News And Thoughts On The Law In And Around Boston

When Massachusetts residents decide to buy a new car, the often get on the internet and do some research. They read online reviews, check out different dealerships and more, so why not do the same when hiring a construction company? Whether one is needed for a residential or commercial property, online reviews can provide a multitude of information from people who used certain construction companies in the past.

While the positive reviews are helpful, they should not be the only stop. Negative reviews can provide information that is even more valuable. They help discover a company’s weaknesses and areas where it fails to meet expectations. Of course, as is the case with positive reviews, negative ones also need to be taken with a grain of salt. A particular person’s bad experience could involve other factors not relevant to your situation.

Everyone had a life prior to marriage. During that time, some people, including many here in Massachusetts, went through some form of trauma. It’s sometimes referred to as “baggage.” After some time, a marriage may not survive the lingering effects of it. The couple involved may find themselves heading for divorce if they can’t overcome the challenges presented.

When a trauma occurs, certain behaviors or actions could trigger the victim to relive it. For example, ending a prior relationship due to infidelity could leave scars that a new partner ends up having to deal with, possibly without realizing it at first. The party who was cheated on previously may have trust issues even if the other party does nothing wrong.

When Massachusetts residents decide to divorce, one of their primary concerns is how to coordinate parenting time. These days, many couples choose to work out an agreement on their own, which often makes the situation better for everyone involved. However, they may need to keep in mind how the court would rule on child custody issues in order to make sure that any arrangement they come to will meet with the court’s approval.

As would happen in other states, Massachusetts judges consider numerous factors in child custody cases. The primary factor is what would serve the best interests of the children. This involves looking at each child’s relationship with each parent and extended family members, whether either parent has a history of alcohol or drug abuse, and which parent served as the primary caregiver during the marriage.

Most married couples, whether here in Massachusetts or elsewhere, tend not to keep certain information private. One spouse may use the other spouse’s computer, tablet or phone without thinking anything of it. Often, passwords are only protected from someone outside the relationship. This is not usually a problem during the marriage, but for individuals facing a divorce, access to this digital information could cause issues.

As soon as an individual decides to divorce, or his or her spouse announces the intention to do so, all passwords should be changed. Not only will this keep the party’s information private, but it will also keep one party from spying on the other, removing information and more. Even if the parties have separate social media accounts, the passwords on those should change as well. Any shared social media accounts can be closed and deleted, or one party can take them over while the other creates new ones.

Massachusetts business owners enter into agreements with other parties for goods and services all the time. More often than not, both parties fulfill their responsibilities under those contracts, and everyone goes about their business. Unfortunately, not all agreements end this way.

Perhaps you agreed to perform a service or provide goods to someone, but the other party failed to pay the agreed-upon price. You probably attempted to discuss the matter with the other party, but to no avail. Now, you wonder what your legal options are for resolving the matter. The best and fastest way to ascertain your options and your rights is to discuss the matter with a Massachusetts attorney with experience in business contracts. Depending on your circumstances, a graduated strategy may be the best way to resolve the matter.

Even meteorologists cannot accurately predict the weather beyond a certain point. Determining whether any delay-causing weather will occur during a Massachusetts construction project that will last at least months is impossible. This unknown requires careful handling when it comes to entering into a contract in order to minimize its impact and avoid construction law issues.

Without a doubt, every construction contract should include provisions about the weather. Adding additional time onto the completion date is one way. It is better to come in early on a project than late. Thereafter, the definition of what an adverse weather condition constitutes needs defining. These types of events could automatically extend the time of the contract to compensate for the weather.

Ending a marriage whether here in Massachusetts or elsewhere is a process. Depending on the situation, it could take months to finalize a divorce. Life does not stop during this time, however. Bills still need to be paid, and parents still need to see their children. This is why temporary orders exist since they provide some certainty in a time when life is changing rapidly.

Who gets to stay in the family home? Who serves as the primary caregiver for the children? Who gets to keep what vehicle? These and other questions can be answered through temporary orders. Massachusetts couples wanting to resolve these matters as they wait for their divorces to be finalized could request for some of these decisions to be made now, pending the outcome of the divorce proceedings.

Bidding on building contracts here in Massachusetts requires understanding the potential client’s needs, including deadlines. One of the biggest complaints in construction law is delays. Making goals in order to stay on target to meet the client’s deadlines could not only win the contract, but could keep a contractor in good graces by not breaching it with unnecessary delays.

Everyone needs to understand his or her part in keeping the project on time and on task. Taking the time to write down and disseminate information regarding what needs to be done and when could help. Construction projects are often a balancing act of receiving supplies and completing tasks. The general contractor’s job is to make sure that everyone, including subcontractors, meets the deadlines set in the contract and the plan.

It may surprise Massachusetts residents to learn that many women are not happy in their marriages. In fact, they initiate divorce proceedings approximately 80 percent of the time. The news that a woman wants to end her marriage often comes as a shock to many of the men involved.

Why is it that so many women are dissatisfied with their marriages? It appears that a disparity in roles continues to exist in marriages. Women complain that their spouses do not listen to them, address their concerns or do their share of the household chores. After years of attempting to fix the problem, these women throw in the towel and file for divorce.

The statistics regarding the number of couples ending their marriages seems to focus on those age 39 and under and those age 50 and above. This does not adequately address those who ages are in between. Massachusetts residents between the ages of 40 and 49 tend to deal with issues from both groups when they divorce. People in this age group wonder about their retirement plans while they also know they may face paying child support.

Numerous couples here in Massachusetts and across the country married later in life and had children then, too. This means that people in their 40s could face rebuilding their retirement accounts while they continue to support their children. This makes the asset division process crucial in order to start out their new lives with some financial security.