In the News

The New Massachusetts Homestead Law by Katheryn Kerins On March 16, 2011, the existing law on Declarations of Homestead will change. A Homestead is a document filed with the Registry of Deeds that protects the equity in your home up to $500,000.00 by preventing third parties from forcing you to s...

In the article "From the Ground Up", Elaine McArdle writes about how "Northeastern Law graduates are helping to build a more diverse justice system in a four-pronged mentoring program that engages lawyers with students in high school, college and law school." This is the "award-winning Massachuse...

As originally published in the Community Advocate: Linda Curran, recipient of the WCBA Liberty Bell Award; Geoffrey E. Spofford, recipient, Massachusetts Bar Association's Community Service Award; Robert White, president-elect, Worcester County Bar Association; and Lynette Paczkowski, presid...

As originally published in the Community Advocate: Geoffrey E. Spofford of Westborough has been elected to serve as president-elect of the Worcester County Bar Association at its annual meeting held on June 9, 2020. He is a partner in the Worcester law firm of Lian Zarrow. He has practiced law in...

On July 1st the Supreme Judicial Court resolved, at least partly, a question concerning child support for a child born out of wedlock where the father also has an intact family. Department of Revenue v. Mason M., 439 Mass. 665 (2003). Mark Zarrow represented Mason M. (a pseudonym) before the Mass...

by Geoffrey E. Spofford In the last article we covered criminal liability. In this one we cover civil liability. Parents serving alcohol to minors may face civil consequences as well based on the doctrine of "social host" liability. As a "social host" parents providing or serving alcohol to any ...

by Geoffrey E. Spofford As we approach the holiday season, the irresponsible use of alcohol, both by adults and underage drinkers, rises sharply. There are parents of teenagers who believe that it is acceptable and in some ways safer, for them to allow their teenagers to host house parties...

By: Geoffrey E. Spofford In 2008, by referendum, Massachusetts, adopted "an Act Establishing a sensible State marijuana policy," which resulted in the decriminalization of the possession of less than one ounce of marijuana. People found in possession of less than one ounce of marijuana were subje...

Divorce can wreak havoc on an estate plan. Upon marriage in Massachusetts, a previous will is void unless it was "made in contemplation of marriage." Once divorced, provisions in a will that mention an ex-spouse are void. Unfortunately, the legal consequences of a divorce on an estate plan don't ...

by Mark I. Zarrow As important as advance directives such as health care proxies (HCP's), durable powers of attorney (DPOA's) and wills are for married couples, their importance for unmarried couples is immeasurable. Many people these days participate in domestic partnerships without becoming ma...

According to the Pew Research Center, the number of mothers with children who stay at home is on the rise, reversing a decades-long trend. In 1999, 77 percent of mothers had a job or were actively looking for work. In 2013, 74 percent of women participated in the labor force. About 6 percent of f...

By: Geoffrey E. Spofford Federal Court dockets are being filled by claims of copyright violation made by the adult entertainment industry alleging the illegal download of adult pornographic movies. The industry filed suits which collectively named over 220,000 unidentified ("John Doe") defendants...

Massachusetts judges have wide discretion to determine all relevant factors impacting children in custody cases. Massachusetts child custody law is child centered and laser focused on the best interests of each unique child. Massachusetts gives state court judges wide discretion to take into acc...

1. How long does it take to finalize a divorce? The length of time it takes for a divorce to be finalized depends on a number of factors: the issues involved; the parties' positions and willingness to compromise; the strategies taken by the parties' and their attorneys; and the court's schedule. ...

Massachusetts alimony law leaves room for debate about key provisions, such as when benefits cease and how divorces finished before the reform are affected. As most people in Worcester know, in 2012, Massachusetts enacted significant changes to its prior alimony law. The new law limits payments f...

by Geoffrey Spofford With "social media" such as Facebook, Linked-In and Twitter so prevalent you might think the world would become a "friendlier" place. It is not uncommon for "Facebookers" to have thousands of "friends", a virtual impossibility only a few years ago. The explosion of "friends",...

With today's persistent economic downturn, we hear an awful lot about bankruptcy. Still, many people don't understand some of the basic features of personal bankruptcy. Here is a short primer on some of those basics. Federal law has for many years provided a way for an individual or couple to obt...

Many of you have heard or read about the Massachusetts legislature passing the Alimony Reform Act which was signed by the Governor into law on Monday, September 26, 2011. The law takes effect on March 1, 2012. Alimony is also known as spousal support. The law is significant, mandating the court s...