Legal Blog - Divorce - Custody

Civil divorce laws are challenging to navigate, so imagine having to navigate two sets of divorce laws. For members of the Jewish Orthodox religion, it is necessary for the wife to get approval from the Husband (known as a Get) if she wishes to re-marry within the religion. Traditionally, the husb…

So what do saving text messages and family law have in common? If you or someone you know is involved in a child custody dispute then you know that the preferred method of communication is text messaging or emails. The reason that this is the preferred method of communication is (1) it eliminates th…

US Passport Denial – Not paying child support in Massachusetts has severe consequences. The failure to pay child support in Massachusetts can lead to incarceration, loss of driver’s license and loss of eligibility to receive a U.S. Passport. The U.S. Department of State has taken a tough sta…

In Massachusetts, the Department of Children and Families (hereinafter “DCF”) is responsible for protecting children across the state from abuse and neglect. Often times, parents find themselves as the recipients of an unfavorable DCF decision, in which DCF supported an accusation of abuse or ne…

On March 19, 2015, the Massachusetts Appeals Court rendered Ventrice v. Ventrice, No. 13-P-1992 slip. op. (Ma.Ct.App. March 19, 2015). The Ventrice case was a highly contested divorce case that resulted in trial. After trial, the judge entered a judgment of divorce awarding the Mother custody over t…

With over forty-five number one hits on the Billboard Chart, Madonna has more than earned her nickname as the Queen of Pop. Yet despite her rampant success in the music industry, Madonna has faced numerous obstacles in the fight to gain custody of her son, Rocco, whom she shares with ex-husband Guy …

Bill O’Reilly is known for bringing controversial stories to viewers’ living rooms across America through his primetime television show The O’Reilly Factor on Fox News. However, his most controversial story to date may just be the custody battle ensuing between O’Reilly and his ex-wife over …

The State of Illinois made headlines in January when it completely revamped its custody laws. Gone are the words “custody” and “visitation” and in their place are the terms “parenting plans” and “parental responsibilities”. Lawmakers cited the evolution of the family structure as the…

In order to file for custody and visitation in Massachusetts, the Commonwealth must have jurisdiction over your case.  Similarly, to file for child support in Massachusetts, the Commonwealth must have jurisdiction over your support issues.  If you are a non-custodial parent in Massachusetts and yo…

To date, Massachusetts has not enacted a version of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (“UCCJEA”). In MA, the predecessor to the UCCJEA, Massachusetts’s variant of the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (“MCCJA”) still governs. If you are a p…