Fields and Dennis Blog

Jonathan E. Fields elected president of the MCFM

On May 1, Jonathan Fields was elected President of the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation for a two-year term.  He is honored to have been chosen by his peers in an organization in which he has served as an Executive Board member since 2005.  The MCFM is a non-profit organization established over twenty-five years go ...

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The Vineyard, Valuation, and Present Divisions

After a trial, a Probate and Family Law Court entered a divorce judgment (1) valuing the husband’s 25% interest in a Martha’s Vineyard property at 25% of the market value of the property and (2) awarding a present interest in that property to the wife.  The Appeals Court reversed. On the issue of valuation, the appellate ...

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The Business of Divorce

Life is just like Business, according an article by Howard H. Irving, PhD, author and family mediator. So why not choose to make logical decisions based on experience, like you do for your business, when you and your spouse decide it’s time for a divorce? Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Some couples are inclined to do ...

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Agreement to Divide Future Social Security Void

Continuing the senior-citizen theme, a recent Colorado decision about social security piqued my interest. A divorce judgment incorporating an agreement of the parties required the husband to pay a portion of his future Social Security benefits to the wife as part of a property division.

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Can Bernie Madoff Ruin Your Divorce?

Steve Simkin might have thought it shrewd to keep the Madoff investments in his divorce from Laura Blank (after all, where else do you get that kind of interest?)

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