Divorce isn’t just tough emotionally; it’s also a big deal for your wallet.  Did you know that a body of research has established that marital disruption has a substantial negative impact on a couple’s finances?  From dividing assets to managing debt, the emotional turmoil of divorce often overshadows the crucial task of financial planning for divorce. This essential guide equips you with the knowledge and tools to navigate this challenging process with clarity and confidence. Whether you’re contemplating divorce or already navigating the legal proceedings, having a so ..read more

67% of parents spend 20% or more of their household income on child care, up from 51% in 2022, according to an annual report by Care.com. To compare, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services considers 7% of household income affordable for child care. The cost of child care in the U.S. has been increasing, and many families spend more than what the government considers affordable. Two-thirds of parents, 67%, spend 20% or more of their household income on child care, according to a recent report by Care.com that surveyed 3,000 U.S. parents. That’s up from 51% who repo ..read more

Is charging extra for non-dairy milk an act of discrimination against people who are lactose intolerant? This is the question three Starbucks customers are raising by filing a $5m class-action lawsuit against Starbucks for making customers who do not consume dairy pay more for their lattes and frappuccinos. The three California customers – two from Los Angeles county, and one from Madera – are all lactose intolerant, and when they buy drinks at Starbucks, they are charged an extra fee of $0.50 to $0.80 per drink, according to a complaint filed in early March in a federal court in Fre ..read more

Stress is a natural response to a threat or a challenge. It’s our mind’s and body’s way of preparing us to respond to something difficult or unexpected. When we experience stress, our bodies have a physical reaction, and our minds race. Massachusetts family life can be overwhelming, and busy, and causes stress for all of us at times. High levels of stress can make it hard to be calm and consistent with our children. We may find it challenging to spend enjoyable quality time with our kids when we’re experiencing stress; however, children thrive when their parents are responsive and calm in the ..read more

Atlantic Properties Management Corporation and its affiliate, Diversified Funding, Inc., property management companies in Boston, violated Massachusetts and federal law by failing to provide a reasonable accommodation to a new hire with a disability and subsequently withdrawing her job offer, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today. According to the EEOC’s lawsuit, the individual was offered employment as an executive administrative assistant to the president and vice president of the two companies. Shortly after the offer of employment, the emp ..read more

A home appraiser is a professional who studies different aspects of your home to give a fair-market appraisal of how much it is worth. Their feedback is crucial when it comes to your home’s value. If you’re looking to refinance, for instance, an appraisal can help you avoid wasting money on your monthly payment. Before an appraiser looks at a property you want to buy or currently own, here are a few things you need to know. They work for the bank Appraisers aren’t in a position to help you or make it easier for you to get a loan. They may not even be in your corner when deciding ..read more

In January 2024 the state Attorney General’s office sued the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) over its treatment of a family with two girls with asthma and developmental issues, charging the authority ignored repeated complaints for three years about the unsanitary conditions in their Franklin Field apartment that were so bad the girls had to seek emergency care at a local hospital two to three times a month. According to the suit, the BHA moved the woman, her mother and the woman’s two nieces, who were living with them, into a four-bedroom Franklin Field apartment in 2016 – an apartment that wa ..read more

A January report from WalletHub compared the 50 states to determine the best place in the country to raise a family. States were evaluated and ranked across five key dimensions: Family Fun Health & Safety Education & Child Care Affordability Socio-economics WalletHub used 50 relevant metrics including pediatricians per capita, day-care services and quality, and housing affordability, each graded on a 100-point scale, to determine which states had the most favorable conditions for family life. The report found that the ideal city to raise a family is affordable to live in duri ..read more

A July 2022 Pew Research study found that 69% of Americans say they are married, while 22% have never wed. While marriage can certainly be challenging, it appears to be correlated with increased levels of well-being among adults in the U.S., according to recently released data from Gallup and the Institute for Family Studies . Gallup surveyed more than 2.6 million adults, mostly via phone, from 2008 to 2023 to examine the relationship between marital status and happiness. Using the Cantril ladder — a measure of subjective well-being — researchers assessed participants’ curr ..read more

Divorce is up among middle-aged and older Americans, even as younger generations are less likely to get divorced, a recent analysis finds. According to the Bowling Green State University’s National Center for Family and Marriage Research, divorce rates doubled for Americans over 55 and tripled for those over 65 from 1990 to 2021. At the same time, divorce rates among young adults have dropped. The uptick in divorce among Baby Boomers is due to various factors, sociologist Brad Wilcox says, from cultural shifts in attitudes toward marriage to where these adults are currently at i ..read more