If your soon-to-be ex is hyperventilating on the floor after having just learned that the lottery ticket he or she bought recently actually has THE WINNING POWERBALL NUMBERS, take a moment to collect yourself.And then promptly remind your impending former spouse that...
Protecting Individuals, Families And Children Every Step Of The Way
Law Offices of Lisa A. Ruggieri
Closely watched: same-sex divorce case focused on child support
It's an easy case from the perspective of the litigant who initially brought it and is now seeking to prevail on appeal.That individual is a former spouse in a dissolved same-sex marriage who wants all her current legal duties owed as a parent to a child born to her...
Edging forward: GOP legislation pushes fundamental alimony change
We occasionally provide reader updates on divorce-linked topics that are in flux and potentially affect legions of individuals and families across the country.Alimony assuredly fits that bill at the moment, given its placement in a comprehensive tax bill that is...
Assembling a strong team can be a key factor in divorce success
It's certainly true that many Massachusetts residents get by just fine in the divorce process by relying solely on a seasoned family law attorney.That is, a deeper team of professionals surrounding experienced legal counsel is not always necessary to secure a fair...
Seven Changes To Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines
There are new child support guidelines that have been in effect in Massachusetts since September 15 of 2017 These changes are not retroactive, and so if you already have an order in place, you don't need to worry. But if a child support order will be a part of your...
Commentators: think twice about a DIY divorce
There's no doubt that we live in an acronym-laden world these days, with the speed and pace of life often yielding shorthand depictions for things that used to be spelled out.Take the letters DIY, for example, which are scattered across a recent Reuters article on...
Author’s once-controversial book on divorce now matter-of-fact
Psychologist and author Constance Ahrons related in a recent media account how a book she authored a generation back encountered considerable blow back and ire following its release.In fact, she says, third-party hostility was often the reaction aimed at her on a book...
Alimony front and center in new congressional bill
We have commented in some past blog posts that the unique nature of every family makes cookie-cutter strategies and solutions virtually worthless in most family law matters.And that is simply a flat-out truth, given that the particulars surrounding important things...
What is contempt, and how does it work in a family law matter?
If you've gone through a divorce with input from a Massachusetts family law judge, you undoubtedly appreciate the powers wielded by a court and understand why issued rulings are expected to be complied with.Courts are austere bodies, with judges clearly being cloaked...
Even absent a prenup, you can still protect your separate property
Reams of material have been written on prenuptial agreements in recent years. Notably, the slant ranges widely.On the one hand, there are emotionally charged -- and, candidly, easily challenged -- spiels on how a prenuptial contract allegedly dampens romantic ardor...