Plymouth, Mass. Divorce Law Firm • Massachusetts Divorce Lawyers in Plymouth
Since most men and women who are facing divorce have had no experience with the legal system, they are often overwhelmed by the divorce issues involved with the court process.
Our Founder and Lead Attorney, Irwin M. Pollack is known as a fierce advocate for every man and woman becoming a client of the firm. At The Massachusetts Family Law Group, every attorney has a comprehensive knowledge of the law and knows the best approach to minimize risk and build a strong case on your behalf. We prepare every case in your favor without the need for a lengthy court battle if possible. We prepare every case as if it was going to trial, however, and we will not hesitate to go to court if negotiations fail.
Our first words of advice to clients relate to assessing the strengths and weaknesses of each aspect of their case. Additionally, we recommend a risk assessment before deciding the strategies to employ. Over 40 years of our combined legal experience is used to assist clients in a wide range of potential risks, including:
Self-Representation in court: Getting divorced without a lawyer is a mistake. Judges hold self-represented litigants to the same standards as attorneys, and family law attorneys are not known for putting on kid gloves and educating the opposing party on legal matters. Simply stated, if you try to represent yourself you'll get in over your head.
Litigating Every Issue: If you can't agree on all aspects of a divorce agreement, consider those issues that you can agree on resolved and take only the remaining issues to the judge. Otherwise, your case will go to trial and the court will impose its solution on both of you. On a pure economic basis, assume that you and your spouse have $150,000 to divide between the two of you. If you cannot agree on how to divide that $150,000, the two of you will spend $30,000 of the $150,000 in legal fees before a judge ends-up deciding the case. Why not agree between yourselves to divide the $150,000 equally, thus saving the $30,000 in legal fees (money that might cover a year or two of your child's college education)?
Do not expect your spouse to be fair. When you do this, you'll be making courtroom mistakes such as not seeking certain relief, not insisting that certain must-have clauses are in your agreement, and not doing the right things to protect yourself financially during the divorce process. You must look out for Number One and expect your spouse to do the same. Once you're involved in a court case, you're part of an adversarial system.
Never forget that verbal agreements are worthless. Make sure everything is in writing. Even if it seems like something small – child pick-up and drop-off times, a coin collection or piece of art – if you want to be able to enforce the agreement later, make sure it's on paper.
Financial matters: Don't forget to consider tax ramifications of alimony, property division, and other financial aspects of your divorce. Talk to our attorneys if you suspect that you spouse is hiding assets or income in order to avoid losing your potion of them during your divorce.
Custody and parenting issues: A detail-oriented parenting plan is essential. Use our worksheets to brainstorm child-care costs and holiday schedules. If you plan on moving out-of-state with children after divorce, you won't be able to get it done without agreement or permission by the court.
Bankruptcy risk: Often, Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy is the best option for addressing overwhelming debt. Be careful about your spouse winning some aspect of the marital property and then filing for bankruptcy in order to avoid the obligation to part with it. Given that marriage problems and financial problems go hand-in-hand, our attorneys are well-versed in bankruptcy law and provide legal services to our clients. In this situation, we've found that the law favors the spouse trying to collect the property, but to enforce a property decree against a bankrupt former spouse, you should contact us at any of our local offices or convenient satellite conference centers.
A History of Fighting For What We Believe In
We have built our law practice on a foundation of aggressive reputation, straight-forward advice, and over 40 years of combined legal experience using our bull-dog mentality on securing rights and reducing risks for our clients.
For a free, no-obligation consultation, call (800) 299-DIVORCE or contact us online to schedule an appointment.
