After divorce update your estate plan and survivor provisions for assets

A divorce judgment will allocate assets between the spouses. This property division will address all assets owned by either party or both party without regard to the title prior to the divorce.  In many instances the final judgment will allow some or all assets to be allocated to the party who owned the asset prior to divorce.  Many of these assets will have contract terms that contain payable on death clauses.  Typically these payable on death clauses are paid to the surviving spouse. 

After a divorce, each spouse should examine all assets allocated to them and review the payable on death clauses.  In particular, life insurance policies, retirement accounts, pensions, investment accounts, and bank accounts should all be examined.  If the divorce decree requires death designations then there is a specific duty to conform to the requirements of the judgment.  If the decree is silent on death designations then each spouse is free to change the death designations to any person they want.  However, if a person still wants to make their ex-spouse the death beneficiary then extra steps must be taken.

Massachusetts law treats any death designation to an ex-spouse as revoked upon divorce.  This means that if a person wants their ex-spouse to receive death benefits they must take some action, after divorce judgment issues, to reinstate the death benefit.  I recommend that if a person wants their ex-spouse to continue to have death benefits that they state so in a will.  In addition, they should notify the trustee of the asset (life insurance company, brokerage firm, bank, etc.)  that they are ratifying the death benefit designation.  If a person does not write a will after a divorce then they should write their intention in a document that can be signed before a notary public.

If these steps are not taken, then the assets are not likely to be distributed as desired after death.  In addition, there is an excellent chance that litigation will be filed to determine who gets the asset after death.

It is strongly recommended that everybody who gets divorced should consult a lawyer and execute a will after the divorce. 

How to communicate with your Ex by email and text.

     After a couple separate or divorce they will need to communicate with each other on many issues. This is particularly true if there are children as the couple will still be parents and need to cooperate for the rest of their lives.  Divorce attorneys generally recommend   email and text communications  as the parties are bound by the written communication and the email or text may be shown to a judge. Despite the potential for presenting the emails to a judge, some people use emails and texts as an opportunity to abuse their spouse. Abuse may have been the customary method of communication during the end of the relationship and one party may not even understand how destructive such abuse can be. I have the following suggestions to parties to make communications better.

1) Forget about your history with your Ex. It is harmful to communications to continue to mention past wrongs. Telling your Ex how they made bad decisions or acted badly just alienates your Ex. If you want something done, simply ask you Ex to do the things you want done. If your Ex responds by asking for reasons then you can explain your thinking on the subject. Many times, the other party will merely comply with a reasonably stated request.

 

2) I was taught as a child to always say please and thank you. This is excellent advice for email communications. If you are asking for something, ask politely and say “please”. When you get a response, say “thank you”. You should say “thank you” even if you don't like the answer. It doesn't hurt you to say “Thank you for responding.”

 

3) Be clear in your communications. The more clarity provided the fewer mistakes are made.

 

4) Don't make threats. At least don't make threats in the first communication. While it may be appropriate to make threats later, starting with threats is never a good idea.

 

5) Don't state the obvious. If there is a court order for vision insurance, don't start by stating the terms of the divorce judgment. Your ex-spouse should know this. Politely ask for the vision insurance cards for the children. This should be sufficient on the first communication. Perhaps the second communication will require you to explain his obligations under the divorce. On the first communication assume your Ex knows what he is suppose to do.

 

     In short, treat your Ex-partner like a stranger.

     Successful communications between former partners may reduce litigation and attorney fees.

How to make property division in a divorce easier.

There is no greater waste of money in a divorce than fighting over divisionof small personal property owned by a couple. The attorney fees spent to argue over beds, sofas, kitchen table, tvs, and other household items usually exceed the value of the items. A dining room set purchased for $5,000.00 may be valued in a divorce at $300.00. As used furniture, the set may only be sold at a garage sale. Most household furniture is valued based upon what can be realized for the asset at a garage sale. It is simply cheaper to go out and buy an equivalent item than to pay attorneys to fight over it. Of course, higher value items such as house, retirement accounts, investment accounts, and collections are worth the cost of paying for appraisers and attorneys. I suggest that the parties approach division of household items with consideration of the following issues.

If there are children, the children should be given priority. The children's furniture should remain with the parent who has more parenting time than the other. The rest of the furniture in the house should also take into account the children. If there is only one tv it should remain in the house with the children. If there are two tvs then the parent with the children should get the better tv.

Most households currently have a car for each parent. Unless a car is a collector's item, each party needs a car to function in today's society. In almost all cases, judges award the cars to the party who primarily drove each car prior to separation. Cars are generally viewed as a necessary tool and not as an asset.

Both parents should try to be fair about division of household items. Any unfairness is usually met with a large increase in attorney fees. The problem is that the parent who doesn't get the household items needs to go out and purchase new items. The need to make such purchases as well as a rental security deposit and last month rent should be recognized and money should be set aside for these expenses. Treating each other fairly means that both parents end up with adequate furniture and living arrangements. This can be accomplished by possession of existing items or money to buy replacement items.

Parties need to identify items of sentimental value to the two parties and cooperate to allocate the sentimental items to the appropriate party. Family heirlooms should go to the party who broguht the item into the marriage. Again, the countervailing value is money set aside to purchase a replacement item.

Items that are only used by one party should be offered to that party. A riding lawn mower that had been used exclusively by the husband may never be used by the wife who intends to hire a service to mow the lawn. If the wife sells the mower without the husband's permission it will be a violation of the automatic restraining order and have the effect of a declaration of war that will cause the husband to fight over trivial matters. Giving the husband opportunity to take the mower or have both parties sell the mower and divide the proceeds will result in a better attitude from both parties. 

Pictures and videos are frequently the subject of litigation. It will save money if the parties pay to have the pictures duplicated so that each party can have a set. Sometimes the parties will agree to purchase a scanner so that one party can copy all pictures and give the originals to the other.

Division of personal property can be a huge drain of financial resources if the parties choose to fight over the assets. This large expense is seldom worth the money required to have the judge resolve the division. An experienced divorce attorney should be consulted to learn how the law applies to your case and to look for an inexpensive logical solution to property division.

My spouse married me to get a green card. Can I get an annulment?

A green card is a nickname for authorization from the United States Government for an immigrant to live in the United States permanently. In the past, an immigrant who married a U.S. Citizen could apply for permanent residency.¹   When a citizen concludes that their spouse married them for the sole purpose of getting the green card and wants nothing to do with the citizen spouse, what can the citizen do? Can the citizen get out of the marriage?

An annulment is a judicial decree that that a marriage never existed. It is commonly thought that an annulment is easier to get than a divorce and less can't result in property division or alimony. However, in Massachusetts, this is not correct. An annulment can take as long as a divorce to obtain through the courts. In an annulment, a judge can award alimony, divide property, determine custody of children, and award child support. In other words, an annulment in Massachusetts is the same as a divorce except that it is much harder to get.

Massachusetts has no fault divorce which means that there is no defense to a divorce action. If one party says that want a divorce then that proves that the marriage is irretrievably broken down. That is not the case in an annulment. There is no such thing as a no-fault annulment. Every annulment must be based on specific grounds. The other spouse can contest the grounds and a judge has discretion and may find that the facts don't prove that an annulment should be granted. The result is that parties can go through a trial for an annulment and still be married after the trial. This would never happen in a divorce.

One of the reasons for obtaining an annulment is fraud. In Massachusetts, not all fraud arises to the level of obtaining an annulment. The fraud must go the “essence of the marriage.” This means that the fraud must be of such that it addresses one of the essential reasons people get married. These reasons include a desire to cohabit, have sexual intercourse, and to have children. Other reasons could go to the essence of the marriage but don't have to.

Usually, if a person gets married to obtain a green card there is no discussion about green cards. As such, there is no false representation constituting fraud. Failure to disclose something is considered a fraudulent concealment. Fraudulent concealment is not a basis for an annulment unless the concealment goes to the essence of the marriage. Failing to disclose an intent to not cohabit is sufficient for an annulment. Failing to mention that the marriage is to obtain a green card does not. In Massachusetts, failure to disclose an intent to get married to get a green card, without other facts, is not sufficient to get an annulment. However, intention to get the green card with other facts may be sufficient for an annulment.  If the parties get married, live together, have sexual intercourse and after a short period separate then it may be very difficult to show that the immigrant spouse did not intend to participate in a marriage when they went through the wedding ceremony.

If you got married and want out of the marriage because your spouse wanted to get a green card you should get a divorce and not an annulment. If you want to consider an annulment you should consult an experienced family law attorney who can advise you of your rights.

1Alan Pransky does not practice immigration law and does not know the current rules regarding immigrant spouses and green card applications. Anybody interested in obtaining a green card should consult an immigration lawyer.

Smart Homes and Divorce

People now have the ability to interact with their homes in a way that wasn't even imagined ten years ago. We now have the ability to control things when we are away from our homes. We can turn lights and appliances on and off. We can change the temperature in the home by controlling the thermostat.  We can set off alarms, activate cameras and look inside the home, and speak through devices to people in the home and outside. We can track cars and cell phones. We can even monitor driving habits.

All of these smart applications are designed to make our lives better. However, they can allow a new type of abuse and harassment when a couple split up and one partner moves out of the home. The person out of the home can now control all of these devices and use them to annoy or abuse the partner in the home. Imagine the distress created if one partner finds out that their whereabouts have been tracked by a smart application on their phone or car. People can be hit with large heating and utility bills if the heat is turned up or lights turned on when a person isn't home.

No matter how much trust exists within a marriage, precautions should be taken when a couple separate. The first thing that should be done is to change all passwords for all devices. You may be able to block the other partner from using the applications. All accounts for these items can be transferred into the name of the spouse in the home. The other thing that can be done is to get a court order that prohibits the other person from using the applications.

In most divorces, the partner remaining in the marital home obtains a court order that gives that person exclusive use of the home. Sometimes a similar order issues for use of cars. It is a simple matter to add language that prohibits the other partner from using any smart applications or devices that impact the home, car, or cellphone. Violation of this order can result in sanctions from the court.

Perhaps the biggest fear is that one spouse can track the movements of the other and then use this information in court in a divorce trial. Obtaining an order that prohibits use of the tracking applications should prevent any use at trial of this type of information.

Any time a household breaks up and results in a divorce or other litigation the parties should consult an experienced family law attorney. This attorney can give advice and propose a course of action to minimize problems from smart technology and to obtain a court order to prohibit abuse by smart technology.

In Massachusetts you can't sue for fraudulent inducement to marry.

What do you do if you find out that your spouse lied to induce you to marry? What do you do if your spouse married you just to get your money? What do you do if your spouse lied to get you to marry for immigration status? What if you find out your marriage was based on fraud and deceit? One woman, after she discovered that her husband lied about loving her got an annulment and then sued him for damages for the fraud and deceit under a cause of action called “Fraudulent Inducement.”

Fraudulent inducement is a cause of action that occurred in an era when divorce was uncommon and only granted on particular fault grounds. Since Massachusetts created no fault divorce the number of annulments in the state has dropped and it is extremely rare to find a person suing for fraudulent inducement. However, in the recent case of Shea v. Cameron the wife sued her former husband for fraudulent inducement after an annulment. She found out that Fraudulent Inducement is no longer recognized in Massachusetts.

In 1938 Massachusetts enacted laws that abolished three old causes of action relating to marriage: Breach of contract to marry (G.L.c. 207, § 47A), Alienation of affection, and criminal conversation (G.L. C 207,§ 47B). The act which abolished these causes of action was called the “Heart Balm Act.” Heart Balm is a legal phrase that means compensation for emotion injuries to the heart. In other words, money can soothe a broken heart. The legislature did not specifically abolish fraudulent inducement. As a result, Ms. Shea tried to sue using this old cause of action to get money from her former husband. She was undoubtedly surprised when the Court dismissed her action without awarding her any money.

The court held that abolishment of the tort of breach of promise to marry included other related torts such as fraudulent inducement. The Court didn't state that there was no remedy for a scoundrel who lied to induce marriage. The Court held that a judge in a divorce action has discretion to consider fraudulent inducement when rendering a divorce judgment. In this case, Ms. Shea chose annulment over divorce and, in doing so, waived any rights she had for fraudulent inducement to marry.

If you believe that you were inuced to marry by fraud then you should consult a divorce lawyer who can discuss the choice between divorce and annulment.

Should you file for divorce because of the new tax law?

I

In writing this article I am not encouraging people to file for divorce. In my opinion, the decision to divorce or stay married should be based on a desire to spend the rest of your life with your spouse. It should not be based on financial factors. There are many people who are contemplating divorce and others who are contemplating the optimum time to file for divorce. These are the people that should consider this article.

In December 2017 Congress passed a tax reform law. One of the many changes in this law is that the way that alimony is taxed was changed. Under current law, alimony payments are deductions to taxable income for the payor and taxable as income to the recipient. For judgments after December 31, 2018, that order alimony, the alimony will no longer be deductible as taxable income or taxable as income. It will be treated like child support and have no effect on the taxes of the parties. The change in the law will not change the tax consequences of alimony judgments that enter prior to December 31, 2018.

For people who are contemplating divorce in Massachusetts the following questions should be answered before considering if you should file for divorce quickly:

1. Am I likely to pay or receive alimony?
2. If I am likely to pay or receive alimony will the alimony award be so significant that I should be concerned with the tax consequences?
3. How does the December 31, 2018 deadline apply to Massachusetts divorces?
4. What happens if a current judgment of alimony is modified or changed?

1. Am I likely to pay or receive alimony?

In Massachusetts, alimony is ordered when there is a need for spousal support. There are a number of factors that a judge looks at but a simplified view is that there is no need if each spouse earns enough money to support themselves. Alimony is not designed as an income equalizer. It is designed to provide support to a spouse who can't support themselves without additional funds. In an ideal situation, the standard is the ability to maintain the lifestyle that the couple enjoyed before divorce. In many divorces, neither party can maintain the same lifestyle because they are now supporting two households instead of one. In this case, there may be a need when there is a significant difference in income between the parties.

When the court considers alimony the court also considers child support as a factor. If child support is being paid, then alimony should not be ordered unless the combined income of both parties exceeds $250,000.00. In other words, if the combined income is under $250,000.00 then alimony is probably not a possibility. Some judges may order alimony despite the payment of child support when the parent with the greater income is the recipient of child support.

2. If I am likely to pay or receive alimony will the alimony award be so significant that I should be concerned with the tax consequences?

Of course, one can consider that any increase or decrease in taxes is significant. On the other hand, the amount of alimony paid may be such that parties may decide that it is better to save on attorney fees than to fight for alimony. In Massachusetts, there are limits on both the amount of alimony paid and the length of time that alimony is to be paid.

The amount of alimony ordered in Massachusetts is between 30% and 35% of the difference between the income of the recipient and the payor. Income for alimony purposes does not include capital gain income, dividend income, and interest income from assets evenly divided between the parties and the first $250,000.00 in income when child support is ordered. This means that if there is a $10,000.00 difference in income between the parties the court could order alimony in the amount of $3,000.00 to $3,500.00 per year. If there is $100,000.00 difference in income the court could order alimony in the amount of $30,000.00 to $3,500.00. If child support is being paid and there is a combined income of $260,000.00 then only $10,000.00 should be eligible for alimony determination.

The length of time that alimony may be paid in Massachusetts varies from 50% of the length of the marriage in short term marriages (under 5 years) to lifetime alimony for marriages over 20 years. In very short marriages, it may not be worthwhile for the parties to seek alimony.

3. How does the December 31, 2018 deadline apply to Massachusetts divorces?

The Tax Reform law effects any divorce or separation instrument executed after December 31, 2018. It appears that any separation agreement or judgment executed prior to December 31, 2018 would be under the existing tax laws with alimony deductible if paid and taxable if received. However, Massachusetts divorces have a three month waiting period after the initial divorce decree enters (called decree nisi) and the divorce judgment becomes final (called decree absolute.) It appears that the IRS has not issued regulations explaining how the effective date is to be applied to Massachusetts divorces. In order to be completely certain that any alimony judgment is under the current tax laws then the decree nisi must enter by October 2, 2018. If the parties are divorcing by an uncontested divorce which is called a 1A divorce then the judge must approve the separation agreement by August 31, 2018.

4. What happens if a current judgment of alimony is modified or changed?

Any current order of alimony that is modified or changed after December 31, 2018 will lose the current tax deductibility and will be controlled by the tax reform law. This means that even if your current agreement calls for payments to be deductible from taxable income, Federal law will control and you will not be able to deduct alimony payments if modified after this date.

Additional considerations

The change in tax law only effects taxes paid to the United States. Taxes paid to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will still be deductions to taxable income for the payor and taxable as income to the recipient.

A contested divorce in Massachusetts that does not settle takes about two and a half years to litigate and conclude. This means that you can only rush a divorce to preserve the current tax treatment if it is an uncontested divorce or a contested divorce that settles before August 31, 2018. A contested divorce filed in 2018 won't go to trial in time to beat the December 31, 2018 deadline. Litigation is not the only way that parties can reach an agreement on terminating a marriage. Mediation and other forms of alternate dispute resolution can help the parties reach a settlement.

This is a complicated area of law. If you are considering a divorce and think that alimony is a possibility then you should consult an experienced divorce lawyer to discuss the applicability of the Massachusetts alimony law and if the Tax Reform Law may be an issue for you to consider.

Don't give in to peer pressure bullying negotiations

Don't give in to peer pressure bullying negotiations.¹

From the time that I started practicing law others have told me do act in a particular way or do things differently using the argument “that's how everybody else does it.” In most instances this advice was accompanied by an explanation based on law, facts, or logic. In many instances I accepted this advice and changed my behavior. If a logical argument exists to do things in a better way then I support the better way. In many instances the advice could be summed up as the difference between how things are taught in school and how they are done in the real world.

In a number of instances other lawyers have presented arguments to do something differently but without any basis in law, fact, or logic. I have always experienced these arguments in the course of trying to negotiate an agreement to resolve litigation. I have never accepted these arguments in the absence of logic. The argument of doing something because everybody else does it is usually a compelling argument. Nobody wants to be different because doing something differently creates a sense of inferiority. However, arguing that a lawyer should do something or include a particular concept in a settlement agreement because “everybody else does it” without logic should be viewed as an act of malpractice. If a lawyer is reluctant to change their position then the last reason they should do so is because all other lawyers do so.

I recently settled a divorce case and the negotiations almost failed because the opposing lawyer wanted to include an anti-bankruptcy clause. When I rejected this the other attorney argued that I should include it because everybody else includes it. I sent the other attorney legal research which indicated that this paragraph would violate bankruptcy law to which the other attorney responded “all other attorneys include it.” She never provided any law or logic to explain why this clause did not violate bankruptcy law. Instead, she repeatedly told me that everybody else does it. She even told me that the Judge will instruct me to include it if we ask the judge. In other words, because she had no basis in law to support her position she resorted to bullying.

This sort of bullying should have no place in legal negotiations. Lawyers should always negotiate in good faith complying with the law as it applies to the facts and the litigation and the ethics that govern lawyers. Arguing that everybody else does it has no place in good faith negotiations.

1  I thank my wife, Sheila g Pransky, M.S.W., L.I.C.S.W. who explained the offensive behavior as “peer pressure bullying.”

Separation agreements can't contract away bankruptcy protections

I recently negotiated a separation agreement in a divorce in which the opposing attorney insisted on inserting a clause that on its face prevented the parties from receiving the benefit of bankruptcy laws if one of them filed a bankruptcy petition in federal court. The clause that she tried to insert was as follows:

"Each Party agrees that neither shall attempt in any way to discharge any obligations contained in this Agreement in bankruptcy proceedings, and that in the event that s/he does, any discharge in bankruptcy for any such obligations shall have no effect upon his/her responsibility as contained in the Agreement. The obligations of the Parties set forth in this Agreement shall survive and supersede any subsequent discharge in bankruptcy. The filing Party shall indemnify and hold harmless the non-filing Party from any and all losses suffered as a result of the bankruptcy proceeding, including costs and legal fees."

In my opinion, this clause is illegal in that it violates federal law and is unethical because it misleads the parties and can cause them to litigate frivolous issues in the event of a bankruptcy filing by a party.

Bankruptcy law is established by federal law. While it may incorporate state law and even look to state law for various elements of the overall bankruptcy scheme, on the issue of a party's ability to file bankruptcy and the effect of filing a bankruptcy petition, these are within the exclusive jurisdiction of federal law. State court judges in family court have no ability to take away a party's right to file bankruptcy or to restrict the effect of such a filing. The parties also lack the power to contract away bankruptcy rights. If an individual could contract away bankruptcy rights then every contract would contain an anti-bankruptcy clause.

In some regards, bankruptcy law protects obligations created by Family Court in a divorce. Child support and alimony are domestic support obligations which are protected categories of debt. Property division does not receive protection under bankruptcy law. The proposed clause does not effect child support or alimony as these are already protected would not be effected by a contract clause that caused separation agreements to survive bankruptcy. This clause is aimed solely at property division.

In the case of In re Kroen, the court addressed a similar clause. The court found that the clause violated bankruptcy law and could not be enforced. The court found that this clause violated public policy. There are are long line of federal cases that hold that an agreement to make contracts non-dischargeable in bankruptcy are void as they all offend the public policy of promoting a fresh start for individual debtors.

Since the proposed clause is illegal and void under bankruptcy law, it can never be given any enforcement in either state or federal court. As such, the only possible purpose of the proposed clause is to make the parties think that property division in a divorce is non-dischargeable under bankruptcy law. In other words, the purpose is to mislead the parties into an incorrect understanding of the law. This is a violation of the ethical rules that lawyers follow.

The Rules of Professional Conduct for Lawyers prohibit lawyers from engaging in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation or conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice. The proposed clause would mislead parties into thinking that they can file litigation in bankruptcy court and prevent the discharge in bankruptcy of property division obligations. Such a misleading action is conduct that involves misrepresentation. Since it encourages frivolous litigation it is also prejudicial to the administration of justice.

Drafting a separation agreement is a complicated process. People getting divorced should consult an lawyer experienced in family law before signing a separation agreement.

Massachusetts alimony law – Durational limits and prior divorce judgments

In 2012 Massachusetts divorce law changed by implementation of an Alimony Reform Act. A recent case, George v. George, interpreted and explained a portion of the law known as durational limits.

Under prior law, alimony was awarded for life or until a material change of circumstances occurred. It made no difference if the parties were married for one year or thirty. An award of alimony did not have a termination date. The new law imposed durational limits for divorces less than twenty years in length. The longer the marriage, the longer the period of alimony. The George case addressed the issue of applying the durational limits to alimony awards that occurred prior to 2012.

Earlier cases had held that modification should be denied if the recipient spouse testified that property rights were given up in exchange for alimony. This argument is mostly rejected for marriages less than 20 years in length. The Court said that every person who receives alimony will make this argument. The legislature, by implementing durational limits, indicated a clear intent to impose time limits for prior alimony judgments. If prove of a deal exchanging property for alimony can be made by language in the agreement or other contemporaneous documents then the court can consider extending alimony beyond the durational limits. However, in the absence of such written evidence from the time of the alimony judgment, durational limits will require termination of alimony for previously granted alimony judgments.

While the legislature created the durational limits, it also created an exception: “in the interests of justice.” The Court in the George case established guidelines for application of the interests of justice standard.

First the Court was clear that there can not be a deviation from the durational limits unless the trial judge makes written findings of fact, based on the evidence, which explain that deviation beyond the limits is “required in the interests of justice.” The recipient spouse bears the burden of proving by a preponderance of the evidence that deviation beyond the presumptive termination date is warranted.

Second the circumstances must be evaluated in the here and now. In other words, the circumstances as they exist at the time deviation is sought. While the court can look at prior circumstances, they can't be considered by the court unless the circumstances still exist. As an example, a previously disabled spouse can't get alimony beyond the durational limits unless the disability continues to exist.

Third, the Judge must consider all relevant statutorily specified factors. The court then identified which statutory factors are to be considered: (advanced age, chronic illness, unusual health circumstances; (2) tax considerations; (3) payment of health insurance; (4) required life insurance, (5) sources; (5) amounts of unearned income; (6) significant premarital cohabitation; (7) inability to provide for a party's own support due to abuse by the payor; (8) a party's inability to provide for their own support due to other reasons; and (9) any other factor the Court deems relevant and material.

This decision shows a distinct preference to terminate prior alimony judgments based on the durational limits while allowing a continuation of alimony in limited circumstances. This is a complicated area of law that requires a comprehensive evaluation of all current circumstances of both the payor and receipient of alimony. Individuals should consult an experienced family law attorney before making any decisions about how they could be effected by the change in law.

Prepare for a divorce—create a household inventory

In most cases, people anticipate a divorce before it happens. While some actions taken before a divorce can receive an adverse reaction from a spouse, creating an inventory should not. Creating an inventory can be helpful in case you suffer an insurance loss such as fire, theft, or flood. An inventory can also be helpful in a divorce.

In a divorce the two spouses will have to divide the household belongings. Sometimes this occurs leisurely and sometimes in a rush. An inventory will make a split easier. If a court issues an order removing one party from the house having an inventory will make it easier for that person to receive a fair distribution of the household assets. If you are dividing items from memory you are likely to forget items that you care about.

Another benefit of having a household inventory is to reduce the potential for items to disappear. After a person who is out of the house takes their initial list of items it is much more difficult to obtain items from the house. That book that you received from your grandmother is likely to be thrown out if you don't retrieve it in the initial group of items. With digital photography you can incorporate photographs into your inventory.  By having a list you can designate items to retrieve later and avoid having them thrown out or sold.

The earlier you start the inventory the better off you are. It is also helpful to consult an experienceddivorce lawyer as early as possible. Both an inventory and a divorce lawyer can help you work through the difficult times created by a divorce.

Civil remedies for spying with technology

In the past I have blogged about using technology to spy on a spouse the potential consequences. I have written about criminal penalties, and civil lawsuits. A recent case, Tinory v. DePierre, Mass.App.Div. No. 14-ADMS-4022 (2015), involved a GPS device planted on a car. This resulted in a claim for trespass. Trespass is normally thought of as the unpermitted, illegal entry onto a person's real property. However, Massachusetts law does allow trespass to personal property. In the Tinory case, the wife in a divorce action hired a private investigator to place a global positioning system device (GPS) on her husband's truck to monitor his whereabouts. This resulted in a lawsuit for trespass because there was an unpermitted, illegal touching of personal property (the truck.)

It is clear that society does not want people to spy on their spouses with technology. While people think that they will get an advantage in a divorce is they get information by spying, it rarely works that way.  There are a number of laws with criminal penalties for spying and people may sue in civil court for damages when such spying occurs.  In addition, Family Court judges don't want to encourage spying by allowing such evidence to be used.  

If you are the victim of electronic spying you should consult a lawyer who can advise you about the law and your options.  

Pre-Nuptial Agreements are not automatically enforced.

Pre-Nuptial Agreements are not automatically enforced.

Pre-nuptial agreements in Massachusetts are enforced if they are fair at the time of the execution of the agreement and fair at the time of the enforcement of the agreement. Fairness at the time of the execution means that there was complete financial disclosure, had the ability to obtain advice of counsel, the agreement was free of duress, misrepresentation, and fraud and the terms are fair. Since the agreement must also be fair at the time of enforcement, the Courts take a “second look” at the agreement and view it in the context of the financial circumstances at that time. The agreement will be enforced unless the court finds that it is unconscionable. This means that the agreement will be enforced unless the agreement would leave the contesting spouse without sufficient property, maintenance, or appropriate employment to support herself.

In a recent case, Kelcourse v.Kelcourse, Mass.App.Ct. (Jan. 21, 2015), the court refused to enforce a pre-nuptial agreement. The agreement on its face appeared fair. The agreement gave the
Wife a house and alimony as part of the settlement. The problem was that the house needed over $300,000.00 in repairs and had negative equity. The Wife lacked funds to repair the house and, due to the negative equity, was unable to sell the house. The Court found that the condition and finances of the house rendered the agreement unconscionable and unenforceable.

The Kelcourse case means that in Massachusetts the second look is a real and substantial examination. The Court won't enforce the agreement if the spouse won't be able to support herself. In other words, disclosure and lack of duress is not enough to make an agreement enforceable. The second look must examine the circumstances to see if the facts and enforcement would shock the conscience.

If parties want a pre-nuptial agreement they should consult family law attorneys to advise them. This is not an area where parties should do-it-yourself. When the parties seek to enforce the agreement it may be too late to fix any problems.

What can a parent do when they are the victim of parental alienation?

There is no perfect answer to this question. As long as one parent keeps fueling the alienation flames, the alienation will continue. Every case of parental alienation is different but the cause is the same. One parent uses the children as weapons to hurt the other parent. In essence, the parent is sacrificing the children's well being to fulfill their own selfish desires. The following suggestions may make no difference or may solve the problem.

1. Keep a diary. This should detail all of your attempts to maintain a relationship with the children and the children's responses. Whenever possible, backup the diary with documents that corroborate the information you note. Emails, telephone bills, and receipts from stores and restaurants should be preserved. Use an email program that documents when the emails are read by the recipient.
   
2. Take advantage of all contacts permitted by the court. Don't miss any visits. Make telephone calls or Skype calls every day if allowed by the court. Use texting to communicate with the children but not excessively. Send gifts or cards for every occasion possible. Cards are created for many holidays such as New Years, Valentine's Day, Independence Day, and many others. Make sure you have copies of the cards and enter the mailing of the cards and the gifts in your diary. Of course, make sure you send gifts for major holidays or events like birthdays or Christmas.
   
3. Attend every event in your child's life. Don't miss a dance recital, a little league, a concert, or any other event in which your child is a participant. Contact the school and obtain information about events, parent teacher conferences, and make sure the school has your contact information. Do the same for the child's pediatrician, dentist, and other doctors. Make sure you are on time for each event.
   
4. Do everything that the court orders. If the court orders counseling, make sure you go to counseling. If the court orders drug tests, make sure you avoid using drugs and take every test ordered. Continue counseling and drug tests even if the children or the other parent stop attending.
   
5. Take a parenting class. You may be the best parent in the world but the court will be impressed by your efforts to improve yourself.
   
6. Never ever use physical force to discipline your children. The law may permit use of reasonable force but you are under a microscope and can't afford the luxury of using physical force. The exception is that you may have to restrain (but not hit) a child to prevent harm to another child, yourself, or someone else.
   
7. Avoid discussions with your child about the alienation, child support, or any issue you have with the other parent. Make sure the children can't hear when you have discussions with other people about these matters.
   
8. Be careful about use of social media. You should assume that everything you post on social media will be reported to the Court. Never say anything critical or negative about your children, the other parent, the attorneys, or the Court. Social media can be used to make positive statements about the children but do so sparingly. Don't comment on every posting by your children. It will make you look like a stalker.
   
9. Tell your children that you love them. Tell them this at the end of every phone call and every visit. Don't overdo this. Once a day is fine. Four times a day makes you look crazy. Don't ask the children to respond in kind. Pressuring the children for affection is certain to hurt you.
   
10. Be persistent and consistent in your efforts to maintain your relationship with your children. Don't give up hope no matter how frustrating it becomes.
    
11. Retain a family law attorney and regularly discuss the parental alienation and your efforts to maintain the relationship. In many cases, only court action can stop the abuse to the children. An experienced family law attorney should be able to advise you about when to resort to the courts. Like everything else in regards to parental alienation, it may take a number of court actions before you start to see results.  In the most severe cases of parental alienation the court can  change custody.
    

Health Insurance, Emancipation, and Separation Agreements

In Massachusetts divorces health insurance is a priority concern for judges. It is standard practice to

provide health insurance for children until they are emancipated. In addition, unless there is a remarriage, health insurance is usually provided for an ex-spouse until all children are emancipated. The ex-spouse is may also be included in coverage because in Massachusetts most family health insurance policies cover an ex-spouse at no additional cost. As long as there is a dependant child, a family health insurance policy is needed. It is now time to reconsider the standard approach to health insurance in separation agreements.

Under prior law, once a child graduated from college or was otherwise emancipated, they had to get their own insurance policy. The law did not allow them to be covered under their parents' policies. Obamacare has changed this. We can now cover children under a parent's policy until age 26. If a parent is going to provide insurance for a child after emancipation they should also cover the ex-spouse as well. While a parent may voluntarily cover a child they may find that employers won't cover an ex-spouse unless there is a court order that requires such coverage. Divorce attorneys should anticipate the ability to cover the ex-spouse for an extended period due to Obamacare and draft language to address this.

Not every child will need health insurance coverage from a parent after emancipation. Many children will find employment and obtain health insurance from their employer. If this happens, there won't be a family health insurance policy available to cover the ex-spouse. Whatever language is used in a separation agreement needs to consider this potential.

There is also the issue of the cost of providing post-emancipation health insurance for a child. A family plan will always cost more than an individual plan. Child support in Massachusetts presumes that both parents will contribute to the cost of raising a child. It would be reasonable for the parents to share the cost of post-emancipation health insurance for a child. While a judge can't order health insurance for a child after emancipation, the parties can contract for such insurance. Splitting the cost of the health insurance would constitute consideration to support the contract. In the event the parties later litigate over the enforceability of such a contract, splitting the cost may make the difference between enforceable and non-enforceable.

A good separation agreement should anticipate as many possible changes as possible. Planning for a child and ex-spouse to continue to have health insurance after the child's emancipation should be part of every separation agreement. An experienced divorce attorney should draft language to provide health insurance for this additional period.

What is the legal residence of a child of divorced parents?

Many people who get divorced live in different towns from their ex-spouse. They will sometimes choose between the two school systems and send their children to the better school. This means that the better school system will have more students and incur more costs. If a child of divorced parents requires additional services due to special needs, the cost can be substantial. As a result, many school systems try to exclude some students under the argument that they don't reside in the town where they attend school.

According to the law, adults are allowed one domicile or legal residence. Domicile is the place where a person intends to permenently reside. There is a long history of case law that sets forth rules to , determine the residency of adults. The law is much simpler as it applies to children: Children have the domicile of their parents. If their parents don't live together then children can have two domiciles. If the parents are divorced and the parents have joint legal custody then children will have two domiciles. This is true even if they never sleep at one parent's home.

In a recent case, the Town of Wayland formulated a rule to determine if children of divorced parents can attend school in Wayland.  Ames v. Town of Wayland, Middlesex Superior Court (No. 14-6717) (August 13, 2014.) The rule was called the “pillow count” rule and required children to sleep in Wayland for at least three out of five nights. When this rule resulted in a child of divorced parents becoming excluded from the Wayland schools, the child's parents appealed. A Superior Court Justice held that the child may attend the Wayland schools despite the fact that he lived in Wayland only three out of fourteen nights.

In Massachusetts, the Department of Education has always ruled that children can attend school in the school system where one of the parents reside and that the decision belongs to the parents and not the school system. In my practice, I have encountered this problem from time to time. I have found that schools generally drop their opposition when faced with the threat of litigation. Unfortunately, I found that parents have to hire attorneys to make the schools follow the law.

When a couple gets divorced and they have school age children, they should consider the choice of school system at the time of divorce. If you are getting divorced and have school age children, you should consult an experienced divorce attorney who understands the options of school choice.

What rights do gay spouses have in custody battles?



For centuries, the law has struggled with issues surrounding rights of spouses in custody battles.  Of course, until recently, all of these battles have involved heterosexual couples. When a married woman gives birth, who is the father? What rights does a married man have to custody or visitation of young children? What rights does a husband have when children are conceived in a marriage through artificial insemination. All of these questions have been asked and answered for heterosexual couples. Now the same questions are being raised for same-gender couple who are getting divorced.

One of the first cases in Massachusetts to look at some of these issues for same-gender marriages has answered one of these questions. In the case of Della Carte v.Ramirez, question was raised of the rights of the non-biological parent in regards to a child born to the spouse through artificial insemination. The biological mother argued that her spouse had no rights to her child because she was not the father and had no biological connection and that the artificial insemination law, G.L.c. 46, § 4B provided no rights to the spouse because it used language about a child conceived with the “husband's” consent. In this case, the non-biological spouse was granted joint custody over the minor child. In doing so, the court made a ruling that the spouse was the legal parent of the child.

The result in this case established that for questions regarding paternity, custody, and visitation, there should be no difference between the law for heterosexual couples and the law for same-gender couples. In Massachusetts, marriage creates the same rights regardless of the gender make-up of the couple. Laws that use language that create rights for husbands should be interpreted to mean spouses. For Massachusetts, family court disputes should make no distinction based on the gender of the parties. Custody and paternity decisions should be based on concepts such as the best interests of the children without regard to the gender of the parents.

Paternity, custody and visitation in Massachusetts are complicated issues. An experienced family lawattorney can help parties understand the proper issues to raise in custody proceedings.   

My spouse cheated on me, can I sue for damages?

For most people, marriage means that the two spouses will not have sexual relations with any person except their spouse. Unfortunately, sometimes this right of exclusive sexual access is violated. When this occurs, there is a desire on the part of the innocent spouse to seek revenge against the third party who had sex with their spouse. Massachusetts law used to allow lawsuits for the harm to the marriage caused by the third party. The Common Law which was derived from old English law allowed lawsuits for “alienation of affection” and “criminal conversation.”

The tort of criminal conversation allowed the wronged spouse to sue the paramour for violation of the right of exclusive sexual access from the marriage. In other words, it was a lawsuit against the third party for sex with their spouse. The tort of alienation of affection was a lawsuit against the paramour for causing their spouse to stop having affections within the marriage. This usually resulted in a divorce as a result of the adultery. It was not uncommon for a lawsuit to allege both alienation of affection and criminal conversation.

In Massachusetts, when cheating occurs in a marriage, the wronged party can no longer sue for damages. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 207, Section 47B prohibits lawsuits for both alienation of affection and criminal conversation. As a result, when cheating occurs in a marriage, the only recourse through the courts is an action for divorce against the spouse.

Cheating in a marriage can be devastating to the innocent spouse. Some couples manage to save their marriage after an affair. Others separate and end the marriage by divorce. When cheating occurs in a marriage, both spouses should consult an experienced family law attorney to determine their rights and understand divorce. Many people need to understand their rights in a divorce before deciding if they want to save their marriage.

General Alimony Begins With a Divorce Judgment.

In September, 2011 the Massachusetts enacted into Law the Alimony Reform Act of 2011. This law changed completely the law of alimony in the state. It created presumptive maximum lengths of time for alimony to be received, guidelines to determine the amount of alimony, four categories of alimony and other changes. Attorneys generally advise that there are many areas of this new law that are difficult to interpret without appellate court decisions. We now have the benefit of the first case to interpret the new law.

In the case of Holmes v. Holmes, SJC-11538 (April 2, 2014) the court addressed the question of when does general alimony start for purposes of the presumptive maximum length of time. The question may be restated as does temporary alimony count towards the maximum length of time for receiving general alimony. The court's answer was that temporary alimony does not count towards general alimony.

In the Holmes case, the wife had received temporary alimony for over two years during the pendency of the divorce. Since the couple had been married for under twenty years, the court set a termination date for alimony payments. This date did not take into account the money paid as temporary alimony during the divorce. The court did state that if the recipient of alimony had delayed the divorce then the court should consider a portion of the pre-judgment period towards the presumptive maximum limit. However, the two years of temporary alimony in the Holmes case did not seem so long that the Judge should consider a different outcome.

The Alimony Reform Act of 2011 changed alimony from a law that favored women to a law that favored men. The recent decision of the Supreme Judicial Court is a small step swinging the law back towards women. Alimony in Massachusetts remains a complicated subject. Anybody getting divorced in Massachusetts with questions about alimony should consult an experienced divorce attorney to understand their rights.

If I was married in Massachusetts can I get divorced in Massachusetts?

Same gender couples who were lawfully married in Massachusetts and have since moved to other states may find that they can't get divorced in the state where they reside. Their state of residence may define marriage as consisting of one man and one woman. As a result, this definition of marriage means that the state of residence may not recognize the same gender marriage. If the marriage is not recognized, then the couple can't get divorced. It is only natural to ask if the couple can return to Massachusetts for one day, appear in court, and get divorced. Unfortunately, this can't happen.

Massachusetts has a residency requirement before a person or couple can file for divorce. The person who files for divorce must reside in Massachusetts for one year prior to the filing. For many couples this means that they have the right to get married as a same gender couple but not the right to get divorced.

If a same gender couple finds themselves in a state that won't grant them a divorce, they have four options:

1. Stay married.
2. One party moves to Massachusetts for one year and then files for divorce.
3. Both parties move to Massachusetts. If both parties are bona fide Massachusetts residents they can file a divorce before the one year has passed.
4. Contact the ACLU or other organization and ask for assistance to file a court action to declare the law of your state in violation of the United States Constitution and unenforceable. The result of this would be to change the law of your state causing the state to recognize lawful same gender marriages from other states. A number of lawsuits of this nature have been filed around the country and have resulted in changing the law of some states.

An experienced Massachusetts divorce attorney can explain the residency requirements of Massachusetts. If you find that you live in a state that doesn't recognize same gender marriages and you can't get divorce you may want to contact the ACLU to find an attorney who can discuss litigation as a method to obtain the right to get divorced.