Are you or your spouse considering divorce? Ryan Faenza Carey can help. We understand that divorce and family law matters are emotional and frightening for most people. What do I do? What is going to happen to me? What is going to happen to our children? Where am I going to live? What do I need to know or ask? We know how difficult a process it is for you, and how to protect your interests, and that of your children. We pride ourselves on our commitment to our clients. Here’s what you can expect when you contact us:

A Team of Seasoned Professionals

  • The six attorneys at Ryan Faenza Carey have a combined experience of more than 100 years in divorce and family law. Our entire staff includes a team of dedicated paraprofessionals and other professionals who support not only our attorneys but our clients as well.

 

A Personalized Experience

  • When you call our office during normal business hours, you will speak with a live, experienced staff member, not a machine and it is confidential.
  • You will speak directly, generally the same day, with a seasoned attorney who can determine what you need, how urgent your need is, and offer guidance on what your first step should be.
  • Appointments will be scheduled promptly, depending upon need, availability and urgency of your issues.

Informative Client/Attorney Relationships

  • You will be educated and informed of your rights and obligations, what to do and what not to do, and what the likely outcome of your matter is likely to be.

We Work Towards Reasonable Goals and Outcomes

  • In representing our clients on any divorce or family law matter, amicable resolution is our main objective, if at all possible; most of our clients ultimately end up resolving their issues by agreement.

Let us help you. Call or email us today. For more information visit our FAQ page.

The past year has been a difficult one. Due to the pandemic, people across the country suffered through a loss of a job and/or financial hardship during an unimaginable tragic time. That’s why for many people 2020 meant having to file for unemployment, some for the first time. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate hit a record high of 14.7% in April 2020. The number rose by 15.9 million to an astronomical 23.1 million that month. As you review your 2020 taxes, there are a few things you should know when it comes to your unemployment income and what it could mean for your filings.

For tax purposes, unemployment compensation is considered income, so it is usually taxable. However, Congress provided a one-time exemption in the American Recovery Relief Act, resulting in a significant tax break for those Americans who received unemployment compensation last year.

Taxes are waived on the first $10,200 in unemployment benefits for individual taxpayers, and up to $20,400 for married couples filing jointly. In either instance, as an individual or as a married couple, your modified gross income must be less than $150,000 to benefit from this tax break.

If you have already filed your taxes for 2020 and were not aware of this tax break, the IRS is currently advising that they will be automatically issuing refunds so that an amended return is not necessary.

If you have any questions about your domestic relations matter, please contact one of our attorneys at Ryan Faenza Carey.

This should not be considered tax advice; any questions about your taxes should always be directed to a qualified CPA or accountant.

College Graduation

It should be an exciting time when your child’s college acceptances are coming in, but it’s important to consider how your divorce could impact your child’s college choice. Planning ahead and reviewing your Judgement of Divorce before the process gets too far can help. Attorney Jennifer Liddell provides a few things to know before you and your child head out on those campus tours.

Hopefully, before the acceptance letters are in the mail, you carefully reviewed your Judgment of Divorce (or Paternity) prior to your child looking at colleges to determine the steps that need to be taken to avoid conflict or uncertainty. This includes ensuring involving your co-parent as provided for in your judgment.

Most divorce judgments provide a timeframe as to when discussions on how applications to college are handled, as well as how to decide which college your child will attend. However, if your child was young when you got divorced or separated, the language may be broad, which can lead to uncertainty and disputes. Overall, we recommend reviewing your divorce judgment on an annual basis.

If you have questions about avoiding last minute litigation when it comes to college choice or contributions to the expense of college, please contact one of our attorneys at Ryan Faenza Carey.

Child support questions

There are so many questions to consider when it comes to child support. Attorney Kara Carey lays out some of the most frequently asked questions, so you don’t have to go searching the web. From costs, to taxes and Massachusetts guidelines, and some of the other questions you may not think to ask.

  1. How is child support determined? In Massachusetts, we have child support guidelines that are used to create a presumptive child support amount. A judge may deviate from this amount for various reasons. View the calculator here.
  2. Do the guidelines ever change? The guidelines are reviewed every four years by the child support taskforce who determine whether the guidelines and worksheet change. The current 2020 – 2021 task force includes one of our partners, Kara J. Carey.
  3. Are bonuses included in determining a child support figure? This depends – a judge has the discretion to handle bonuses or income that is not guaranteed in a variety of ways. The amount can be included in the guidelines or addressed separately – it will largely depend on the frequency, amount and consistency of bonuses.
  4. Does parenting time affect the amount of support paid? The guidelines have two options to address different parenting plans. If the parties have approximately equal parenting time and financial responsibility, the guidelines are calculated to determine the net of support paid each way. If one parent has significantly more parenting time, the guidelines are calculated with the primary custodian receiving support from the other parent.
  5. What if I am the payor and lose my job and cannot afford to make my child support payments? There are serious repercussions for failing to pay child support, and the court is limited in making retroactive adjustments. A complaint for modification will need to be filed; experienced counsel can help with this transition to protect your interests.
  6. What other costs affect the child support calculation? The payment of health insurance, dental insurance and vision insurance premiums, as well as costs for daycare, are taken into consideration on the child support worksheet.
  7. Do I have to pay taxes on the child support I receive? Child support is not deductible to the payor, and not taxable to the recipient.
  8. Does child support automatically end? That depends on the language in your order or judgment; discuss with counsel to ensure you are not in contempt.

For more information on related child support questions or when child support ends, view our blog discussing the same. 

Home welcome sign

A home is the largest asset for many couples. In a divorce, if the home will not be sold, you have to determine who will retain the home, refinancing terms to remove the other party from the mortgage, and how to handle the equity. If the parties are going to jointly remain on the deed after a divorce, there is risk. How a property is deeded can have a huge impact on what occurs if a party passes away while the property is still co-owned.

A tenancy by the entirety (how most married couples title their home) automatically converts to a tenancy in common upon the entry of the divorce judgment, pursuant to Bernatavicius v. Bernatavicius. A property that is held as joint tenants does not change upon the entry of the divorce. The way the property is titled may conflict with the terms of your Separation Agreement and the intent of the parties – speak with experienced divorce counsel to ensure your rights in this important asset are protected.