Date: Thursday, March 16, 23 & 30, 2000

Location: Suffolk University Law School, 120 Tremont St., Boston, MA
Time: 06:00 PM - 08:30 PM

The landscape of family law is changing: from decisions on child-visitation to the impact of stock options on child support to new rules of procedure. Practicing on the New Frontiers of Family Law is designed to assist you in dealing with these new and evolving aspects of domestic relations practice.

Using the New and Amended Rules of Domestic Relations Procedure focuses on preliminary automatic restraining orders, motion practice, and use of discovery masters and summary judgment. Analysis of Standing Order-2/99 and the application of Rule 78 to motions will also be discussed.

The Expanding Boundaries of the Family as Reflected in Child Visitation Cases focuses on visitation, including de facto parents; grandparents; post-adoption visitation; and relocation and its effect on visitation rights.

Employment Benefits in Property Assignment addresses the problems associated with selective executive employment benefits, stock options, life insurance, travel and entertainment, severance pay, individual and business goodwill, intellectual property valuation and the dangers of appeal.

Panels of judges and others explore significant issues which promise to confront you in the coming years. The educational method of using robust discussion among the panelists has been pioneered by Suffolk’s Advanced Legal Studies program. It promises to give you broad insights into the best of judicial thinking on these evolving areas of family law practice.

~ All Sessions ~

Professor Charles P. Kindregan, Jr., Suffolk University Law School
Attorney Monroe L. Inker, White, Inker, Aronson, PC, Boston

~ Session One ~

The new and amended Rules of Domestic Relations Practice, many of which became effective January 1, 2000 will bring substantial changes to the day-to-day practice of family law in Massachusetts. These changes include automatic restraining orders as to assets in divorce actions, the use of discovery masters, sanctions, summary judgment, and rules affecting financial statements and motion practice. Analysis of Standing Order 2-99 affecting Rule 78 motions will also be discussed.

Honorable Edward M. Ginsburg, Associate Justice, Probate & Family Court, Middlesex Division
Honorable Anthony R. Nesi, Circuit Justice, Probate & Family Court
Honorable Eileen M. Shaevel, Associate Justice, Probate & Family Court, Norfolk Division
Honorable Jeremy A. Stahlin, Associate Justice, Probate & Family Court, Suffolk Division
Attorney Linda S. Fidnick, Burres, Fidnick, Booth & Kaufman, Amherst

In recent years the law of the family has been substantially affected by court decisions which permit persons not traditionally considered family members to have standing in child visitation and post-adoption disputes. What the Supreme Judicial Court and courts in other states have called the "de facto" parent has for the first time been accorded recognition, and in this context the courts have come to recognize various forms of "nontraditional families." At the same time there has been a recognizable trend to de-emphasize the interests of biological noncustodial parents in the parental relocation cases. These various trends are reviewed and possible future evolution discussed.

Honorable Roderick L. Ireland, Associate Justice, Supreme Judicial Court
Honorable Joseph Lian, Jr., First Justice, Probate & Family Court, Worcester Division
Honorable Susan D. Ricci, Circuit Justice, Probate & Family Court
Honorable Mary Ann Sahagian, Circuit Justice, Probate & Family Court
Attorney Julie E. Ginsburg, Ginsburg & Leshin, LLP, Wellesley

The difficult problem of considering a spouse’s employment benefits in divorce cases has increasingly come before the courts in recent years. Selected benefits such as stock holdings and stock options, life insurance, travel and entertainment, intellectual property interests and severance pay are discussed by the panelists.

Honorable Edward F. Donnelly, Jr., Associate Justice, Probate & Family Court, Middlesex Division
Honorable Edward J. Lapointe, Probate & Family Court, Berkshire Division
Honorable John C. Stevens, III, Probate & Family Court, Essex Division
Honorable Geoffrey A. Wilson, Probate & Family Court, Franklin Division
Walter S. Goldstein , CPA, Edelstein & Co., Boston