THOMAS D. FARRELL

Why I Don’t Do Prenups

From time to time I get calls from people who are about to get married and want a pre-marital agreement, also known as a “prenup.” I send them on to braver lawyers. That said, here are some things to know about prenups. First, there are some subjects that a prenup won’t cover, or at least […]

Do I Appeal?  Going to a Higher Court.

Sometimes you get the bear.  Sometimes the bear gets you.  If you walk out of court with a decision that you aren’t happy about, you’re probably thinking about taking an appeal.  That option may not be as appealing as it sounds. The first thing to know is that not all decisions are appealable.  Generally, you […]

New Developments on Military Retirement

We finally had to give in and start a blog. Our first topic will be the impact of two really important legal developments in the treatment of military retirement in divorce, both of which have come up in the last six months. First, there is the National Defense Authorization Act of 2017, signed by President […]

Mandatory Mediation: An Idea Whose Time Has Passed

I’m overdue for another good rant. This one has to do with mandatory mediation. Mediation is where a neutral third-party tries to help the litigants come to an agreement that resolves their case. A mediator can’t decide the case, however. I’m not against mediation, and I’ve participated in mediation both as counsel for one of […]

When to File for a TRO

Our clients often ask if they should “put a TRO” on the other party. And sometimes they don’t ask us; they just do it and tell us after the fact. Should you get a TRO? You’ll get lots of bad advice on this. So much so, that the Petition form now asks who told you […]