think that your spouse may have strayed from your marriage. Most people find this shocking and upsetting, not knowing what to do (and what not to do) if your spouse is cheating. It's hard to decide at that moment about your marriage,...

Am I the right attorney for you?

Schedule a free phone consultation today to discuss your case and decide if I am the person you want on your side.

Contact me now at: 978.225.0661 or 603.373.0545. You may also email directly at: [email protected] in confidence.

©2021 The Law Office of Christine G. DeBernardis. Any information contained on this website is for general information purposes only. It is not legal advice, nor is it intended to be. A retained attorney is best able to give you advice on your individual situation. Please be aware that contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Until an attorney client relationship is established, please withhold sending confidential information to us.

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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. You have the right to appeal — contact us today for a free consultation of your case.

Criminal Law

When you are in a difficult situation that requires the assistance of a knowledgeable, caring representative, turn to the Law Offices of Christine G. DeBernardis. Christine has the experience to help you get the best results. The outcome of a criminal matter will affect your future. Make sure that your interest is protected and that you have an experienced advocate on your side. You can contact Christine G. DeBernardis in her Massachusetts office at (978-225-0661).

Divorce

Divorce and separation are tough on a family. Everyone want to provide advice and it's hard to know who to trust. You need an advocate that is fair, experienced and compassionate. Christine has nearly 20 years experience working with families both in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Contact us here to schedule a free phone consultation.

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