Legal Blog

In Massachusetts, the Department of Children and Families (hereinafter “DCF”) is responsible for protecting children across the state from abuse and neglect. Often times, parents find themselves as the recipients of an unfavorable DCF decision, in which DCF supported an accusation of abuse or neglect. Fortunately, a person aggrieved by a DCF decision can take …

Continue reading “How Do I Fight a DCF Ruling?”

On March 19, 2015, the Massachusetts Appeals Court rendered Ventrice v. Ventrice, No. 13-P-1992 slip. op. (Ma.Ct.App. March 19, 2015). The Ventrice case was a highly contested divorce case that resulted in trial. After trial, the judge entered a judgment of divorce awarding the Mother custody over three of the parties’ four children. The trial …

Continue reading “Appealing Massachusetts Custody Decisions”

With over forty-five number one hits on the Billboard Chart, Madonna has more than earned her nickname as the Queen of Pop. Yet despite her rampant success in the music industry, Madonna has faced numerous obstacles in the fight to gain custody of her son, Rocco, whom she shares with ex-husband Guy Ritchie. The contentious …

Continue reading “What You Can Do After Your Child Is Taken from the Country”

Bill O’Reilly is known for bringing controversial stories to viewers’ living rooms across America through his primetime television show The O’Reilly Factor on Fox News. However, his most controversial story to date may just be the custody battle ensuing between O’Reilly and his ex-wife over their two children. O’Reilly appealed the lower court’s decision granting …

Continue reading “Child Custody: Physical vs. Legal”

The State of Illinois made headlines in January when it completely revamped its custody laws. Gone are the words “custody” and “visitation” and in their place are the terms “parenting plans” and “parental responsibilities”. Lawmakers cited the evolution of the family structure as the main reason behind the changes. Yet inspite of these changes, the …

Continue reading “What does the Court Consider in Mass Child Removal Cases?”