Executive divorce, business interests, and estate planning for Andover families.
Andover divorces often involve compensation structures that most attorneys don't fully understand: restricted stock, deferred bonuses, pension plans, and ownership stakes in closely held companies. We do this work regularly, and we bring the financial rigor these cases require.
We respond to all inquiries within one business day. Urgent matters same day.
How we help Andover families:
Executive compensation, retirement accounts, and business interests require analysis most family law firms aren't equipped to do.
Andover has a high concentration of executives, professionals, and business owners whose compensation goes well beyond a salary. Stock options granted before a marriage but vesting during it. Deferred bonuses tied to multi-year performance cycles. Ownership stakes in companies that have never been appraised. Pension plans with complicated present-value calculations. Each of these requires a different legal and financial approach.
We work with forensic accountants and business valuators to build the financial picture accurately. The goal is straightforward: identify everything that belongs in the marital estate, value it correctly, and argue for a division that reflects your actual contribution to the marriage.
Retirement accounts divided in divorce require a Qualified Domestic Relations Order, or QDRO. Getting the QDRO wrong can mean losing a portion of the benefit or triggering tax consequences that didn't need to happen. We handle these routinely.
Our office is about 25 minutes from Andover on Route 1 in Topsfield. Video consultations are available for clients who prefer to keep things off the road.
458 Boston Street (Route 1)
2nd Floor, Suite 6
Topsfield, MA 01983
About 25 minutes from Andover. On-site parking. Daytime, evening, and virtual appointments.
Essex Probate & Family Court
Lawrence session: Fenton Judicial Center, 2 Appleton Street · (978) 686-9692
Salem session: 36 Federal Street · (978) 744-1020
Both sessions hear divorce, custody, guardianship, and probate matters for Andover residents. We prepare and file everything on your behalf.
Start with answers, not appointments. These guides and tools were written by our attorney for the questions Andover clients ask first.
Andover is in Essex County, so divorce, custody, guardianship, and probate matters are heard by the Essex Probate and Family Court. Most Andover cases are heard at the Lawrence session (Fenton Judicial Center, 2 Appleton Street), though filings can also go to Salem (36 Federal Street). We prepare and file everything on your behalf, in the session appropriate for your case.
Stock options, restricted stock units, deferred compensation, and bonuses are all marital property to the extent they were earned during the marriage. The analysis turns on vesting schedules, grant dates, and whether the compensation was performance-based or time-based. We work through the math carefully so you don't leave money on the table, or expose yourself to a claim you shouldn't.
It can, if it was properly drafted and executed. Massachusetts courts will enforce a prenuptial agreement that was entered into voluntarily, with full financial disclosure, and that isn't unconscionable at the time of enforcement. Common vulnerabilities include one-sided terms, inadequate disclosure, and agreements signed under time pressure. We can review yours and tell you honestly where it stands.
Tell us a little about your situation and we'll reach out within one business day. No obligation, no pressure. Just a conversation with someone who can help.