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By presidential proclamation, October was declared to be National Violence Awareness Month. Nobody should be subject to domestic violence. If you or someone you know is in an abusive relationship you need to get help. You can get information about domestic abuse from...
The cost of home security and surveillance systems has decreased so that now everybody can afford a system. Internet providers offer home security systems. Some people use hidden cameras like nanny cams to keep an eye on babysitters. The news contains stories of...
In most cases, people anticipate a divorce before it happens. While some actions taken before a divorce can receive an adverse reaction from a spouse, creating an inventory should not. Creating an inventory can be helpful in case you suffer an insurance loss such as...
Judge Douglas Stoddard, a District Court Judge in Natick, Mass. has enjoined Macy's from demanding that shoplifters pay a $500.00 civil fine to Macy's when they are caught by the store. Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 231, Section 85R-1/2 states that shoplifters...
The internet and social media has created new opportunities for people to harass and harm others. One person who used the internet to harass a neighbor found it very expensive as a Massachusetts court has issued a judgment of 4.8 million dollars for cyber harassment...
A friend of mine died and his wife posted his death and funeral arrangements on his Facebook page. In this era of social media, Facebook is a natural and expected forum to notify friends and relatives of such information. Unfortunately, use of his Facebook account was...
In the past I have blogged about using technology to spy on a spouse the potential consequences. I have written about criminal penalties, and civil lawsuits. A recent case, Tinory v. DePierre, Mass.App.Div. No. 14-ADMS-4022 (2015), involved a GPS device planted on a...
In a recent case, Cohen v. Cohen, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that Massachusetts had no jurisdiction to modify a California divorce decree to order college expenses and child support. This case is easily misunderstood as the decision is limited to a...
Pre-Nuptial Agreements are not automatically enforced. Pre-nuptial agreements in Massachusetts are enforced if they are fair at the time of the execution of the agreement and fair at the time of the enforcement of the agreement. Fairness at the time of the execution...
Massachusetts legislation protects homeowners from the unscrupulous contractor. They regulate who can do home repairs; how they contract with homeowners; in many cases, require a right of cancellation; limit the schudule of payments to the contractor; and mandate that...
