We are a general Massachusetts practice of law with emphasis in:
Divorce
Alimony
Child Support
Custody
Visitation
Division of Property
Prenuptial Agreements
Guardianships
Conservatorships
Postnuptial Agreements
Restraining Orders
Never-Married Agreement
Grandparental Visitation
Removal of Children out of State
Adoption
Annulments
Probate and Estate Litigation
Same Sex Couples
Conflicts between individuals in a marriage or other personal sharing relations are subject to resolution by the Probate and Family Courts within the Massachusetts Court System.
The particular Court is usually determined by the location of the individual residence of the parties and/or where they last lived together.
A Divorce is the dissolution of the marital relationship.
If there are children, the Custody of the child (or children) is determined by the Court or by the Agreement. Custody may be either Physical or Legal. Legal Custody allows one or both parents to decide for the minor children (under 18 years of age), his or her schools, medical care, and religious affiliation. Physical Custody places the child in the home of one of the parents during a specified time. Physical Custody may be sole or shared.
The Hague Abduction Convention
The Hague Convention is an international treaty for the protection of children form abduction and retention across international boundaries. It provides a procedure to return the child or children to the proper foreign jurisdiction. It is the country which is the child’s “habitual residence.”
Our office provides legal representation to parents seeking the return of their child from a foreign country or the parent opposing the return of the child.
The Court, usually the United States District Court, determines the following:
1.When the removal or retention took place.
2.The child’s habitual residence, prior to the date of removal.
3.Determine whether or not the petitioner had “rights of custody” and whether or not he or she exercised those rights at ...