Lori Caravalho is the newest member to join the team at Parker Mediation. She previously served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (“CASA”) in Worcester County, Massachusetts. At CASA, she became a supervisor and trainer before moving on to other mediation work with families and children. Lori provided Permanency Mediation services for Children’s Services of Roxbury, Inc., Massachusetts Families for Kids (“MFFK”). She is a talented and experienced mediator.
Lori Caravalho earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Worcester State University. She is a Court Investigator for the Worcester County Juvenile Court and has years of experience working within the court systems. Her experience working with families in transition enables her to guide folks through the divorce mediation process with ease. If you would like to schedule a free consultation with Lori or learn more about divorce mediation, call us today at 508 795 0200.
Lori Caravalho Joins Parker Mediation
Alimony Reform Act of 2011
This week Gov. Deval Patrick signed the Alimony Reform Act of 2011. The provisions of the new law take effect on March 1, 2012. The mathematical algorithm for determining alimony is fairly complex, but the new alimony law generally reduces the duration of time alimony payments will occur following divorce. Anyone considering divorce should be aware of the changes and plan accordingly.
Folks that are currently receiving or paying alimony will want to review options created by the new law reforming alimony in Massachusetts. In many cases parties will want to seek a complaint for modification because the existing alimony judgment exceeds the durational limits set forth in the new law. A set schedule establishes the transition period for the filing of these types of complaints.
Payors who were married to the alimony recipient 5 years or less, may file a modification action on or after March 1, 2013. Payors who were married to the alimony recipient 10 years or less, but more than 5 years, may file a modification action on or after March 1, 2014. Payors who were married to the alimony recipient 15 years or less, but more than 10 years, may file a modification action on or after March 1, 2015. Payors who were married to the alimony recipient 20 years or less, but more than 15 years, may file a modification action on or after September 1, 2015. Also, any payor who is eligible for the full old-age benefit under the United States Old Age, Disability, and Survivor Insurance Act, 42 U.S.C. 416, or who will become eligible for said benefit on or before March 1, 2015 may file a complaint for modification on or after March 1, 2013.
The transition period provides the opportunity for people to plan accordingly. If you and your ex-spouse plan ahead and communicate openly, the topic of alimony will be easier to handle. If you are facing changes as a result of the Alimony Reform Act of 2011 and would like to mediate rather than go to court, feel free to contact us at Parker Mediation 508 795 0200 to schedule a free consultation.
Alimony In Divorce
The decision to divorce is often a difficult choice, but once made, it is time to start planning. If you are nervous about your financial future or the topic of alimony, do not worry; you are not alone. Mediation allows parties to talk through their feelings and fears about alimony in a safe and confidential setting.
Confidential discussions during mediation provide parties a productive opportunity to discuss alimony in a stress-free environment. Guidance from the mediator helps to determine whether alimony is appropriate in the grand scheme of the divorce plan. Planning budgets to project the income and expenses of the parties and other family members, if children are involved, is a useful exercise. While divorce can be a financial hardship, the effects of the divorce are minimized by making and following budgets. Alimony is a tool the parties can use to make a healthy financial plan.
Parties using mediation decide the issue of alimony with self-determination. This is often more satisfying than leaving it up to the lawyers or judges, who themselves are often perplexed and challenged to determine what is fair. Alimony reform is adding even more uncertainty on the topic. There are several suggested formulas or guidelines to explore. The MBA/BBA guidelines, the Ginsburg formula, the Scandurra formula, and the 1/3 formula all provide frameworks for analyzing potential alimony amounts and duration.
Some guidelines suggest durational limits on alimony in relation to the length of the marriage. Sometimes courts leave duration open ended, perhaps rationalizing that either party may file a complaint for modification in the event of a change in material circumstance. In mediation, the parties decide what is right for their unique situation. The flexibility found in mediation is better suited to creating a plan that is agreeable to both parties.
Alimony is a difficult topic, because no two cases are the same; every divorce is slightly different. By exploring many different scenarios, mediation participants will have a better understanding of the options and the implications each formula provides. Mediators are well suited to encourage the creativity of the parties themselves in formulating the divorce plan on an individual basis. In mediation, the decision about alimony is yours to make. With guidance, you will make the right choice, because it will be yours.
Two thirds of help is to give courage. – Irish Proverb
Determining the Best Interests of Adolescent Children
Teenage children sometimes become confused and present with difficult behavior. Parenting that previously worked may no longer manage difficult behaviors. During divorce, strategies that once helped seem to make things worse. Parenting through divorce presents unique challenges and concerns. Professionals can provide helpful information when co-parenting seems impossible.
Courts are often ill equipped to make important parenting decisions about adolescents. Some teenage children get what they want, even in cases where a professional Guardian Ad Litem makes specific recommendations. This may results in dramatic changes for a child who is undergoing multiple changes due to parental divorce and adolescence. Parents may better explore and understand the best interests of their child when mediators provide education and resources.
Research in the area of development psychology is relevant to understanding what is in the best interests of our teenagers. Participants in mediation each share their belief systems about what is best for the adolescent in regards to parenting and living arrangements. Learning how to manage parental conflict, to minimize the harmful effects on the adolescent child, is a big factor in the child’s future success. Families struggling with adolescent issues will find better resolutions using mediation.
There will always be conflict; learning skills to manage opposition is a worthy task for all parents. Differences of opinion arise whether couples remain married or parent post-divorce. Finding solutions together provides a less stressful atmosphere for the child and the parents.
Worcester, MA Divorce Lawyer & Family Mediator
Worcester, MA Divorce Lawyer & Family Mediation:
- Larri Parker Worcester Divorce Lawyer & Mediator
Parker Mediation provides Massachusetts families an effective and affordable divorce resolution model.
Our experienced divorce lawyers and mediators are dedicated to advancing the use of effective and highly successful mediation techniques to help advance an amicable resolution in a timely manner.
With nearly ten years of mediation experience in Massachusetts, our trained family law attorney mediators protect your legal and financial interests while managing conflict to a mutually acceptable resolution for all parties.
An effective mediation process by a trained and experienced Massachusetts mediator is the most affordable, timely and emotionally balanced method of bringing conflict to a mutually beneficial resolution.
The family and divorce mediators in the Worcester, MA office of Parker Mediation serve the Central Massachusetts and Boston metro-west communities such as Clinton, Framingham, Fitchburg, Leominster, Marlborough, Millbury, Shrewsbury, Sutton, Westborough and Worcester, Massachusetts.
Massachusetts Mediator Larri Tonelli Parker specializes in family and divorce mediation and has over twenty five years experience helping families and couples resolve their differences amicably. Call us to learn how divorce mediation can save you time and money.