News And Thoughts On The Law In And Around Boston

A disgruntled Massachusetts police chief is suing the town for which he works along with a couple selectmen who opted not to renew his contract. The chief, who works for the town of Milford, about 25 miles southwest of Boston, filed a contracts lawsuit against the town and two selectmen, who he says have no say in whether his contract should or should not have been renewed. Alleging that the decision sullied his reputation, he is suing for more than $500,000.

The state has a mandatory retirement age of 65 and the chief is now 62. He has been in the position since 2002. The town has formed a search committee to find a replacement candidate. 

Without a doubt, this is probably one of the most stressful times you have ever faced in your life. You decided to end your marriage and now face the divorce process. All you know about it may be what you have been told by friends, family or acquaintances, along with what you have seen in the media. More than likely, those stories did not make you feel any better since they focus more on the emotional aspects of the process whether Massachusetts couples end up in court battling over everything or divorce in such a friendly manner that they spend holidays as a family.

The first thing you need to know is that you do not have to fit into anyone else's definition of how the divorce process should go. Instead, you and your future former spouse may decide how you want it to go. Those is, if you can talk about it and work together, this would probably make it easier on you and any children involved.

Even if a Massachusetts couple has children, dividing their property will still be a major concern. Each party will want to begin his or her post-divorce life in the best financial place possible. For this reason, the parties will want to make sure they receive a fair and equitable share of the marital property. The less property each party must purchase after the divorce, the better off the situation may be.

Of course, it is about more than who gets the china, the furniture or even the house. A top concern of most people is having enough cash in the bank or retirement funds to start over after all is said and done. In order to obtain a settlement that each party will view as satisfactory, equitable and fair, preparations must be made before going into negotiations.

Massachusetts residents who decide to end their marriages may need some direction, information and guidance regarding the issues that will need resolving during the divorce. One of those issues revolves around whether one party will need to pay alimony to the other. Having at least some general information about this topic may help alleviate some anxiety and stress about it.

First, the amount and duration of alimony depend on numerous factors, but in general, the longer the marriage, the higher the amount and the longer the time. However, it may not be necessary to actually pay the amount owed, especially if the parties are negotiating their settlement outside the courtroom. It may be possible to trade assets for monetary payments.