In our previous post , we explored the problem with the way that most resources (including the court's own website) answer the question "How do I start the divorce process?"  Most resources answer this question by telling you which court forms you can file.   However, the court forms don't determine how to divide your finances, or where your children will live.  The court forms only determine whether you will make those decisions for yourself or ask a Judge to make them for you. Before you decide what forms to file, you need to make a decision about what level of control you want over your own divorce process and major life decisions.  If you have children, you also need to consider your communication and relationship goals for co-parenting post-divorce, and which divorce process will best help you meet those goals.  Each different process offers different levels of assistance from various types of professionals.  Which option is right for you depends on ...

There is no one-size fits all divorce process and for that reason there are a number of different ways to start a divorce in Massachusetts.  This means that you have options!   Unfortunately, that is not the same message you will hear from everyone, because who you ask this question to makes a difference in the answers you will receive. Most cases settle, even when they start in litigation.   So why do more people start with litigation? You may have heard the story about the woman with back pain who asks her doctor what she should do.  The doctor prescribes pain medication and exercise.  She wants a second opinion so she visits a surgeon, and the surgeon recommends surgery.  She's not ready for surgery so she seeks a third opinion from a chiropractor who tells her that all she needs is regular adjustments.  Finally, when she complains to her therapist about not knowing what to do with these differing opinions, her therapist tells her the pain i...

There are many resources available to help you answer the question "How do I Start the Divorce Process?"  Unfortunately, many of them only tell you part of the story.  This three part blog series will explore why that is and make an effort to gather all of the information in one place.  In Part one we provide you with our answer to this question.  In Part two we explore some of the other answers you might receive to this question and explain why they are incomplete.  In Part three we provide a more complete answer with an in-depth summary of each divorce process option. How do I Start the Divorce Process? Divorce is a legal, financial and emotional process for ending a marriage.  In Massachusetts the legal portion of the divorce is either contested or uncontested.  “Uncontested” means that you both agree to the divorce and have reached a full agreement on all legal and financial issues.  An uncontested divorce can be filed in Massachuset...