Divorce
Navigate Divorce with Dignity and Strength
Divorce is one of life's most challenging experiences. Attorney John Taylor provides compassionate yet strategic representation to protect your rights, minimize conflict, and help you move forward with confidence.
At a Glance
Free tools for this page
Start with a quick uncontested-divorce check, or build a limited assistance plan for specific tasks.
Free 10-Minute Tool
Is your divorce really uncontested?
Most people think they agree on everything — until they start working through the details. Answer a few plain-English questions to see whether yours can stay a 1A (joint, uncontested) divorce, spot the issues couples most often overlook, and learn what help may fit.
Limited Assistance Representation
Need help with only part of the divorce?
If full representation is more than you need right now, limited assistance representation may let you hire Attorney Taylor for specific tasks: reviewing an agreement, drafting court papers, analyzing child support, or preparing you to handle a hearing. Use the planner to build a realistic task list and budget.
Understanding Your Options
Types of Divorce in Massachusetts
Massachusetts is a no-fault divorce state. Understanding the difference between 1A and 1B divorces helps you choose the right path forward.
1A Divorce (Joint Petition)
1B Divorce (Complaint for Divorce)
Key Issues
Critical Matters in Your Divorce
Every divorce involves resolving several important issues that will affect your future. We help you understand and navigate each one.
Child Custody & Parenting Time
Legal custody (decision-making authority) and physical custody (where children live). Massachusetts favors joint legal custody when appropriate. Parenting schedules tailored to children's best interests.
Child Support
Calculated using Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines based on both parents' income. Considers health insurance, childcare costs, and parenting time. Use our calculator below for an estimate.
Alimony (Spousal Support)
General term alimony for ongoing support, rehabilitative alimony for education/training, or reimbursement alimony. Duration based on length of marriage. Terminates upon remarriage or cohabitation.
Property Division
Massachusetts follows equitable (fair) distribution, not necessarily 50/50. Court considers length of marriage, contributions, and economic circumstances. Includes real estate, retirement accounts, and business interests.
Protecting Your Interests
Suspect Hidden Assets?
Asset concealment is more common than you think. Massachusetts law gives us powerful discovery tools to uncover the truth—and courts take hiding assets seriously.
Under court rules, both spouses must disclose all assets under penalty of perjury. But disclosures are only as honest as the person completing them. When something doesn't add up, we use interrogatories, subpoenas, depositions, and forensic analysis to find what's missing.
We can obtain records directly from banks, employers, and the IRS—bypassing your spouse entirely. Loan applications, lifestyle spending, and tax returns often reveal the truth that financial statements try to hide.
Click each tactic below to see how we expose it.
1Underreporting IncomeA spouse claims to earn less than they actually do, often through cash payments or deferred bonuses.
Our Discovery Strategy
We subpoena tax returns, bank deposits, and loan applications directly from third parties. People often inflate income on loan applications—creating a paper trail that contradicts their divorce disclosures.
2Transferring Assets to Family or Friends"Loans" or "gifts" to relatives that conveniently reduce the marital estate right before divorce.
Our Discovery Strategy
Interrogatories require disclosure of all transfers. We trace funds through bank records and depose recipients under oath. Courts can claw back fraudulent transfers.
3Hidden Bank or Investment AccountsSecret accounts at different banks, brokerage accounts, or cryptocurrency holdings never disclosed.
Our Discovery Strategy
We analyze tax returns for unreported interest/dividends, subpoena financial institutions, and request production of all account statements. Lifestyle analysis reveals spending that exceeds reported assets.
4Overpaying Taxes or CreditorsDeliberately overpaying the IRS or "paying off" debts to retrieve money after divorce.
Our Discovery Strategy
We request tax transcripts directly from the IRS and analyze payment histories. Unusual prepayments or overpayments before divorce filing are red flags we investigate.
5Business ManipulationA business-owning spouse suddenly shows declining revenue, inflated expenses, or delayed contracts.
Our Discovery Strategy
Depositions of the spouse and key employees, subpoenas for business records, and forensic accounting reveal true business value. We compare current performance to historical trends.
Consequences of hiding assets: Judges can award a larger share to the honest spouse, order payment of attorney's fees, and impose sanctions. False financial statements are signed under penalty of perjury.
Alternatives to Litigation
Mediation & Collaborative Divorce
Not all divorces require lengthy court battles. Alternative dispute resolution methods can save time, money, and emotional stress while achieving fair outcomes.
We can represent you in mediation, where a neutral mediator facilitates discussions, or in collaborative divorce, where both parties commit to settling without court intervention.
Benefits of Mediation
- Maintain control over outcomes rather than leaving decisions to a judge
- Confidential and private process
- Typically faster and less expensive than litigation
- Reduces conflict and emotional stress for the entire family
- Better for co-parenting relationships after divorce
- Flexible scheduling around your needs
Process
The Divorce Process
We discuss your situation, goals, and outline the best path forward for your family.
We prepare and file divorce paperwork, ensuring proper service on your spouse.
If needed, we seek interim orders for custody, support, and use of marital assets.
Exchange financial information and work toward settlement through negotiation or mediation.
If settlement isn't reached, we present your case at trial. Most cases settle before this stage.
Finalize your divorce and handle any post-judgment modifications as circumstances change.
What to Expect
- Clear guidance on custody, support, and property division tailored to your family's specific circumstances.
- Proactive communication so you're never left wondering about your case status. We respond promptly and explain developments in plain language.
- Transparent billing with detailed invoices and different service levels — from limited-assistance help on an uncontested agreement to full representation — so you know what to expect.
- Skilled negotiation focused on achieving fair settlements without unnecessary litigation costs or prolonged conflict.
- Trial-ready preparation from day one. If settlement isn't possible, we're prepared to present your case effectively in court.
- Post-divorce support for modifications when circumstances change—custody adjustments, support modifications, and enforcement actions.
Child Support
Estimate Your Child Support
Use our calculator based on the 2025 Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines to get an estimate of potential child support payments.
This tool provides estimates only. Actual court orders depend on many factors including judicial discretion and specific circumstances of your case.
Massachusetts Child Support Calculator
Estimate child support based on the 2025 Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines (effective December 1, 2025)
Typically the custodial parent/recipient
Typically the non-custodial parent/payor
Children 18+ may receive reduced support
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a divorce take in Massachusetts?
Do we have to go to court?
How much will my divorce cost?
Can I get divorced if my spouse doesn't want to?
What are grounds for divorce in Massachusetts?
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Divorce is a major life transition that requires experienced legal representation. Contact Tay-Law today for a confidential consultation to discuss your options.
Different service levels to match your situation, from limited-assistance help on an uncontested divorce to full representation.