Individuals and Families involved in probate and family court matters need experienced legal advice and representation. The attorneys at Geary & Geary, LLP, provide clients throughout the Massachusetts and New Hampshire area with compassionate and professional legal representation in Family Law and Probate Court, including but not limited to the following areas:
Child Custody
While many Massachusetts parents are able to resolve custody, placement and visitation issues through negotiation and mediation, our courts must sometimes address those issues if parents are unable to agree. We put our experience and expertise to work for you in negotiating disputes, resolving them through mediation, or litigating custody and visitation claims in court.
- Child custody and placement
- Paternity
- Child custody evaluations and studies
- Guardianships and Conservatorships
- Legal custody
- Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction Act (UCCJA) cases
Child Support
All states have child support guidelines by which courts determine what is to be paid, and by who, and how often. Child support guidelines attempt to approximate the proportion of parental income that would have been spent for support of the child if the family had not been divided by divorce. The child support guidelines are not an exact method of calculating child support in every situation, and parties can argue that because of special circumstances, a court should order more or less support than the guideline amount.
We can help you get child support, or make sure that the amount you are paying or being paid is in accordance with Massachusetts law.
Divorce
Divorce is the legal process by which a marriage is terminated. A contested divorce is a case in which the parties cannot agree on some important legal point, including child custody, child support, spousal maintenance, marital property or attorney's fees. In addition to uncontested and contested divorce proceedings, we also handle legal separations and legal separation agreements.
Mediation
Many family law disputes, including those involving child custody, child support and marital property, can be resolved without going to court. There has been a greater focus on Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods such as mediation. Mediation is a process in which a third-party neutral, whether one mediator or more, acts as a facilitator to assist families in resolving a dispute. The role of the mediator is generally to facilitate communication between the parties and to assist them in focusing on the real issues of the dispute, instead of finger pointing and name-calling, and to generate viable options for settlement. Mediation offers:
- Efficient resolution of disputes
- Reduced anxiety and emotional stress
- Increased confidentiality and privacy
- Reduced cost
- Participant control over the results
- Post-Divorce Modifications
