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Ch-ch-changes to Child Support

Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines are changing quicker than David Bowie used to transform into Ziggy Stardust. Starting in September, 2017, there will be massive changes to how child support is calculated. There are a lot of changes in store, but some of the highlights that will be most interesting to our clients:

A blanket 25% reduction in support obligations for children between the ages of 18-23;
A presumptive cap on college contributions, for each parent, at 50% of the cost of attending UMass Amherst (aka “The UMass Formula”);
Removal of modified support based on parenting time; and
Acceptance of unreported income, thereby making it easier to “impute” income.

Like all new rules and guidelines, it will take a while to determine how some of the more detailed changes actually get applied in real cases. Please email or call us if we can help you to better understand how the guideline changes might apply to your specific situation.

A helpful link from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts:
http://www.mass.gov/courts/case-legal-res/law-lib/laws-by-subj/about/support.html

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Which is Correct: He, She, or They?

“It depends.”

Yes, that is a very lawyerly answer that we give so often and under so many circumstances; however, we cannot, as lawyers, tell someone whether to identify as a male or female.

People recently highlighted a family with a six year old transgender daughter. The parents made the choice to allow their child, who was assigned male at birth, to fully transition to a female at the age of four. Although it was surprising to read about a child who had transitioned so young, it is not shocking that a child of that age made it clear to their parents who they were and how they identify.

Transgender laws are developing.  Many of the current laws specific to the transgender community involve civil rights, but others include change of name and hate crimes.  We expect that many other areas of law will continue to evolve and change as well.

Some resources that might be useful:

http://www.mass.gov/courts/case-legal-res/law-lib/laws-by-subj/about/transgender.html

http://www.apa.org/topics/lgbt/transgender.pdf

http://www.glaad.org/transgender/transfaqhttps://

www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/transgender-people-and-law

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The Logo

Service.

Lawyers Weekly recently published an excellent article regarding branding during the 2016 Presidential Election. During the campaign, President Trump always wore a suit with a tie and Hillary Clinton wore a pantsuit; the consistency became part of their “logo,” and fodder for SNL. While reading the article, we started to think about what our logo represents: Service.

 

The true inspiration for our logo is the brave service of our military and love of our country. While many lawyers have scales of justice, our scales are enveloped by an American Flag.

 

We could not be the people we are today without those who have died protecting us, veterans, and their families. Our logo was developed with that gratitude in mind and the reason for the giant 9/11 flag that adorns our main hallway. We like the constant reminders of just how fortunate we are to live in the United States, where we have opportunities because of those who keep us safe, both internationally and locally.

 

To those who have given their lives, those who keep us safe, and their families, THANK YOU.

 
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Somebody’s Watching Me

Someone’s Watching Me

Do you remember the Rockwell and Michael Jackson song from the 1980’s? For some strange reason, we’ve heard the song a handful of times within the last week. Ironically, one member of our team has also been dealing with credit card information being stolen, likely by a digital pickpocket.

Cyber crime is a criminal act done to commit fraud by stealing personal information, resources, or money by using technology. Did you know that smart phones can be used to steal information from you?  Any time you see someone with their phone out near you, the potential is there that they are trying to hack into either your cell phone or scan the credit cards in your wallet. Unfortunately, there is no way to be able to figure out who is a criminal versus someone who is merely looking at a text. Here’s what you can you do to protect yourself:

* Make sure you have reliable spyware installed on both your computer and cellular telephone;
* Choose strong passwords, change them often, and make them all different;
* Be cautious when using public Wifi or your own hotspot;
* Close your browsers and turn them off when you aren’t using them;
* Use a RFID protected wallet;
* Do not give out bank account or wiring information unless you confirm who is requesting it and the end destination;
* Review credit card and bank statements on a regular basis;
* If in doubt, block the person requesting to connect on social media or double check to see if you are already connected on that platform; and
* Be very cautious if someone makes an unsolicited telephone call you asking for identifying information, even if they introduce themselves as a representative from your credit card company, mortgage lender, bank, or similar.

Essentially, take the time to think before you act and trust your gut.

As always, please let us know if you have questions about this or anything other legal matters that you may have.

 

Helpful Links

Department of Homeland Security:
https://www.dhs.gov/topic/combating-cyber-crime

Old Republic National Title:
https://www.oldrepublictitle.com/panational/newsletter/Cybercrime2.htm

Information of digital pick pocketing:
http://www.fightidentitytheft.com/digital-pickpockets

You know you want to listen to the song….:
https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=mcafee&p=somebody%27s+watching+me+song#id=1&vid=2d3209714264f5fd355174f9205181ad&action=click

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Prepare for College Post-divorce

Ahhhh, college.  It was a great time with new found freedoms. We could eat french fries for lunch and dinner, yet not gain any weight. Weekends started on Wednesday and we never went out before 10pm. Our planning for the future consisted of mid-terms and finals, not 401k and flexible health spending accounts.  This wasn’t just us, right?

If we went back to college now, we would be a lot more serious.  The costs have skyrocketed and students are more competitive than ever. Our 40 something year old selves didn’t have the same pressure that the kids today have in part because college wasn’t as expensive. Had we known, we might have done things differently. We might have even start putting some of the money that we earned from part-time jobs into a Roth IRA instead of investing in a long gone 12 pack of beer (probably not).

We always recommend preparing for how you will pay college expenses long before the application process begins. It’s never too early to start planning for your child, especially if you need to prepare for college post-divorce.

The Massachusetts Bar Association provided some useful information about things to consider especially if are divorcing or already divorced:

http://www.massbar.org/publications/lawyers-journal/2015/may/allocating-college-education-expenses-in-divorce

 

Please let us know if we can help you with the negotiation and planning process or answer any questions that you may have. We even know an amazing person to help you select the best college based on family finances and educational goals; we would be happy to refer you in the right direction!

 

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