It is no secret that a divorce can be expensive.  Lawyer fees can add up; and it is hard to find a good bargain attorney.  In fact, hiring a cheap attorney, may not be such a good bargain afterall.  The court system is not easy to navigate without an attorney.  Couples going through a divorce soon realize that they are at the mercy of  a system that has its own procedures and communication systems that they are forced to either learn or forced to give in to by hiring a professional for representation.   Because many persons contemplating divorce have started the separation process, they realize that the income that once went to support one household, must now be stretched to support two households.  It is at this most heartwrenching time for the family,  that the party seeking divorce is asked to come up with a retainer to pay his or her attorney.  Then, the other party after being served with a Summons and Complaint for Divorce must also come up with a retainer to pay his or her attorney.    It is no surprise then, especially in the current economy, that many divorcing spouses are trying to go the entire process alone without an attorney.  

The probate and family courts are flooded with Divorce, Custody, Child Support, Visitation and Complaints for Modification and Contempt.  They are congested and backlogged.   With persons trying to get through the process pro se, which means going through it without any representation by an attorney, the overloaded system at the courthouse is like a bottleneck.  Faced with this impasse, the courts have devised a means whereby these pro se litigants can obtain limited legal assistance so they can successfully resolve their legal issue without costing the parties a fortune.

With limited assistance representation, you no longer have to hire an attorney to be all or nothing, you can choose after consultation with the attorney which services you would like the attorney to perform.  This type of assistance can save the family thousands of dollars.

GOOD NEWS! GHOSTWRITING IS LEGAL

On March 23, 2010, the Honorable Charles R. Johnson, Chief Justice, of the Boston Municipal Court Department pursuant to the provision of G.L. c. 211B, Sec. 10 and G.L. c 218, sec 51A, and in compliance with the Order in Re:  Limited Assistance Representation issued by the Massachusetts Supreme Judical Court effective May 1, 2009, issued Standing Order 1-10 Limited Assistance Representation in Civil Matters Only, by where in conjunction with the other parts of such order,  a "Qualified Attorney" may assist a client in preparing a pleading, motion or any other document to be signed and filed in court by the client, a practice sometimes referrred to as "ghostwriting" so long as the attorney complies with all of the rules of said order.  For more information, please contact us.

At Nicastro Law, we are working diligently to provide high quality representation at a reasonable rate.  Our attorneys are certified in limited assistance representation "LAR".  What is LAR?  Some refer to it as "unbundling legal assistance".  Technically, LAR is what permits an attorney to assist self-represented litigants on a limited basis without undertaking full representation of the client on all issues related to a case.   It provides a significant benefit in expanding access to justice in the Trial Courts and Probate and Family Court. However, an attorney is not deemed a "Qualified Attorney" unless and until, he or she completes an information session on LAR approved by the Chief Justice of the Trial Court Department in which the attorney seeks to represent a client on a limited basis.  The "Qualified Attorney"  may limit the scope of his or her representation of a client if the limitation is reasonable under the circumstances AND the client gives informed consent.  A study conducted  by the Boston Bar Association indicated that in over 2/3 of the family law cases, one or both of the persons going to court are "pro se" (self-represented)  The problem is that too many of the pro se litigants are unable to finish their family law case due to lack of understanding of the court process.  With LAR, we can assist you. You can call us at (617) 469-6498 to discuss the certified limited assistance attorney representation which is right for you.