YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE
We Have the Experience To Help You
IT'S TIME FOR YOU TO LIVE AGAIN
We Believe Integrity Is Key To Helping Clients
NOT SURE WHAT TO DO NEXT?
We Are Compassionate About Our Client’s Concerns
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.
Areas of Practice
Nearly 20 Years of Professional Experience
The Law Offices of Christine G. DeBernardis have been helping families through difficult times for nearly 20 years, assisting clients with the different aspects of both New Hampshire and Massachusett’s family law.
N
Specializing in Family Law
Christine focuses on issues related to family law. Uniquely experienced as both a trial and appellate attorney enables her to provide legal advice and representation for divorces, separation, annulments, child support and custody, adoption, grandparents’ rights and more.
m
Providing Civil and Criminal Expertise
Christine has been a trial attorney for both civil and criminal cases in Massachusetts for 20 years. She is also a seasoned appellate lawyer in both New Hampshire and Massachusetts for a variety of civil and criminal cases.
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...
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...
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...
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. ...
Family Law: How to Choose Your Attorney
Your family is the most important thing in your life. Whether you are facing a divorce or a custody battle or a child support dispute, you want to have the “right” attorney by...
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 –...
Paternity: How can I establish paternity of my child?
If you are wondering how to establish paternity of your child, chances are, you have read up on some of the variety of ways and may have become confused on the right path to...
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...
Supervised Visitation: The Brad and Angelina Case
Brad and Angelina I’m sure you’ve seen recently that Brad and Angelina have made strides in settling their parenting agreement. Angelina is maintaining primary custody of the...
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 –...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Why Do I Need an Estate Plan?
Recall in our first article on estate planning that we introduced you to some general information question about estate planning. Let’s start our series out now with a very...
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...
Should Siblings Be Separated by Divorce
When a couple divorces, it is difficult on the entire family. Often it can be most difficult for the children of the marriage. Depending on the age of the children, someone has...
Parenting Your Special Needs Child
Penny and Zach had a stormy relationship from day one. They argued over food, traveling and holidays. After they were married, they could not agree on anything except their...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Should I contact an Attorney about Divorce?
If you’re having trouble in your marriage, you feel overwhelmed. You feel like it's going to get better, yet it never does. Your friends and family may be unaware of the true...
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...
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...
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...
Custody: Can My Child Decide?
Very often I am asked “when can my child decide choose where he lives?” or “at what age will the Court listen to my children’s input?” The short answer to this question is that...
Marital Property: What is it?
Far too often I meet with a client for consultation who is concerned that a certain asset is not a marital asset because it is not “in [their] name.” A client may say “well, we...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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?...
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...
Arsdale Appeals and Alimony
Recently two new cases came down from our SJC that you should be aware of, both relating to alimony. The first, SUSAN VAN ARSDALE vs. WILLIAM VAN ARSDALE, focused on the...
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...
Can my wife take my inheritance in the divorce?
Very popular question! I often get this question - can my wife take my inheritance in the divorce? or can my husband take my inheritance in the divorce? In my experience, most...
What is the Automatic Restraining Order?
When a Divorce is filed, an automatic restraining order on assets immediately applies. This prohibits you, and your spouse, from encumbering, selling or transferring certain...
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...
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...
Legal Meaning of the Cosby Mistrial
I’m sure you’ve all heard by now that Bill Cosby’s trial resulted in a mistrial on Saturday. The jury came back to the judge, for the second time, on Saturday and informed him...
Can I Stop Him From Selling Our Home While Child Is Still in School?
Question: My husband moved out of our home two years ago and moved in with another woman. We have guardianship of my granddaughter who will be graduating from high school in...
After Divorce: Why is my Child So Angry?
Part of my practice in family law deals in working with parents after the divorce and the adjustment of the families after the "dust settles", so the speak. Often the parents...
You Want Me to Communicate with Her? You Don’t Know My Wife!
Sound familiar? I hear this comment on a regular basis. It seems counter intuitive to ask that a couple going through a divorce, sometimes a contested and harsh divorce, do the...
Getting a Divorce Without Notifying the Spouse
The heading reads: "Man Got Divorced Without Ever Telling His Wife, Police Say". ...
Parental Alienation: the Aftermath
In a previous article, I wrote about parental alienation. It is one of the most vicious things a parent can do to another parent because it can destroy the relationship...
Can a Child Choose Their Parent After Divorce in Massachusetts
Massachusetts : When can my children decide in whose home they want to live? Often I am asked "can a child choose their parent after the divorce"?, so I thought this would be a...
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...
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...
Relocating with Children After Divorce
Clients often tell me that when their divorce is complete they are "done with marriage". The hurt has jaded them. The fight over custody, home, financial assets, and more has...
Myths of Divorce
If you are considering divorce or even in the middle of one, it's critical that you are receiving good advice. Advice from family and friends may seem helpful but can lead you...
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...
Can I sign over or terminate my parental rights?
Often I have people call me to discuss “signing over their parental rights” in hopes that this will either 1) end the drama that happens when they visit with their child or 2)...
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...
New Hampshire: Child Impact Seminar – Updated Link
In New Hampshire, all parties to a divorce, or any case that surrounds parental rights, activities and/or responsibilities, must attend the Child Impact Program. This program is...
My ex won’t pay child support. Can I refuse to let him see the kids?
My ex won’t pay child support. Can I refuse to let him see our daughter? Absolutely not! If you do it, you are in contempt. Child support and parenting time are two separate...
I am going to file for divorce myself. I may hire a lawyer later. However, when do I have to move out of the home?
This is a tough question to answer without knowing more about your case. The status of the marital home varies from case to case and is different in New Hampshire than it is in...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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....
Is Your Child Being Abused?
A common worry for parents often centers around protecting their child from people who prey on children. Most children spend their days away from their parents in the care of...
How to Complete a Financial Statement
One of the biggest concerns in family court is the creation of a financial statement (or in New Hampshire, a financial affidavit). I see clients stress day after day about the...
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...
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...
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...
Post Divorce Parenting: Helping Your Child Succeed
Life for a child of divorce can feel like a war zone. They often feel torn between two people who have completely different opinions and different life styles. The rules can vary...
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...
Massachusetts: The Alimony Reform Act
A recent hot topic in family law is alimony. I’m sure a lot of you have heard of the proposed legislation known as the Alimony Reform Act. This Act aims to define, clarify and...
Can I be arrested for a warrant in Massachusetts if I go to the local DMV in Massachusetts?
Q: Can I be arrested for a misdemeanor warrant in Massachusetts if I go to the local DMV in Massachusetts? If there is a warrant, you can be arrested at any time. They don't...
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...
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...
Changing Attorneys Mid-Case
Changing Attorneys Mid-Case Often, folks just like you call me part way through a divorce, or even after a divorce is over, that say that are not satisfied with their attorney. ...
Creating an Irrevocable Trust Can Save Your Loved Ones
The words "irrevocable trust" often seem intimidating to many of my clients. However, when used properly, this can be an effective estate planning tool. If designed properly,...
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...
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...
Child Support and Attribution of Income
I hear this statement a lot (more out of frustration than anything else): “You can’t get blood from a stone. I will just quit my job and she won’t get any support!” It sounds...
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...
How to Build Financial Security When Facing Divorce
How to Build Financial Security When Facing Divorce If you see divorce or separation looming in your future, there are ways to plan ahead and build financial security to prepare...
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...
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...
Divorce: Moving on When Others Won’t
Divorce is rough. It's an emotional roller coaster for everyone involved. Just getting to the point where a couple decides that divorce is the only solution left is often...
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...
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...
Communicating on Social Media During Divorce
If you have read the news recently, you probably noticed that social media has come under fire for a couple of things. First, social media outlets have been accused of creating...
Can my parents get their money back that they loaned us when we got married?
My parents lent my husband & I money while we were married. I now want to make sure that they get their money back during our divorce. Can my parents get their money back...
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...
Absent Parents: The Parent Who Used to be Absent
Absent parents is a topic that I see frequently in my practice. Here’s a perfect example: Mom was pregnant but dad wanted nothing to do with her, or the baby, during pregnancy...
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...
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...
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...
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...
2017 Child Support Guidelines – Part 3
In part 3 of our series on the 2017 Child Support Guidelines, we will be addressing child support for children between 18-23 years old and parental contribution to post-secondary...
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,...
Who Gets the Engagement Ring?
The contemplation of marriage, instituted by the engagement of the parties, traditionally brings with it an engagement ring given from one to another. Some have sentimental...
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...
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...
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...
Blanchette: Case on Appeal
Recently the New Hampshire Supreme Court overturned the conviction of Ernest Justin Blanchette, a former deputy sheriff charged with sexual assault of an inmate during transport...
Letting Go After Your Divorce
Divorce can be devastating even when both parties agree. Letting go after your divorce is difficult at best. It's an emotional roller coaster, particularly when children are...
Can my husband force me to sell our marital home?
This question is dependent on many factors. The very general answer is that the home will be awarded to one party or sold to a third party. To decide what will happen, the Court...
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...
What Happens If a Spouse Dies During Divorce
Over the past few days, we’ve seen a “celebrated” story that reminds me of a topic that arises every so often within my practice. Have you seen the stories about Lamar Odom...
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...
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...
Brangelina: What If They Divorced in Massachusetts?
I can’t imagine you’ve listened to the news or radio over the past week without having heard something about the pending divorce of Brad Pitt and Angelia Jolie. The two...
My best divorce advice: Don’t listen to your family & friends!
Sounds silly, right? It’s the best divorce advice that any attorney can give is don't listen to your family & friends. Your family and friends always want what’s best for...
Divorce and Social Media: Don’t
Whether you are simply contemplating the idea of divorce or in the middle of a full-on legal battle, your best bet with your social media accounts is to disconnect them. Turn...
Estate Planning After Divorce
Estate Planning After Divorce After a divorce, the last thing that anyone wants to think about is seeing an attorney, legal matters, planning the future, that sort of thing. The...
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...
Divorce After 50
Picture This: You married your high school sweetheart. You settled down and had a couple of kids early in life whom are now out of school and have families of their own. ...
What Does Full Disclosure Mean for My Divorce?
Each litigant involved in a paternity or divorce action is required to complete and submit a form to the Court, and the opposing party, must provide “full disclosure" of your...
Can I get an Annulment, please?
What is an Annulment? In Massachusetts, an annulment is a statement by the Court that you were never legally married. Unlike divorce, which acknowledges that you were married and...
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...
Can You Get a Divorce Reversed?
Sometimes one or more parties to a divorce will be unhappy with the results of the divorce order and may wish to have the result reconsidered. For whatever reason the question...
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...
Why Family Should Not Provide Your Legal Representation
It's a common situation. A person is in need of legal representation for one reason or another, and because of restricted funds, reaches out to a family member who is also an...
Am I the right attorney for you? Schedule a phone free 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 me in confidence.