Cynthia L. Hanley Law Blog

The state of Massachusetts is a no-fault ground state. This means that when spouses are filing for divorce they do not have to include a fault ground in their paperwork. By avoiding to claim a fault ground, this can lead the spouses to enter into an uncontested divorce. These divorces may be easier to handle. […]

For child custody arrangements, there will be decisions on physical custody and legal custody. When a parent is granted physical custody, they are known as the custodial parent. This means that the child will live with them most of the time. The child will reside in their home and spend the most frequent time there. […]

Children are the most important factor in parents’ lives. They want to make sure that during divorce proceedings their children are not facing any emotional turmoil. Divorce can be a hard thing for children to wrap their heads around. They may not fully understand the concept of divorce. Either way, they should be reassured that […]

After divorce papers are filed, spouses have to go through the divorce process to decide on issues and finalize the divorce. Mediation sessions can be a great way to resolve issues between spouses. For these sessions, both spouses have to attend and work together to reach conclusions. Spouses are able to bring their attorneys to […]

Once divorce papers are filed, it decides how the divorce should be done. If the divorce is contested, it may require litigation to decide how marital issues should be handled. If an uncontested divorce is to occur, it can be done through mediation. Mediation sessions are when couples meet with a neutral third party to […]

Post judgment modifications can be done for a number of reasons. This means that the terms of your divorce can change. These terms include the marital issues that were decided on at the time of the divorce. These marital issues may include child custody arrangements, child support and alimony. With these marital issues, there should […]

For child custody arrangements, physical and legal custody are granted to the parents to decide on the system that will be in place. These cases can be solved in court by a judge. However, if a couple is entering into an uncontested divorce, they may be able to create a plan for child custody arrangements […]

Marital issues, including alimony, need to be decided on during a divorce. Based on the length of the marriage, the alimony payments will follow a specific structure. This structure can include varying amounts of payments over a specific period of time. The longer the marriage, usually the more the dependent party is entitled to. The […]

Children that are involved in custody arrangements may experience a change in behavior due to their new situation. During this time, it is important to monitor children to ensure that they are coping with the divorce of their parents. Parents may be able to ease the process by maintaining a healthy working relationship with their […]

Probate is a process that is involved in estate administration. Through probate, a will becomes a legal document that the courts will follow. In order to plan for your estate administration, there are certain steps to take to make sure your assets are in good hands. When facing the death of a loved one, it […]

For divorces, they can either be contested or uncontested for any given case. When a divorce is considered to be uncontested, spouses can go through a simpler process to decide on issues before an official divorce is made. This process can include divorce mediation to resolve issues by deciding on outcomes together. With this process, […]

Once couples decide to get a divorce, the process has just started. They have many decisions to make during the process. One of these choices is focused on the children in the family. Child custody arrangements must be made to fit the separated lives of the spouses. These decisions can be difficult since it involves […]