Divorce & Family Law
Effective Massachusetts Divorce & Family Law Lawyers
Boston - Brockton - Attleboro - Taunton - Fall River - New Bedford - Plymouth - MetroSouth - Eastern Mass - South Coast - Southeastern Mass
Divorce · Separation · Child Support & Custody · Modifications · Alimony · Paternity · Protective Orders
The divorce and family law attorneys at Percy, Tedeschi & Associates, P.C., represent individuals in all aspects of divorce, custody, alimony, child support, paternity, restraining orders, domestic violence and related matters throughout Bristol County, Plymouth County, Norfolk County, Suffolk County and Middlesex County, Massachusetts. The firm has a lifetime of experience in the area of family law. We have practiced extensively in the Probate and Family Courts in Massachusetts and are familiar with the judges who may be involved in your case. It is our utmost priority during this difficult time that we are responsive to your questions and concerns, and return your phone calls promptly. Most importantly, our attorneys at Percy, Tedeschi & Associates, P.C. are skilled at negotiating a settlement, but also have the ability to aggressively litigate and advocate for you to protect your rights and interests.
Our divorce and family law attorneys, capably assisted by our experienced paralegals and support staff, work hard for you always with the goal of achieving an orderly, cost effective and successful result achieved in a compassionate and aggressive manner. We can assist you in the following areas:
- Divorce matters including separation issues
- Modification of existing court orders
- Mediation (we are certified mediators)
- Custody disputes
- Alimony
- Child support
- Child Visitation
- Paternity
- Restraining orders
- Domestic violence and sexual abuse
- Drafting and negotiation of Premarital Agreements
- Adoption (both domestic and international)
- Name change
Divorce is an emotionally contentious and grueling process. Unfortunately, nearly half of all marriages in the United States ends in divorce. If divorce seems inevitable, it is critical that you select an attorney who concentrates in the field of family law, understands your legal rights and all options available, and will obtain the dissolution of your marriage while protecting your best interests. If you have exhausted all other options to preserve your marriage, contact our office for compassionate and aggressive legal advocacy.
Comprehensive Mediation Services
Mediation starts with the thought that it can be best for all parties in a divorce situation to work directly together addressing issues such as child custody, child support, parenting time, alimony, and property division. Mediation is, by definition, more private, less costly and significantly less time consuming than traditional family law dispute resolution processes. Through mediation both parties work with the mediator, who is a neutral person, to gather information about the family and the problems they confront. The mediator's goal is to find a solution that works for all involved, including of course any children. Attorney Suzanne Tedeschi-Freij offers her services as a neutral mediator. Her many years of family law experience can be invaluable in helping all involved reach an agreeable settlement of your family law case at a greatly reduced cost and in a substantially less stressful environment. Mediation involves an assessment of each party's wants and needs. The mediator meets with each party to share information and discover an agreeable way for those wants and goals to be met. Then the mediator brings the party's together to find a solution.
Most times each party's lawyer (if they have one) does not participate in the mediation process. That person's lawyer can give advice before or after the mediation sessions, but not during them. If Attorney Tedeschi-Freij is not the mediator, members of the firm's family law team can represent you during a mediation to ensure that you know your rights and are achieving your desired result.
Because mediation is not a final, binding process, you have the right to not accept the decision of the mediator. In that case you retain the option of taking any unresolved issues into the Probate Courts. This is why it is so important to employ a mediator who is experienced, practical and equipped to work through difficult issues so the mediation will produce an agreement both parties can live with. Attorney Tedeschi-Freij is that kind of mediator. She will work diligently to find a way forward, a way that in the end everyone believes is fair and workable. We are happy to discuss mediation options with you, how the process works, and the costs involved. Call us today.
Massachusetts Child Support Modification, Child Custody and Visitation Modification, Alimony Termination or Modification
Child support amounts can typically be changed only upon a showing of material and substantial change in circumstances, such as a significant increase or decrease in your income (i.e. losing your job). In addition, your child is technically entitled to a 10% increase in child support upon reaching the age of 13, but you must petition the court for any child support modification. Contact us today to discuss achieving a child support modification. Alimony can also be modified or terminated based upon either your marital agreement and/or upon a showing of material and significant changes in circumstances for either party. An example of this is when your former spouse remarries; this may be cause for termination of alimony payments. Contact us today to speak with an experienced post-divorce modification attorney.
There are several situations that may give rise to a request to modify a child support or visitation order, including:
- Relocation of one of the parents; this could give rise to a change of custody or at the very least a change in visitation to accommodate the parents' and child's schedule.
- A change in work schedule of a parent may give rise to a new schedule for practical purposes.
- An unsafe environment may also give rise to a modification of a child custody or visitation. For example, if a new boyfriend or girlfriend uses drugs, is abusive or presents a danger to the children, then it may be possible to obtain a change in child custody or supervised visitation.
Cases involving contempt of court orders, paternity matters, removal of children to other states, changes in custody and post-divorce modifications of child support and other financial matters are not only complex from a legal standpoint, but also emotionally grueling and financially challenging. Furthermore, the most difficult of all cases presented before the Probate & Family Court involve contested custody disputes. If your custody arrangement is unbearable, your ex-partner does not abide by existing court orders, or facts and circumstances have changed requiring a modification of your divorce agreement, it is critical that you select a firm that concentrates in the field of family law, understands your rights and all options available, and will obtain an outcome in your case which best protects your rights.
What distinguishes our law firm is the quality of service and the consistent follow through clients can expect from our attorneys and staff. Each case is overseen by a highly qualified attorney, with support of attorney associates and a professional administrative staff who all work hard to provide the personal attention each of our clients deserve. All attorneys and staff stay focused on you, your case, your needs, your results. And we are convenient, we have offices in Taunton, Stoughton, Plymouth, Newton, Fall River, New Bedford, Massachusetts and Cranston, Rhode Island.
Contact the divorce and family law team at Percy, Tedeschi & Associates, P.C., for sound advice on your particular legal needs. We offer a free consultation and once retained we will provide a comprehensive review of your options, advise you on the best course of action, and as appropriate create the documentation needed to protect your interests and pursue those options in a determined, result focused manner.
Providing legal services throughout Massachusetts (MA, Mass) such as in Boston, Abington, Acushnet, Attleboro, Avon, Berkely, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Canton, Carver, Dartmouth, Dedham, Dighton, Dover, East Bridgewater, Easton, Fairhaven, Fall River, Foxboro, Franklin, Freetown, Hanson, Holbrook, Lakeville, Mansfield, Marion, Mattapoisett, Medfield, Middleborough, Milton, Needham, New Bedford, Norfolk, North Attleboro, Norton, Norwood, Pembroke, Randolph, Raynham, Plymouth, Quincy, Rehoboth, Rochester, Seekonk, Somerset, Stoughton, Swansea, Taunton, Walpole, Wareham, Wellesley, West Bridgewater, Westport, Westwood, Weymouth, Whitman, and Bristol County, Middlesex County, Norfolk County, Plymouth County, Suffolk County, South Coast, Boston Metro, Boston Metro South, Southeastern Mass, South Shore, and in Providence and all of Rhode Island (RI).
