About Us

1. About the Firm
2. Meet the Attorneys
3. 10 Reasons to Hire Us
4. Fees & Costs
5. Contact Us
6. Schedule an appointment

About the Firm

The Massachusetts Family Law Group was established to enable men and women of medium-to-high net worth develop strategies for getting what they want and deserve in their divorces.  The legal strategies, rules, general advice and belief systems they focus on may not be advocated by all lawyers, but the attorneys' bottom-line philosophy keeps them focused on one thing:  informing their clients of the psychological and strategic steps that can be used to convince any spouse – or a judge – that they deserve a larger share of the divorce pie.

If you are looking for a less expensive “cookie cutter” approach to divorce, you will not find it at The Massachusetts Family Law Group.  Attorneys Irwin Pollack, Judith Heller and Gary Avratin believe that every marriage, as well as every divorce situation, is unique and therefore deserves to be handled strategically.  Like the pieces of a puzzle, the attorneys handle each piece and strategically interlock it with the others until they get the fairest resolution in any case.

As the go-to lawyers for anybody facing divorce, many insist that the MFLG take domestic relations law to a new level. The attorneys have interviewed hundreds of divorced men and women and pride themselves on the firm’s unique quality of helping their clients “take charge” of their case, get them what they deserve, and move on to the next stage of their life.

Clients of the Massachusetts Family Law Group come from all walks of life.  The attorneys have successfully represented business owners, athletes, moms, dads, celebrities, professionals, senior citizens and even young children throughout Massachusetts and across New England.

The attorneys have built their remarkable reputation largely on a willingness to step on toes, unapologetically challenge a spouse’s answers, and undertake bold and imaginative strategies to enhance their clients’ chances of success. 

As Founder of the firm, Pollack claims his role as a guided hand is to protect his clients.   It saddens him to think that clients, who may experienced so much pain, might walk away from their marriage with less than they deserve because another attorney may have chosen the path of least resistance.

When the dispute relates to children, custody, visitation and parenting plans, clients who come to MFLG want their interests and the interests of their children aggressively championed.

When it comes to finances, one of the things that sets them apart from other law firms that handle divorce is that they get answers.  Irwin Pollack says, “People come to us because they want to know the truth about marital conduct and finances.  They want to know what happened and who was responsible.  They don’t want it swept under the rug.”

Gary Avratin insists, “Through the discovery phase of litigation, we are master strategists and we dig deep.  Subpoenas.  Interrogatories.  Depositions.  Business valuation.  Production of documents and even forensic experts.  Until we’re satisfied that we have the truth, we keep going. People come to us because we zealously represent our clients and push until we get to the bottom line.”
  
The perseverance in discovering the truth is critical because, until you uncover all the evidence relating to each party’s conduct, and the 20 other factors relating to the marital history, you may never be able to persuade the court why you should get the larger share of the marital estate.

Most important, clients emphatically insist the attorneys have the best ears of any attorney listening to men or women who have divorced or are considering taking that step.  They speak in amazement of how the attorneys are intense listeners and have such a keen ability to relate. 

A newly-divorced mother smiled suggesting that Pollack must have camped out at her house taking notes.  “His insight into what was going on, combined with his practical advice, was immensely comfortable to me.  From the minute I walked into his office, I knew I would survive, and ultimately thrive through my divorce.”

Whether you are contemplating a legal divorce, have just been served with divorce papers, or are interested in checking into your rights or options, the skilled attorneys at our Massachusetts domestic relations law firm are well-qualified to answer your questions.  Contact us for a confidential consultation.  We counsel clients throughout Massachusetts in Newton, Wellesley, Weston, Wayland, Dover, Sherborn, Sudbury, Carlisle, Lexington, Boxford, Georgetown, Topsfield, and other communities in the counties of Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Worcester, Barnstable, Dukes, Nantucket, Hampton, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire.

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Meet the Attorneys

Irwin M. Pollack

Irwin M. Pollack is a founding partner of the Massachusetts Family Law Group. 

Clearly one of the tough guys of the Massachusetts Divorce bar, Pollack frustrates opponents because he accepts no handshake deals – he wants it written in indelible ink.  Friends say that at the age of 45, Irwin Pollack has finally cut back on his hours – from 85 to 70 a week.  His law practice is his life, and he usually can be found in any of MFLG’s four satellite offices or meeting locations (Dedham, Andover, Worcester or Plymouth/Cape Cod) seven days a week. 

Pollack has an instinctive feel for the needs of clients:  he can be tender if need be or offer tough love if that’s what the situation requires.  Those who know him best, however, say his upbeat attitude and an eye for a client’s future are the hallmarks of Irwin Pollack’s representation.  He has little tolerance for clients who feel sorry for themselves.  His mantra is for the suffering spouse to get on his or her feet and get on with life.  Besides handling the nuts and bolts of a divorce proceeding, Pollack has helped clients enroll in classes, find a therapist, organize their finances and set goals for the future.

Irwin Pollack received his undergraduate degree from The University of Arizona at Tucson.  He later received his law degree from The Massachusetts School of Law and was invited to join the Adjunct Faculty one year following his graduation.  Mr. Pollack is a member in good standing of both the Massachusetts and Connecticut bar.  He is an active member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and Boston Bar Association.  He authors a family law column in Bay State Parent magazine and has led conferences for Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

In his past career, Irwin was corporate consultant to both Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial firms.  He was paid to be a “hired gun,”analyzing complex situations and recommending a course of action.  The owners, executives and managers he worked for wanted answers – not a long story or research project.  The majority wanted solutions they could act upon immediately.  Now, Irwin Pollack uses his highly sought-after analytical skills represent his domestic relations clients, competently and zealously.

When Attorney Pollack founded the Massachusetts Family Law Group, he held himself to a higher standard than other attorneys or law firms in the Massachusetts area because he insisted on the firm being accountable to its clients as it related to return on investment with the client’s legal investment.  “While some consider our hourly fee 10 or 15 percent higher than most, the systems we’ve created and the way we educate our clients can ultimately save our clients 20 percent of the billable hours!  When it’s all said and done, a client can save close to $5,000, or more.”

Pollack’s websites, blogs and publications deliver information to the public, provide tools and support for other attorneys, and are additional outlets for his passion about child-related issues pertaining to divorce.

A divorced father himself, Irwin lives with his 14 year-old son, Austin, in Norfolk County.

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Judith A. Heller

Quickly becoming the gold standard for domestic relations counsel throughout New England, Attorney Judith A. Heller provides clients with an in-depth, comprehensive, and complete overview of getting started with divorce, issues relating to alimony and spousal support, property distribution, and "divorce talk" with children.

Anybody who believes that Heller specializes in representing men would be amazed how often she is often besieged with calls from women who believe she might have some extra insights into divorce secrets for men or even how men think.

Clients love how well Heller prepares for depositions, while some colleagues complain that Judy is so detailed-oriented that they hate going into a conference room with her. If you want to make sure that the T's are crossed and the I's are dotted, Judy is the perfect divorce lawyer for you. Judy insists, "I don't think I'm that picky... I just like to make sure my clients get what they are supposed to during a rough split." One thing is for sure-when Judy makes an agreement for a client, it sticks as she includes all of the must-include phrases for both separation agreements and parenting plans.

In an area where emotions run deep, Judy is able to remain calm and be the objective eyes and ears for her clients while zealously advocating for her clients' rights. A divorced mother of three children, Judy graduated from Cornell University then attended New England School of Law. She graduated magna cum laude and is a proud member of the Massachusetts Bar. Judy has become the go-to authority when questions arise relating to divorce strategy including the advantages of filing first.

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Gary S. Avratin
(Of Counsel)

Gary S. Avratin brings 12 years of representing clients in their divorces to the Massachusetts Family Law Group. He focuses predominantly on divorce and related matters, including child support and alimony, property division, custody, paternity, equity, support collection and other litigation matters.

Gary started his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney for Norfolk County and has now appeared in 14 of the Probate and Family Courts in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Gary's clients speak well of him wherever they go: "I have never seen someone work so hard on a case...it is apparent that you take your work to heart in the course of your professional interaction ...you gave me the most accurate and best advice and that brings peace of mind ... I was impressed with your energy level...you are very good at what you do and I can't imagine what would have happened if I had a run of the mill attorney you have always done what is the best for me even if I didn't understand it at the time you truly have a genuine concern for your clients and not only to fight to win a case, but to fight for what is true, just and genuinely right...you had my life in your hands and I wouldn't ever have it any other way. "

Whether he is advocating for clients in the courtroom, negotiating a settlement, or acting as counselor, Attorney Avratin is committed to using his knowledge and experience to guide and assist his clients through the legal process, in an effort to minimize the potential adverse impact upon the parties and their children. As a father of three, Gary Avratin is actively involved in the community in his role as coach of his children's soccer and baseball teams. Contact Gary

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Patty Hall

Regarded as one of the most accomplished paralegals of the Massachusetts Bar, Patty Hall shows no signs of slowing down as she heads into her 18th year of domestic relations work.

Upon retaining the firm, Patty gets clients up-to-speed faster as it relates to their financial statement, discovery, family law worksheets and learning about the entire court process step-by-step. She also prepares and manages firm documents, issues and organizes correspondence, assists with document production, case preparation, and research.

Given the firm's high-worth clients, Patty is Attorney Pollack's Senior Paralegal and "right hand" when it comes to engaging forensic accountants, business valuation experts, or even the nebulous matter of pricing and splitting goodwill.

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Andy P. Miller

Andy Miller comes to the firm after serving as clerk for the Superior Court's Honorable Justice Peter Agnes which gave Andy invaluable experience and insight into the trial courts of Massachusetts. His time with Judge Agnes included extensive research in various aspects of Massachusetts law and gave him the added edge of actually seeing how a judge thinks.

Andy works with clients in almost every one of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' 14 counties. "I get a lot of people who can't fathom where our offices in Dedham, Andover, Worcester or Plymouth/Cape Cod are, so I end up meeting a lot of people at a Starbucks somewhere close to them," Andy touts.

When any of our attorneys head into court, they're first stop is going through Andy Miller who architects the most common motions filed in our divorce cases. Andy also manages our child custody blog and issues related to our child support calculator.

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Renee Mahoney

Renee Mahoney joined The Massachusetts Family Law Group in 2007, bringing with her the reputation as one of the brightest minds in the legal community.

Her area of practice is domestic relations where emotions run high and clients are living through the worst time of their lives, and Renee insists she finds the practice very satisfying.

Serving as paralegal, Renee is an essential part of the firm helping clients get through the temporary order stage, special divorces and sensitive issues relating to children and divorce.

Starting her day at 7a.m., Renee is often the first voice to greet clients. Her favorite part of the job is helping clients and sharing Irwin Pollack's divorce secrets for women.

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10 Reasons to Hire Us

Here’s the A-List of why clients ask us to represent them in their Massachusetts  divorce and family law matters – and why we hope you will, too!

1. Client Login Feature:  Directly from our websites, clients of the Massachusetts Family Law Group enjoy 24 hour, 7 day a week password-protected access to their case files.  Our clients can share documents, leave messages, post to-do items, view assignments and upload messages to their attorney.

2. Divorce College:  The divorce law training you get from our firm is comparable to a post-graduate legal degree.  Once we begin our representation, we reveal what is kept under lock and key at most law firms…we provide you with CDs, flashcards, do-it-yourself worksheets and other tools.  You get it all…in one huge 7.2 pound box!

3. Easy Access to Our Offices:  We’re available to meet with you in Dedham, Andover, Worcester or Plymouth/Cape Cod.

4. Early, Late and Weekend Appointments Available.  During the week, we start the day at 5 o’clock making it easy for you to see us before you go to work.  Similarly, we’re also known to have early evening meetings – as late as 7:30 p.m. Others choose not to miss school, work or even evening social time.  Accordingly, in the Andover area, we offer appointments exclusively on Saturday and Sunday!  Just call us – during the week – for a weekend appointment.

5. A Truly Unique Approach – “You are In Charge of Your Case.”  We involve our clients and give them an active role in their case.  Since family law matters are so fact intensive, we partner with our clients to achieve the maximum result:  we know the law and you know the facts (the story of your marriage).  Between us, we’ll achieve the best result in getting you what’s rightfully yours!

6. Family Law Expertise:  Lawyers, much like physicians and other professionals, are highly targeted in those areas in which they practice.  Our firm focuses over ninety percent of our practice on family law-related matters. Further, we target divorce, custody and support matters.  Just as you would not seek the advice of a dentist for a fractured leg or foot, you should not seek a general practice lawyer to deal with your complex divorce.  Although some attorneys try to be “jacks of all trades,” the simple truth is that the legal profession is highly specialized in today’s world.

7. Lawyer’s Home Phone Number:  Our Founder, Attorney Irwin Pollack, is not your everyday attorney.  He takes helping his clients very seriously.  In fact, he’s so intent on helping get his clients to the next stage in their life that he’s willing to take their call day or night.  All the attorneys and team members at the Massachusetts Family Law Group share the same round-the-clock attitude.  Now how’s that for lawyer’s hours?

8. Extreme Sensitivity Relating to Children and Divorce:  As parents themselves, the attorneys at the Massachusetts Family Law Group believe that children deserve to be protected in a divorce, not treated like an asset to be traded or bargained for.  Beyond our client-exclusive CD program “Transitioning Children Through Divorce,” we focus on educating parents on the effects of divorce on children and make it a top priority to educate them on how to put their children’s needs first.  We can’t protect your children’s hearts, but we can protect their rights.

9. Empathy:  Any attorney can tell you how he or she “understands what you’re going through,” but only Attorneys Irwin Pollack, Judith Heller and Gary Avratin understand.  The attorneys have been through the system themselves.  Having counsel who has “been there and done that” truly gives you an edge.  Now, some ten years later, each continues to give their clients the strategies and know-how to quickly and easily learn from their proven and tested systems.  Most agree that having a proven roadmap takes out the financial uncertainty and mystery of it all, and is replaced with comfort and security before, during and after your divorce.

10. Tenacity:  When your case cannot be easily solved, we will fight hard and use all our legal resources to win.  Unlike other firms or solo-practitioners, we have no fear of the courtroom and regularly achieve the best possible outcome – even when faced with the best attorneys in the nation.

Because of the long-reaching implications of a divorce, one of the best things to do is get competent and zealous legal representation from aggressive and experienced family lawyers.  You may think that a good Massachusetts divorce attorney is too expensive for such a task, but getting a good divorce lawyer can save you from a costly divorce agreement or judgment that could affect you long after the case has been put to rest.  We represent families throughout Massachusetts, including Newton, Wellesley, Weston, Wayland, Dover, Sherborn, Sudbury, Carlisle, Lexington, Boxford, Georgetown, Topsfield, and other communities in the counties of Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Worcester, Barnstable, Dukes, Nantucket, Hampton, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire.  We offer an extensive initial consultation where we discuss your family law matter in depth.  We will give you an honest assessment of your case in light of the facts, case law, and our extensive experience.  For further information about our family law attorneys, please contact us at our office for central meeting locations in Dedham, Andover, Worcester or Plymouth/Cape Cod today.  

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Fees & Costs

Among the most frightening aspects of hiring an attorney are the fees.  How much will it cost?  When do I need to pay the fees?  What is the hourly rate?  Will I be responsible for my spouse’s legal fees?  You need to know.  When you contact us for a consultation, we will provide you with our best estimate of the range of legal fees based on your answers to several simple questions. 

The old axiom that you get what you pay for is often true with regard to attorneys.  You may find attorneys that charge a little bit less per hour than others, but have limited experience.  Attorneys who have less experience often spend more time on a case, thus you may spend as much or even more for a less experienced attorney.  On the other hand, you should not have to pay exorbitant fees for quality representation.

Before we begin representation, we require a retainer and a signed fee agreement.  The client is charged between $280 and $375 per hour.  If and when the retainer is close to being depleted, we may require an additional retainer if it appears the case has become more time consuming than initially anticipated or is still progressing through the process of getting ready for trial.  Of course, where it is appropriate, we will seek to have the other party reimburse you for your attorney’s fees. 

The fees include all consultations between you, the client, and our firm including phone calls, meetings, email, and any other contact.  The fee further includes all of the fees often itemized by other firms including postage, fax and photocopy charges.

These retainer ranges are effective as of October 2006.  These may differ based upon the simplicity or complexity of your individual case:

• Our most common retainer for contested divorce ranges from $3,500 to $7,500.

• For divorces with custody disputes, matters which have already had substantial legal proceedings, are set already for trial, or matters involving complex assets or business valuations, our retainer range begins at $8,000 and could be substantially higher.

• In post-judgment cases where you need representation as you go back-to-court, our retainer ranges from $3,000 to $5,500.

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Contact Us

Learn what you might face in your divorce and how to get control of the process before it happens.  There are specific things you can do – right now – to protect your future.

How Can We Help You?

Although Massachusetts Rules of Conduct prevent us from giving you any legal advice until we are formally retained, we will be happy to answer any general questions regarding your Massachusetts family law matter.  If you would like to schedule an hour-long, no-obligation consultation, please complete this form as fully as possible and forward the information requested below.  We need this information to understand your individual situation.  Please be assured all information we receive will be kept strictly confidential.

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Because of the long-reaching implications of a divorce, one of the best things to do is get competent and zealous legal representation from aggressive and experienced family lawyers.  We represent families throughout Massachusetts, including Newton, Wellesley, Weston, Wayland, Dover, Sherborn, Sudbury, Carlisle, Lexington, Boxford, Georgetown, Topsfield, and other communities in the counties of Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Worcester, Barnstable, Dukes, Nantucket, Hampton, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire.  We offer an extensive initial consultation where we discuss your family law matter in depth.  We will give you an honest assessment of your case in light of the facts, case law, and our extensive experience.  Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation or call (781) 461-9800.