Love Without the License: Why Cohabitation Agreements Matter in Massachusetts Enforceability of Cohabitation Agreements in Massachusetts Marriage has many financial benefits for couples, including some legal protection when it comes to finances in the event of divorce. But what about unmarried couples? In the past, many states recognized a form of legal union called common-law...Read More

Issues of Custody, Parenting Time, and One Bad Haircut In a hair-raising decision this week, the Massachusetts Appeals Court upheld the Probate and Family Court’s judgment in James Vander Salm v. Kara Fontenot (2025), addressing issues of custody, parenting time, appellate attorney’s fees – and perhaps most unusually, children’s haircuts. James Vander Salm appealed from...Read More

What are Second-Parent Adoptions? While Massachusetts has recognized second-parent adoptions since 1993, which allow for a non-biological parent to adopt the child of a sole legal parent, such adoptions have become even more accessible with the passage of the Massachusetts Parentage Act. Second-parent adoptions protect the child, the second parent seeking legal parentage, and the...Read More

What is the Massachusetts Parentage Act ? On August 9, 2024, Governor Maura Healey signed the Massachusetts Parentage Act into law, aiming to ensure equal rights for all parents, regardless of marital status, the circumstances of the child’s birth – such as surrogacy or reproductive assistance – or the parent’s gender, sexual orientation, or gender...Read More

Massachusetts Court Rules Engagement Rings must be Returned if the Engagement is Terminated, Regardless of Fault On November 8, 2024, the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled in the case of Caroline Settino (Caroline) and Bruce Johnson (Bruce) that engagement rings must be returned to the person who provided them if the anticipated wedding does not come...Read More

Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Celebrates 40th Anniversary October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and October 12, 2024 marked the 40th anniversary of the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). This monumental piece of federal legislation has transformed the landscape for crime victims in the United States, providing a foundation for services, compensation, and advocacy that...Read More

Understanding Coercive Control: The New Addition to MGL 209A This past summer, Massachusetts made a significant step forward in protecting victims and survivors of domestic abuse by including coercive control in Chapter 209A of the Massachusetts General Laws (“MGL 209A”). This addition to the definition of domestic violence reflects a growing recognition of the complex...Read More

Double Dipping Explained in New Massachusetts Appeals Court Case By Hannah Lejter The Appeals Court highlighted an issue in divorce matters called “double dipping”, also known as “double counting,” reversing the Probate and Family Court’s decision in a new Massachusetts Appeals Court case, Michael A. Trethewey v. Rosalia F. Trethewey. In  Trethewey, the husband, Michael,...Read More

New Rule from FTC Bans Noncompete Agreements  By Hannah Lejter  On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a new rule in a 3-2 vote which bans noncompete clauses between employees and employers. The FTC labeled noncompete agreements as an “unfair method of competition and therefore a violation of Section 5 of...Read More