In any legal matter, especially a divorce, court can add to the contentiousness of the matter, cause further delays, and leave both parties with undesirable results. There is an option besides court, and that option is mediation. What is Mediation? Mediation is a voluntary process in which neutral third party works with the parties to...Read More

Save the Date! Levine-Piro Law Announces Its 2015-2016 Seminar Series Have questions about any of the following? • Estate planning • MassHealth and nursing homes • Special needs trusts • Special education • Divorce and financial planning • Probate, guardianships and conservatorships Join presenters Attorneys Melissa A. Levine-Piro, Carolyn A. Romano, and Christine M. Boutin...Read More

Massachusetts’ Rules on Spanking: The Parental Privilege Defense By Amanda Castro, Esq. A recent Supreme Judicial Court decision allows parents to use reasonable force in disciplining their children without being charged criminally. The Court ruled in Commonwealth v. Dorvil that the physical force used in disciplining a child must be “reasonably related to the purpose...Read More

By Melissa A. Levine-Piro, Esq. As a law firm, Hera Law does extensive estate planning for our clients, including the drafting of Special Needs Trusts (SNT’s). A Special Needs Trusts is a carefully drafted trust that allows someone with special needs (the beneficiary) to receive disbursements from the trust without jeopardizing their public benefits, specifically...Read More

Approved by Massachusetts voters in November of 2014, the Earned Sick Time law will go into effect on July 1, 2015. The new law allows for employees to earn and use sick time as long as they meet certain conditions. The law will impact all Massachusetts employers and employees. Who is eligible? If your primary...Read More

Pet Prenups By Amanda Castro, Esq. Prenuptial agreements regarding domestic pets are on the rise as more and more attorneys across the country are recommending them to their clients. This is due to the high rates of divorce, and more and more people realizing that their beloved pets must go to one spouse or the...Read More

President Obama’s Executive Action on Immigration and Frequently Asked Questions On November 20, 2014 President Obama announced his much-anticipated executive plan on immigration. According to reports, more than 4 million undocumented immigrants would benefit from the plan. However, even with such a high number of potential beneficiaries, millions of immigrants are still left out. This...Read More

The Role of Parenting Coordinators post-Bower By Amanda Castro, Esq. The role of a parenting coordinator can be puzzling for parents going through separation or divorce. Many parents will ask themselves: “Why would I want someone else besides myself and my former spouse making important decisions regarding my children’s lives?” Right off the bat, the...Read More

By Attorney Rachel K. Dan-Harry As many of us know, the ebola virus has killed more than six thousand and sickened more than sixteen thousand people in the West African nations of Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. Despite this huge number of casualties and interventions by humanitarian workers and governments from around the world, the...Read More

“Prenuptial agreement” is probably the last phrase you want to hear your future spouse utter However, pre-nuptial agreements can be in the interest of both parties entering into marriage. A pre-nuptial agreement is one way of having the division of assets addressed in advance of death or divorce. But before you get angry at your...Read More