While the durational limits set forth under the Alimony Reform Act of 2011 are clear, judges, attorneys and litigants alike struggled over the issue of whether alimony payments made to a spouse under a temporary support order during the pendency of the divorce proceedings must be included in calculating the maximum presumptive duration of general term alimony.
Temporary Alimony is Separate and Distinct from General Term Alimony
How to Avoid Costly Divorce Mistakes During a Massachusetts Divorce
If you are considering a Massachusetts divorce, carefully read through the following examples of costly mistakes made by divorcing couples. Experts from the Wall Street Journal made a list of the following costly divorce mistakes that couples should strive to avoid.
Could Proposed New Child Custody Laws Lead to Financial Problems?
There is a growing trend in some states to move towards shared parenting. Legislators in nearly 20 states are currently either considering or will consider proposals to mandate equal parenting plans during a divorce. Advocates say that for too long, men have been at a distinct disadvantage when it comes time to divide up parenting responsibilities in a divorce. The new measures are aimed at leveling the playing field by making shared parenting arrangements the default, but could these proposed new child custody laws lead to financial problems?
The Role of a Second Spouse's Income in Child Support Calculations
The Massachusetts child support statute imposes a duty of child support on both the husband and wife. Because the support obligation falls equally on the custodial and non-custodial parent, the income of a second spouse may be considered in calculating the obligor's ability to pay alimony or child support.
Alimony and Taxes
If your divorce or separation case looks like it might involve alimony (whether you pay or receive money), it is extremely important for you to understand the tax implications that alimony poses to divorcing couples here in Massachusetts. The basic rule that everyone should understand is that alimony is tax deductible to the payor and taxable as income to the recipient. This article explains some significant aspects of the relationship between alimony and taxes.
Study Examines the Effects of Divorce on Children's Relationships Later in Life
A recently released study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology examined the effects of divorce on children's relationships later in life. Specifically, it found that children whose parents divorce while they are young have a harder time establishing close relationships with parents later in life. The lead researcher also said he believes the study might be a clue into why some people remain more emotionally distant with romantic partners later in life.
How to Help Your Teenager Through Divorce
I recently discussed advice for parents eager to help their young children through divorce. Now, let's turn our attention towards teenagers. Though you might think things are simpler when dealing with older children who understand the concept of divorce and what is happening, that is not necessarily true.
How to Help Young Children Through Divorce
One of the greatest fears of many parents is that divorce will scar their children, leading to unhappy childhoods and relationship trouble down the road. Young children, between kindergarten and middle school, are at a special risk of internalizing the pain of divorce. At this age, children are old enough to understand what is going on, but often too young and immature to fully understand the reasons for the split or how they feel about it. Keep reading to find out how to help young children through divorce.
Credit Scores and Divorce
Divorce can impact your life in many ways, including financially. Though you may not realize it, your credit score is one area that can experience big changes due to a divorce, changes that you should be prepared for and take action to improve. To find out more information about the relationship between credit scores and divorce, keep reading.
Top 5 Concerns During a Gray Divorce
The term "gray divorce" generally refers to divorces which occur when the spouses are in the 50-59 age group. Sometimes, these are also referred to as "empty nest divorces." Over the last few years, these divorces have increased by 40 percent overall, and 25 percent of marriages that have lasted more than 20 years end in divorce, according to recent statistics.
How Can I Get My Spouse to Leave the Marital Home
Although leaving the marital residence, in theory, does not impact upon the ultimate outcome of a divorce, as a practical matter, it is rarely advisable to leave the marital home, particularly if you wish to pursue custody, if there are items of personal property and furnishings that you are leaving behind which are subject to equitable distribution, and/or if you wish retain the marital home after divorce.
Divorce and the Marital Home
One of the more contentious aspects for separating couples is deciding who gets the house in a divorce. Though this can seem like an important victory for one party, it can also end up being a huge financial weight around that person's neck and, in some cases, it may actually be best for neither party to keep the home.
The Problem With Joint Mortgages After Divorce
A woman recently wrote to a columnist at an Arizona newspaper seeking advice about a problem that she encountered months after her divorce was finalized. The woman said that in the divorce, her husband wanted to keep the family home, something she was fine with. As a result, the two wrote up the terms of the deal in their settlement agreement, with the wife even signing a quit claim deed, passing her interest in the home on to her husband. Her husband agreed to take full financial responsibility for the house, essentially releasing the wife from all concerns involving the house. Or so she thought.
