Practice Areas

Domestic Relations

Attorneys Stephen N. Lander and Jill P. Dawiczyk specifically limit their practice to Domestic Relations, with an emphasis in complex valuation and custody cases. Generally, these cases take the form of the following:

• Divorce action
• Modification action
• Contempt action
• Separate support action
• Custody/visitation cases
• Petitions to remove children from the Commonwealth
• Drafting prenuptial agreements

With rare exception, we limit our appearances to the Counties of Barnstable, Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk and Worcester.

While our goal in virtually all cases is to achieve a settlement agreement, our philosophy is simple: You get better results if the opponent knows that you are prepared to try the case. Toward that end and with appropriate client interaction, we discover the information necessary to make a truly informed decision.

Every case is different. Our strategies are tailored specifically for each case. We recognize that for most clients, divorce is both the most emotional time of their lives and the biggest business deal in which they have been involved. We separate the two, with detailed and unambiguous advice.

Estate Planning

Attorneys Jay J. Lander and Michelle L. Feinberg concentrate their practice in all Estate Planning matters, including the preparation of Wills and Trusts in order to provide for the disposition of an individual's property upon incapacity or death in a tax efficient manner. There are many non-tax issues to consider in implementing an estate plan. Clients have the opportunity to nominate a legal guardian for their minor children and the ability to preserve and provide management of family assets and protect such assets from creditors for the benefit of their children past the age of majority.

Through the execution of a variety of documents such as Credit Shelter Trusts, QTIP Trusts, Irrevocable Life Insurance Trusts, Generation Skipping Trusts, Family Limited Partnerships, Qualified Personal Residence Trusts, Charitable Trusts, Trusts for Minors or Disabled Beneficiaries, and Prenuptial Agreements, we design our clients' documents to accomplish their personal estate planning goals.

When faced with the incapacity of a family member, our clients often turn to us to assist them through the process of establishing Guardianships and Conservatorships. When appropriate, we prepare Health Care Proxies, Durable Powers of Attorney, Declarations of Homestead and other relevant documents.

We offer comprehensive advice with respect to Estate and Gift Taxation. Emphasis is placed on asset allocation and gifting to ensure that the estate planning documents achieve maximum estate tax savings.

Probate & Estate Administration

Our firm handles all aspects of Probate and Estate Administration. Probate is the legal process by which a person's will is allowed by the Probate Court. The provisions of the will dictate how the individual's debts are paid and assets are distributed upon death. Estate Administration includes the probate process as well as non-probate transfers of the deceased's assets, such as life insurance, annuities, qualified plans, and trust assets and compliance with applicable estate tax requirements.

Our attorneys assist the personal representative of the estate in the gathering, valuation, accounting and distribution of the decedent's assets. We prepare federal and state estate tax returns as well as the appropriate documents in order to release liens on a decedent's real estate. It is our responsibility to assure that all steps are properly taken in order to carry out the decedent's intent in accordance with the law.

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