Law Offices of Heather J. Lynham, PC

01/07/2023

As we enter another new year, are you worried about overwhelming debt and/or the possible loss of your home and other assets?

Has unemployment, a furlough, business closing, reduced hours, or other negative effects of Covid left you unable to sustain your present debt level? A Chapter 7 filing can relieve you of your debt burden. Want to keep your house? Did you take up your mortgage bank's offer to suspend your mortgage payments under the moratorium, and now you face paying all those back months at once? Do you want extra time to pay and the bank refuses? A Chapter 13 filing may get you time, and save your home. Need your car still so you can get to work but don't have the funds to catch up on the payments? Did a promise of financial assistance never materialize, leaving you spending down your savings and now there is nothing left? Was your line of work so altered by the pandemic that you may never work in your field again? Do you need time to retrain but have to manage your debt until you can work? Do you need a chance to reorganize? Do you feel you will never catch up and would like advice on how to weather this financial storm? Do you have old tax debt that may be dischargeable in bankruptcy or new tax debt that can be paid back through a bankruptcy filing? Do you .....? Do you .....? Do you .....?

We can help you make sensible financial decisions before throwing good money after bad. Start your recovery plan today by making an appointment for a complimentary one-hour review of your situation. You have options! You just need to know what they are and that we are here to help you with that fresh start!

Call (508) 994-3205 now!

The Law Office of Heather J. Lynham, P.C. in New Bedford, Massachusetts, handles bankruptcy, family law, wills and trusts, and other legal matters. Call 508-525-4805.

06/06/2020

As we reopen Massachusetts in stages, are you facing overwhelming debt and/or loss of your home and other assets? Has the Covid-19 shutdown thrown you into financial distress?

Has unemployment, a furlough, business closing, reduced hours, and other negative effects, left you unable to sustain your present debt level? Want to keep your house? Did you take up your mortgage bank's offer to suspend your mortgage payments under the moratorium, and now you face paying all those back months at once? Do you want extra time to pay and the bank refuses? A Chapter 13 filing may get you time, and save your home. Need your car still so you can get to work but don't have the funds to catch up on the payments? Did a promise of financial assistance never materialize, leaving you spending down your savings and now there is nothing left? Is your line of work so altered by the pandemic that you may never work in your field again? Do you need time to retrain but have to manage your debt until you can work? Do you need a chance to reorganize? Do you feel you will never catch up and would like advice on how to weather this financial storm? Do you have old tax debt that may be dischargeable in bankruptcy, or new tax debt that may be eligible for an Offer in Compromise? Do you .....? Do you .....? Do you .....?

We can help you make sensible financial decisions before throwing good money after bad. Start your recovery plan today by making an appointment for a complimentary one-hour review of your situation. You have options! You just need to know what they are!

Call (508) 994-3205 now!

12/02/2018

H**p first, MJ next.

Politics makes strange bedfellows. And that couldn't be more true than the Republican Congress pushing to legalize h**p prior to losing its majority, with the charge being led by none other than Mitch McConnell....

08/17/2018

Abridged from "When Is It Too Late to Write or Revise a Will?" Christopher Coble, Esq. on July 18, 2018

It's never too early to write a will. It may seem morbid or impractical but the sooner you have an estate plan in place, the better. Writing a will while still young gives you a handle on your assets and provides a framework you can refine and revise as the years pass, and removes worries that you were in your right mind when you left your fortune to your dog.

While there may be no time too early to write a will, there is certainly a time when it's too late. Can you guess when?

Written Wills and Probate Problems

If you have no will, when you die your estate goes into probate -- the legal process for transferring property after death and for sorting the legal issues related to the collection, management, and distribution of an estate. Going into probate without a will (intestate) means leaving the distribution of your estate up to your state's laws on intestate succession.

Intestate succession can be more expensive and take longer, and there is no guarantee the people you want to inherit your estate, will. While an administrator will attempt to track down heirs and close relatives for distribution, more distant relatives, friends, and charities are likely to lose out. And how your estate is distributed will be up to the courts, rather than up to you. Finally, if no surviving family members are found, most states take the entire estate.

Revision Reminders

If you have a will or estate plan in place, your death is also your deadline for revisions or changes. So it's best to continually update your will based on life changes like marriage, children, divorce, and financial changes like buying real estate and acquiring assets like investment or retirement portfolios.

Call (508) 994-3205 now for an appointment to discuss your will and estate planning.

08/05/2018

Bankruptcies for seniors have tripled since 1990. And the latest tax bill didn't help them either, unless very wealthy.

The rate of those 65 and older filing for bankruptcy is three times what it was in 1991, a new study finds, as more enter their later years in a precarious position.

06/07/2018

Boston, MA:

Those who owe fees in criminal cases can skip a trip to the courthouse and pay online with ePay, the Massachusetts Trial Court's new on-line payment system.

The ePay system will start operation statewide in June 2018.

Users can pay probation fees, victim witness fees and most other criminal assessments. Use of ePay via PayPal or a credit card will include a small convenience fee for processing.

Currently, 75% of criminal case payments in Massachusetts trial courts are made in person by check or cash. The ePay system will shorten lines at local courthouses.

More information about the system is available at www.mass.gov/epay-in-the-courts.

Learn about online payments in the courts.

05/27/2018

Below is a list of events and life changes that should prompt you to write or review a will:

*Beneficiaries you have named are deceased.

*New beneficiaries should be named.

*A new executor/representative should be named.

*Divorce or marriage.

*New state laws. Has Massachusetts enacted new law since you last wrote a will? If you moved here from another state, don't assume your will conforms to Massachusetts law. Each state has its own legal requirements for making a will.

*Change in guardians or trustees.

*Children reaching the age of eighteen.

*A substantial change in the value of your estate.

*The acquisition or disposition of a significant asset.

*You should us about reviewing and updating your estate plans prior to reaching 70 1/2 years of age if you have an IRA, 401(k), or other qualified plans that require you to begin to take distributions at age 701/2. The beneficiary you designated will have an irrevocable impact on both your and your beneficiary's required distributions (RMDs).

*The passage of time is s good reason. You should review your will and estate planning documents every 3-5 years.

For more information, email [email protected], or send a message from "Send Message" at upper right of this page, or call (508) 994-3205 for an appointment.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

10/19/2017

Lying About Child Custody: What Are the Consequences? By
Christopher Coble, Esq.

There's no doubt that child custody determinations can be hotly contested battles between parents. So it's probably not surprising that not all parents play by the rules. Even though it may come from a place of love and caring for the child, some parents have been known to stretch the truth or lie during child custody hearings or on court documents in order to gain or maintain custody.

Parents have been known to fib about a child's proximity to friends and family, dissemble about their own drinking or drug use, and even falsify allegations of child abuse. Needless to say, you should never lie about child custody. And if you or your ex-spouse do, here's what can happen.

Custodial Appeal

Child custody decisions are always subject to modification if there is a significant change in circumstances. And the discovery of falsifying testimony or documents during custody determinations could qualify as such a change. In addition, parents can appeal a child custody ruling within a limited time period after the judge enters their ruling. And some states allow parents to file motions for reconsideration, which request a judge to re-review the judgment based on certain facts they may not have considered.

So if you can prove your ex lied to the court about child custody, you may be able to have the custody ordered modified or even revoked. And if you lied during the custody hearings, you risk losing any custody rights the lie got you.

A Parent in Custody

You may want to take matters into your own hands if you find out your ex lied regarding custody, but beware: if you decide to withhold child support, refuse to relinquish custody, or take your child against court orders, you risk losing both custody and your freedom. Disobeying court orders -- even in response to fabricated custody evidence -- can result in fines and jail time, neither of which will help you get custody of your children in the future.

If you think someone lied about custody or in order to get it involving your child, contact an experienced child custody attorney.

05/08/2016

Five things you shouldn't do after a : http://bit.ly/1rdZuft

12/03/2015

I seem to spend a lot of time educating people that most everything they know about bankruptcy is just plain wrong. In fact a friend of mine just told me they were going to file bankruptcy and my answer was, "congratulations."