Contested Divorce
Strategic representation when spouses disagree about custody, support, property, finances, or other significant issues.
Hingham Divorce Lawyer
Experienced guidance when your family, finances, and future are at stake.
Divorce can affect nearly every part of your life. Caldeira Law, P.C. provides experienced, thoughtful representation to individuals navigating divorce in Hingham, across the South Shore, and throughout Massachusetts.
More than 25 years of family law experience. Practical advice. Careful preparation. Personal representation.
25+ Years ExperienceFormer SJC Law ClerkGuardian ad LitemAdjunct Professor
When divorce becomes your reality
You do not have to navigate it without a plan.
The end of a marriage brings difficult decisions, often at a time when it can be hard to know what comes next.
Where will your children live? What happens to the family home? How will assets and debts be divided? Will there be child support or alimony? What happens to retirement accounts, investments, or a family business?
Some divorces can be resolved through negotiation or mediation. Others require extensive financial analysis, litigation, or trial. The right approach depends on your family, your finances, and your goals.
Caldeira Law helps clients understand their options, identify the issues that matter most, and develop a strategy designed for their circumstances.
Start with clarity
An initial consultation can help you identify:
- Immediate legal and financial priorities
- Parenting and custody concerns
- Documents and financial information to gather
- Settlement, mediation, and litigation options
- Practical next steps before important decisions are made
Experience matters
More than 25 years of family law experience.
Attorney Charlene A. Caldeira brings more than 25 years of experience representing clients in Massachusetts family law matters. Her background includes service as a law clerk to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, court-appointed work, teaching, and continuing legal education.
That depth of experience informs how Caldeira Law approaches divorce: understanding the law, identifying practical solutions, negotiating effectively, and preparing carefully for litigation when necessary.
The objective is not conflict for the sake of conflict. It is making sound decisions today that protect what matters tomorrow.Meet Charlene Caldeira
Divorce representation
Divorce matters Caldeira Law handles.
A divorce may involve far more than the legal end of a marriage. The issues below often overlap and should be considered as part of one coordinated strategy.
Uncontested Divorce
Careful guidance when spouses have reached, or may be able to reach, agreement and need the terms documented properly.
Complex Financial Matters
Divorces involving substantial assets, businesses, investments, retirement accounts, real estate, or complicated financial arrangements.
Child Custody & Parenting
Custody, parenting schedules, decision-making, and related concerns with the children's interests firmly in focus.
Learn about child custody →Child Support & Alimony
Guidance concerning support obligations, income considerations, guideline calculations, and more complicated financial situations.
Child support → Alimony →Property Division
Analysis of the home, retirement accounts, investments, businesses, debts, and other assets as part of the overall divorce strategy.
Learn about property division →Considering divorce?
You do not need every answer before speaking with an attorney.
A consultation can help you understand the issues likely to matter in your case and what steps may make sense next.
The process
What can a Massachusetts divorce look like?
Every case is different. Understanding the general stages can make an unfamiliar process more manageable.
Initial Consultation & Strategy
We begin by learning about your family, financial circumstances, concerns, and goals, then identify the legal and practical issues that may shape the matter.
Filing & Initial Proceedings
The process may involve filing or responding to a complaint, exchanging required financial information, and addressing temporary issues while the case is pending.
Discovery & Case Preparation
When necessary, information concerning income, assets, liabilities, businesses, real estate, retirement accounts, and other financial matters is gathered and analyzed.
Negotiation & Mediation
Many cases are resolved without trial. Negotiation and mediation can create opportunities to reach an agreement while retaining greater control over the outcome.
Litigation When Necessary
When important issues cannot be resolved, careful preparation matters. Caldeira Law is prepared to advocate through court proceedings and trial when necessary.
Resolution & Next Steps
Whether achieved through agreement or court decision, the goal is a durable resolution that allows you to move forward with greater certainty.
Mediation & settlement
Divorce does not always have to become a battle.
For some families, mediation provides a more constructive way to resolve divorce issues. Rather than asking a judge to decide every disagreement, mediation gives spouses an opportunity to work toward their own resolution with the assistance of a neutral mediator.
Mediation may offer greater privacy, flexibility, and control while reducing some of the financial and emotional costs associated with prolonged litigation.
Because Caldeira Law's practice includes both family law representation and mediation, the firm understands the advantages—and limitations—of different approaches to resolving divorce.
Learn About Divorce MediationA tailored approach
Settlement when possible. Advocacy when necessary.
Resolving a matter efficiently can often be preferable to prolonged litigation. When litigation is necessary, careful preparation and experienced advocacy become critical.
Why Caldeira Law
Sophisticated experience. Personal representation.
Strategic Judgment
More than 25 years of family law experience informs the advice and strategy behind each matter.
Careful Preparation
Strong outcomes begin with understanding the facts, finances, law, and objectives before important decisions are made.
Practical Advice
Clients deserve clear explanations and realistic advice—not unnecessary conflict or promises that cannot be guaranteed.
Personal Attention
Caldeira Law is a boutique practice offering individualized representation tailored to the client's circumstances.
Hingham & the South Shore
Massachusetts divorce representation close to home.
Caldeira Law is based in Hingham and represents family law clients throughout the South Shore and Massachusetts, including individuals from Cohasset, Scituate, Norwell, Hanover, Weymouth, Quincy, Braintree, Milton, Hull, Marshfield, Duxbury, Pembroke, and surrounding communities.
Frequently asked questions
Massachusetts divorce questions.
How long does a divorce take in Massachusetts?
There is no single timeline for every divorce. The length of a case can depend on whether the divorce is contested, the complexity of the financial and parenting issues, the level of cooperation between the parties, and the court's schedule. Cases resolved by agreement can generally proceed more efficiently than heavily contested matters.
Do I need an attorney to get divorced in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts does not require every person getting divorced to retain an attorney. However, divorce can create significant legal and financial consequences involving property, support, parenting arrangements, retirement assets, and other rights. Consulting an experienced family law attorney can help you understand those consequences before making important decisions.
How is property divided in a Massachusetts divorce?
Massachusetts follows an equitable distribution approach. This does not necessarily mean that every asset is divided equally. Courts may consider numerous statutory factors when determining an equitable division of marital property.
What happens to the house in a divorce?
The family home may be sold, retained by one spouse, or addressed in another manner as part of an overall settlement or court order. The appropriate solution depends on issues including equity, finances, children, other assets, and each spouse's circumstances.
How is child custody determined?
Massachusetts custody and parenting decisions focus on the best interests of the child. The appropriate parenting arrangement depends on the circumstances of the particular family rather than a single formula.
Will I have to pay—or receive—alimony?
Alimony depends on the circumstances of the marriage and applicable Massachusetts law. Income, length of marriage, financial circumstances, and other statutory considerations may affect whether alimony is appropriate.
Can we divorce without going to trial?
Yes. Many divorces are resolved through direct negotiation, attorney-assisted negotiation, mediation, or other settlement processes. When agreement cannot be reached on important issues, however, court intervention may become necessary.
Should I speak with a lawyer before telling my spouse I want a divorce?
There can be value in understanding your legal and financial position before taking significant action. An initial consultation can help identify issues involving children, finances, property, accounts, housing, and other considerations that may warrant planning.
Your next step
Start with a conversation.
You do not need to know exactly how your divorce will unfold before speaking with an attorney. Tell us what is happening. We will help you understand the issues, your options, and what may come next.
Caldeira Law, P.C. · 99 Derby Street, Suite 200 · Hingham, MA 02043