The only constitutional right to a lawyer in Massachusetts at present is if you have been accused of a criminal offense and you do not have enough money to pay for a lawyer yourself. The court will appoint a lawyer to defend you throughout the proceedings against you....
What Does “Under Seal” Mean?
What is a “seal?” Seals have been around for hundreds of years, but their purpose has changed a lot during that time. The term “under seal” for instance, has little in common with the main reason for using a physical seal in the past. But what actually is a seal? The...
How Does Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Work in the Case of a Divorce in Massachusetts?
Divorces are rarely so disputed that they end in litigation. In fact, there are several ways that a disputed divorce settlement can be resolved without the very public, stressful and expensive need to go to court. Alternative dispute resolution, or ADR for short, is a...
Can a Contractor Take a Lien On a Residential Property In Case of a Dispute In Massachusetts?
Just as a coin has two sides, so has a dispute between a property owner and a contractor who has supplied construction services to that owner. Let’s just tease that sentence out before explaining what rights in Massachusetts law both contractors and owners have when...
Employer Rights to Electronic Monitoring in the Workspace in Massachusetts
Do employers in Massachusetts have the right to monitor your workspace activity? Yes, they do, as long as the activity they monitor has something to do with the business of the employer. The only exceptions are when specific privacy rights are included in an...
Tips to Settle a Dispute With a Residential Contractor
There are many reasons why there could be a dispute with a residential contractor. In fact, disputes between owners and contractors, contractors and sub-contractors and between them and suppliers of materials are commonplace. This doesn’t mean that disputes cannot be...
What is Hearsay Evidence in Massachusetts?
We all know what “hearsay” is in colloquial language. Loosely, it refers to things that are said about someone which cannot be substantiated. Hearsay may also be referred to as “rumors” or “tittle tattle.” To give an example of hearsay, let’s say that a group of...
The 4 Most Common Causes of Neighborhood Disputes in Massachusetts
There is an old, but true, saying that you can’t choose your own family. For many people, it's also sometimes unfortunately true that you can’t choose your neighbors! While the ties that bind you or not to your neighbors are far less strong than those with your...
How Employers Should Respond to Workplace Injuries in Massachusetts
COVID-19 has probably and rightly been center stage the last 18 months as far as employers are concerned. Much of the initial worry revolved around whether it was possible to keep the business running and who in the workforce was going to get sick next. As...
Is it Legal in Massachusetts for Employers to Use Vaccination Mandates on Employees?
The pandemic unfortunately hasn’t conveniently disappeared, even though in many parts of the U.S. life has returned to something resembling near normality. The principal reason why this improvement has happened, even if it hasn’t been perfect, is the availability of...
When Is It a Good Idea To Use a Cease and Desist Letter In Massachusetts?
Cease and desist letters are a response to actions by an individual or business which is doing something wrong which affects you in some way. Common reasons for sending a cease and desist letter in Massachusetts includes incidences of bullying, intimidation,...
Can I Challenge an Unfair Divorce Settlement in Massachusetts?
Divorce is by its very nature often messy, emotionally fraught and frustrating. Somehow or other an agreement has to be made about shared assets, property and child custody. The longer a couple has been together, the greater the number of children and the more...
Steps in a Massachusetts Personal Injury Lawsuit Settlement
If you have been injured because of the negligence of someone else, you may be able to recover the cost of your injury through a personal injury lawsuit. In Massachusetts, personal injury lawsuits are filed in a district court or the Boston Municipal Court. Not all...
Changing Your Name – or Your Child’s – After a Divorce in Massachusetts
As if divorce wasn’t stressful enough, there are rules concerning changing your name after divorce and the names of any children you have physical custody for. In fact, many spouses who get divorced may not change their names at all and decide to keep their married...
What To Know About Ride Share Accidents
In recent years more and more people are choosing to use Lyft and Uber services as alternatives to taxis and public transport. Armed with one of these rideshare apps, you can almost always get a ride when you want to around town and it is normally cheaper than using a...
Costly mistakes a will can help you avoid.
Did you know that 68% of Americans don't have a will? Estate planning and wills shouldn't be left until the last minute. A will gives your family guidance on how to divide your estate. If you die without a will, the court and the laws of your state determine how your...
Uninsured Drivers in Massachusetts
As the summer heats up and COVID restrictions lift, people are hitting the road for the first in over a year. More drivers on the road, unfortunately, results in more car accidents. The aftermath and the insurance claims process is scary and complex. It is especially...
Does Having a Trust Avoid the Need for Probate?
Many people leave worrying about what could happen to their property and other assets on death until it is too late. If you die before making a will or establishing a trust, your entire estate will be the responsibility of the court to distribute according to...
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements: What are the Differences?
The future financial relationship between couples aiming to tie the knot can be tricky. Even when the two people start out married life more or less equal in assets, income and prospects, things can change over the period of married life. The arrival of children,...
What Does Family Law Cover in Massachusetts?
Family law is a category of mainly civil law that involves relationships or conflicts between members of a family, e.g. spouses, civil law partnerships, children and parents. Family law cases may overlap with criminal law occasionally, e.g. if there are cases of child...