Brockton MA Divorce Law Blog

Charlie Sheen is in the news again, although it's not for his own antics this time. His twin sons have been removed by child protective services from the home and custody of their mother, Brooke Mueller. Sheen and Mueller divorced in 2011. The boys were placed in the temporary custody of another one of Sheen's ex-wives, Denise Richards. Sheen's twins are 4-years-old and a spokesman for the actor said Sheen will fully participate in and cooperate with any child custody court proceeding.

There are reports that the Department of Children and Family Services removed the twin boys from Mueller's home due to safety concerns because of Mueller's alleged drug use and her involuntary confinement for a mental health evaluation. Mueller was placed in an involuntary psychiatric hold at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles last Wednesday, but has since been released and voluntarily enrolled in a drug treatment program in the same facility. There were various other reports that Mueller has not actually lived with the twins for several weeks. Richards had taken the boys in before, including in December 2012 when Mueller entered a drug treatment center, reportedly for an addiction to Adderall.

While divorce can seem like a monumental obstacle that is difficult to get over, for divorcing parents, it's actually just the beginning of another very big challenge - co--parenting your children. While there are visitation schedules that must be kept and feelings that must be put aside, for the two parents that continue to raise their children "together" in two separate households, a congratulations is in order.

Not all parents are able to do so -- at least not in a manner that is best for the children. Divorce is often harder for kids to deal with than adults. In order to help them adjust, it will take a lot of work and some compromise.

Prenuptial agreements are useful tools if you, your spouse or both have significant assets. The purpose of a prenuptial agreement is to identify specific assets that will remain outside the marital estate at the time of a divorce. This can be done to protect specific assets or to protect the interests of some potential beneficiaries, like children from a first marriage during a second marriage.

Prenuptial agreements are typically accepted by the courts as valid contracts and are assumed enforceable during the property division. However, because they are contracts, prenuptial agreements must be properly drafted to comply with the laws of Massachusetts.

After a divorce, you may face a very different financial situation than what existed during your marriage. First, you have to establish two households, which is not inexpensive. Then there's often child support. And remember, child support does not go away. Ever. You can't discharge it in bankruptcy, your tax refunds can be garnished for it, and the State Department can prevent you from obtaining a passport or ever leaving the county.

You may also have to pay spousal support. Even though Massachusetts has recently changed its alimony laws, your former spouse may receive some level of spousal support, to enable her to become self-supporting. If you are the spouse receiving the support, chances are it may have an end date. You are facing the prospect of reentering the job market and all of the complexity that entails.