The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has passed a number of laws in the past decade that are very harsh on those who are arrested for operating under the influence (OUI). If you are stopped and charged with OUI, you will need to have a basic understanding of the penalties you could face under Massachusetts OUI laws. Understanding the terms Melanie’s Law was passed in October of 2005 in Massachusetts for the sole purpose of allowing stronger
Many parents-to-be wonder just how much time from work they can take off when their child is born. Effective April 7, 2015, under Massachusetts law, men and women will both be covered under the Massachusetts Maternity Leave Act (MMLA), which makes them eligible for eight weeks of job-protected leave related to the birth, adoption, or court-ordered placement of a child in their home. The original MMLA provided female employees the right to take eight weeks
Massachusetts law uses a rule called comparative fault (aka “Comparative/Contributory Negligence”) when determining financial damages in a personal injury case. In effect, a determination will be made regarding what percentage of fault is assigned to the victim of an injury as well as the fault assigned to the person believed to be at fault for the injury. Practical application of comparative fault For most people, it is a challenge to understand comparative fault. Therefore it
Winter in Massachusetts is a time of snow, ice and even hail. Property owners now have to worry about the potential liability they face from snow and ice, which can cause slip and fall injuries more than ever before. In 2010, the MA Supreme Court basically changed property liability rules from the long standing principle that owners were only liable for “unnatural” accumulations of snow and ice. What is unnatural accumulation? Massachusetts defined unnatural accumulation
Property Owners’ Legal Duty to Prevent Injury : When someone owns property that person has what’s called a legal duty to prevent injury. In many instances it’s referred to simply as liability. What that means is a property owner, whether it’s a homeowner or a business owner, is expected to take reasonable precautions to make sure people on his or her property do not incur an accident or get injured in ways that could have
In spite of the changes made by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in minimizing some mandatory sentencing requirements, being arrested for possession of drugs in the Massachusetts carries harsh sentences, fines and a potential loss of driving privileges. Under Massachusetts law, except for possession of amounts of less than one ounce of marijuana, possession of drugs may result in the following penalties and jail time:
Like most states, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts takes OUI (operating under the influence) charges very seriously. In October of 2005, then Governor Mitt Romney signed “Melanie’s Law” which enhanced many of the existing penalties for driving while under the influence as well as the penalties for refusing to take breathalyzer tests. It is worth noting that Massachusetts now has a lifetime look back period for OUIs and this will impact all drivers who had previous
No one enters a marriage with the idea that it is going to end in divorce. However, for many couples a divorce is the only solution for an unhappy situation. If you’re considering filing for divorce in Massachusetts, make sure you understand the two types of dissolutions available to you.
You’re going out for a night on the town, and you’ve offered to drive. You plan on being responsible, only having a couple of drinks before you drive home. Although you may feel like you’re fine to drive, alcohol affects people in different ways. Before you get behind the wheel, it is important to know the factors that affect BAC so that you don’t risk driving under the influence.
Getting pulled over is a stressful situation as it is, but if you are under the influence, the situation is even worse. Not many people are very informed about what to do when you are pulled over for a DUI in Massachusetts, mainly because nobody expects it to happen to them. But, it is important to know what to do and what your rights are in the situation. Although you may be in the wrong,
Most people that are thinking about filing for a divorce do not prepare properly. This is quite the big decision, so it is important not to let emotions get in the way of rational thinking. Do not jump into the divorce process, but instead take it slowly. You do not want to have to deal with the negative consequences of being unprepared. Follow these 5 tips from Divorce Support to make sure your divorce goes
In the midst of the turmoil that may be found in divorce, it can be tempting to take the first chance one gets to crash on a friend’s couch or rent an apartment. However, sometimes this is not the best, or most feasible, option. There are number of reasons why a couple may choose to continue living together during the divorce, including monetary influences or custody reasons. While living together at this stage may be emotionally tolling,
In most cases, child support ends when a child becomes a legal adult and reaches the “age of emancipation”—typically age 18. However, when a child requires support for a college education, child support mandates change.
Prenuptial agreements can seem like a real buzzkill for the blushing bride-to-be or grinning groom-to-be, but they can be a very important aspect of preparing for marriage.
In a typical divorce involving children without joint custody, there will be one parent who pays child support. Normally, that parent would be the one who the child does not live with full time. The most common belief is that after the child turns 18, the child support ends.
Social media has become a part of people’s everyday lives in the last decade. With sites like Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram, there are plenty of places for people to share daily updates and pictures of their lives. However, there can be a point when you share too much, and it could be affecting your relationship. In the case of a divorce, it could negatively affect both you and your case.
Child support for a struggling parent can be crucial to caring for their child, so when child support payments wane or stop altogether, this can be detrimental to the livelihood of the child (or children).
Massachusetts has recently become the eighteenth state to have voted in favor of the legalization of medicinal marijuana. By 2016, the legalization of recreational marijuana is predicted to be voted into law as well. A Suffolk University/Boston Herald poll released in February 2014 found that 53 percent of likely Massachusetts voters “favor … the legalization of marijuana.” The applications processes for dispensaries have already started, and are projected to be open by the summer of
Many of us have that one friend that tends to drink in excess and then has no qualms about getting behind the wheel of a car.
While your pets may feel like members of the family, they are not treated as such when it comes to Massachusetts divorce law.
