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Massachusetts OUI Laws

People often ask me what can happen in the event they (or a family member or friend) are pulled over and suspected of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol. Here is some information from the Massachusetts website to help explain the Massachusetts OUI...

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...

Questions You Should Ask Your Divorce Attorney

When seeking a divorce attorney, there are a million questions running through your mind. It’s wise to make a list of the topics you wish to address so that you can make the most of your time together. Here are some questions you should be sure make that list: 1. ...

Who Gets Our Family Dog in the Divorce?

It's a common scenario. Boy meets girl and they fall in love. They buy a home or rent an apartment. Wanting to share their love, they adopt a dog. Over the next year or so, they get married. Their dog is their baby. They share photos of him on social media sites,...

Can I lose my inheritance to child support?

Can I lose my inheritance to child support? The question you are asking can also be stated as: Can the Court award child support based on the money I received in an inheritance? Child support is based on income. It is not based on gifts or inheritances. For example,...

CWOF – May I have another?

A while back I wrote an article telling you about a CWOF. What is it? How does it work? What does it entail? You can check that article out here: What is a CWOF. Recently I have had a number of questions about the process of CWOF, including whether it can be done a...

Can My Childs Dad Go To NH Court for Physical Custody?

Question: I am moving to NH can my childs dad go to NH court and try and get 50 physical custody? He has shared legal right now. Answer: If you have an order, it might address this issue. Look within it to see if it talks about either party moving his or her residence...

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...

Protecting Your Children From Sexual Predators

Protecting Your Children From Sexual Predators Over the past few years, we have seen horrible stories pertaining to children who were abused by either those they trusted or others, whom they felt they could trust. In recent months, the singer R. Kelly has once again...

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...

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...

Social Media and Legal Action

The biggest piece of advice that I can give to a client is to refrain from social media when you are involved in litigation. Be it a criminal case, a divorce, a restraining order – no matter what type of case, the best bet is always to stay silent. Clients are often...

Parenting During COVID-19 FAQ

We understand this is 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. This...

Why do I need a Will?

Why do I need a Will? Welcome back to my series on estate planning. In case you are just joining me, I want to let you know that we are mid-series in a string of articles about estate planning. Page back to Why do I need an Estate and see what you’ve missed and stick...

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...

Who wants a Life Estate?

I am sure that you’ve all heard the recent news that Hugh Hefner put the Playboy Mansion up for sale. For a mere $200 mill, you can purchase the mansion and call it your own – with one catch! Hugh will live out the remainder of his life at the mansion before you can...

Can an Attorney Represent Both Parties in a Divorce

I receive calls frequently from potential clients who are seeking an attorney to counsel the parties, together, for a divorce. This happens for a variety of reasons. You want to save money. You feel as if you are in agreement on many of the issues. You want the...

A Child’s Right to Decide: New Hampshire

New Hampshire: When can my children decide in whose home they want to live? Okay, New Hampshire readers – I promised you would hear my thoughts on a child's right to decide shortly, so here it is. The law in New Hampshire is different than that in Massachusetts. Read...

Re-establishing Parenting Time

In August, I wrote about the Parent that Used to Be Absent. This is a follow up article to that post about re-establishing parenting time and what to realistically expect when trying to do so. Often I speak with a parent that hasn’t seen their child in a long period...

Visitation Part 2: Pick up, Drop off and Last Minute Schedule Changes

It’s very rare that parties to a divorce, or parents who are no longer in a relationship, get along very well. After all, if you did, you’d likely still be together, right? It is more typically the case that parents do NOT get along. As a result, dealing with...

What Does Child Support Cover? Part I

Paying child support is a double-edged sword. Parents are court ordered to pay but have little, or no, say-so on how it is spent day to day. There are some court mandated requirements governing child support and because I receive many inquires about it, this is part...

Protecting Your Children From Sexual Predators – Part II

In our last post, 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. In the second article of this three part series, we will discuss protecting your children from...

Grandparent’s Rights in Massachusetts

The issue of visitation rights for grandparent’s rights is governed by Massachusetts G.L. c. 119, s. 39D. Grandparents may seek visitation, “grandparent’s rights,” through the Court with their “unmarried minor” grandchildren if: (1) the parents are divorced, married...

Can I stop paying my child support without going to Court?

Often things happen that makes a parent think that they are no longer required to pay child support. A daughter joins the military. A son drops out of college. A child graduates high school and is going to college part time and working part time but still living with...

Parental Alienation: Divorce and Custody Series

Divorce can have a variety of effects for both parents and children. Children often feel misplaced and at fault so it’s the parents’ responsibility to assure the child that the causes of the divorce were not related to the children at all. Unfortunately, some parents...

What Type of Attorney Should I Hire?

This article is part of a series about why it's important to hire an attorney and the reasons behind hiring an attorney. The purpose of this series is to help you determine the types of situations where a lawyer is most needed and to know when to reach out for...

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...

Shared Physical Custody: A Growing Trend

Years ago, when a couple parted ways, it was simply assumed that the children would live with their mother and have visitation with their father. Typically, the father's visitation with his children was for two weekends per month and if feasible for him, a "dinner...

Save Money During Divorce

How to Save Money During Divorce Gather/organize/prepare. During the process, there will be requests for information and documents. When you receive these, take the time to gather everything, organize it and prepare it in accordance with your attorney’s directions. ...

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...

Parental Rights – Surrender vs. Termination in NH

Being a parent is one of the most wonderful gifts in the world. As such, Courts are reluctant to come between a parent and a child. However, there are times when the court will remove a parent's rights. This is known as a termination of parental rights. There are...

Appeal a Judgment

I recently came across this article "How to Appeal a Judgment without an Attorney." Being fairly intrigued, I read the article looking for holes that I could use in writing this post. However, I must admit, it was well written and it was thorough. It began by...

The Safe Driving Law in Massachusetts

There is a lot of press recently about texting while driving all over our country but particularly in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Many states have banned texting while driving. There are commercials on TV about texting while driving. There are signs on the...

Five Tips for Attending Court

Often I am asked "what do I wear?" or "is there anything that I need to know about going to Court?" Below are tips for attending Court that I find rather useful. 1. Dress appropriately. It is not necessary to wear a suit or formal outfit to Court. Wear an outfit that...

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...

Avoiding Legal Issues

In my previous article, “What Type of Attorney Should I Hire,” I wrote about the importance of speaking with an attorney early on in your case to maximize any potential outcome you may have as well as choosing the right attorney for the type of situation, rather than...

Wait! We Didn’t Mean to Divorce! Can’t We Get a Do-Over?

During the month of December, the New Hampshire Supreme Court upheld a lower Court’s decision that a couple cannot “un-divorce,” or “vacate” their divorce, by joint motion to the Court. In this particular case, a couple that had divorced after 24 years of marriage...

Annulment: Legal vs Religious

Annulment: Legal versus Religious – an important distinction In the past I wrote an article about annulment in each state: Massachusetts and New Hampshire. As I wrapped up the last article, I realized that I should discuss just one more point about annulment that...

Massachusetts Divorce: “What’s this going to cost me?”

Whether you’re the husband or the wife, the bread winner or the stay-at-home parent, cost is typically a factor in consideration of a divorce. At some point during every consultation, a person turns to me and says “So, what’s this going to cost me?” My response is...

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...

Do I have to pay child support without a court order?

Do I have to pay child support without a court order? This is a question that I see often in my practice. The answer is two-fold: there’s the legal advice and the practical advice. Picture this: you and your partner have separated. You’ve moved out of the home. ...

Cheating Spouse: How Do You Know?

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have been all over the news lately about their divorce. There have been numerous reasons cited for the divorce. Everything from drug abuse to physical abuse to affairs. Both have been married AND divorced more than once. In this and...

The Only Person that can Change a Court Order is the Court!

I come across this issue fairly often, many different contexts, and decided that it was a great issue to discuss here. It is very clear in all contexts. If you are subject to a Court’s Order, that Order remains effective until 1) that order expires or 2) the Court...

Modification: The In’s and Out’s

As life changes, you may find yourself in a situation where your current order (or judgment) no longer applies to your circumstances or seems fair, given your life changes. If you find yourself in this situation, speak with an attorney to determine if you would...

What is a CWOF? Continuance Without a Finding

People often ask me "What is a CWOF?" in Massachusetts? It's a funny term but it's really just an acronym. A CWOF is a “continuance without a finding.” This is a disposition that is meant for a first time offender, one that has not had a criminal matter in a long...

Child Support: Two Part Series on Common Issues – Intro

Certain questions become very common in the practice of divorce and parenting. Particularly with the commonality of changing jobs more often than in the past and second marriages and/or new relationships post-divorce, issues rise that may not have been an issue many...

Statutes, Retrials & Double Jeopardy

If you have seen the news this week, you may have noticed that actor and comedian Bill Cosby is back in court over charges of sexual assault. While that may not be big news, the overall landscape regarding his crimes is big news. His alleged crimes, the way they...

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...

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...

Keep Your Divorce A Private Matter

You have probably seen it in the news. Johnny Depp and his wife are divorcing. You may have even searched for details of the settlement. After all, he's bound to be worth millions (or more!?)!! How are they going to split that vast estate? Well, you may have...

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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