Social Security and Military Benefits can be divided at divorce

Federal government benefits – such as from Social Security or the military – have their own rules, and those rules usually trump state law. So sometimes it’s unclear whether a state divorce court can divide up a federal payment. However, in several recent cases, it was determined that federal payments could be split at divorce. […]

What is a “no fault” divorce in Massachusetts?

A “no fault” divorce in Massachusetts is a divorce in which the marriage is broken beyond repair but where neither spouse blames the other. In Massachusetts, the no fault divorce grounds is called “Irretrievable Breakdown of Marriage.” There are two kinds of “irretrievable breakdown” divorces. They are often referred to as “1A’ and “1B”, referring […]