Why Should You Work with Us to Solve Your Massachusetts Divorce and Family Law Issues?

100% Focused on Resolving Massachusetts Divorce & Family Law Matters

Divorce and family law are what we do at Next Phase Legal & Dispute Resolution. Unlike many firms, we do not divide our attention between different practice areas. Your attorney or mediator provides personalized service to help support your goals, while helping you avoid expensive litigation whenever possible.

Transparent Pricing Options Designed to Provide Solutions, Not Just Track Minutes.

Perhaps the biggest problem with hourly billing is a lack of fee certainty. If you cannot keep up with your legal fees and retainer replenishments, then what? Isn’t it better to know up front what something will cost? Most of our clients think so.

Our project-based approach and fixed-fee options (available for most cases) clearly explain the scope of our work and your fee so you can make smart choices, instead of being stuck on a rollercoaster ride of hourly billing that feels like it will never end.

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All-Inclusive Initial Consultation

Speaking with one of our attorneys, mediator, or parenting coordinator for the first time means discovering your options and learning approaches to divorce and other family law issues you might not have thought about before. During your one-hour initial consultation, we’ll walk through your options by meeting in-person or by videoconference. We’ll answer any questions you have and provide information about your next steps. We also keep your information 100% confidential. To read more about your initial consultation, click here.

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Flexible Pricing Options

At Next Phase Legal & Dispute Resolution, we don’t believe in hidden fees. That’s why we offer fixed fee, subscription, and hourly billing pricing plans. With a fixed fee, you’ll eliminate the stress of hourly billing and keep surprises out of the mix. With a subscription service, you can pay as you go so you can avoid a large retainer payment or engage in ongoing parent coaching services that last for a longer period. And with hourly billing, you have the option of hiring one of our divorce and family law professionals on a time-based basis.

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Massachusetts Divorce: In or Out of Court

Divorce is infamous for being stressful, difficult, and taking a long time. This simply doesn’t have to be the case. Our firm focuses on implementing proven alternatives to placing your divorce in the courtroom. We can help you stay out of court, avoid a judge making decisions for your family, and keep your matter private from start to finish. You’ll also reach a settlement much faster and with lower costs when compared to the traditional court-based approach. If your case does need to be in court, we can help with that also.

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Client Satisfaction

Our firm takes pride in providing only the best divorce and family legal solutions and services. Our clients take advantage of our legal knowledge and skill to help them reach their goals while hopefully avoiding protracted litigation. We serve clients of all backgrounds and situations, and treat every individual with the respect, empathy, and compassion they deserve during this difficult time.

Keep Your Divorce Out of Court

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Not all divorces in Massachusetts are tried in court. In fact, over 90% resolve through settlement negotiations and other means. But without the right lawyer by your side, these negotiations can take a long time and require high legal fees to get there. That’s why it’s important to enlist the help of an attorney or a mediator from Next Phase Legal & Dispute Resolution.

Our divorce attorneys are skilled in all manner of alternatives to litigation, or divorce in court. We have had great success with clients pursuing mediation through our experienced mediator and collaborative attorney, an approach to divorce that allows you to cooperate with your spouse and legal team to find solutions that work for you. And, if your case will require a court-based approach, we’ll let you know.

Honest, Transparent Service

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At Next Phase Legal & Dispute Resolution, we firmly believe in being honest with you—the client. We know how difficult divorce can be on your family, and we take every step to ensure that you have the information you need to make smart decisions. We are approachable and supportive, but we will not sugar-coat something or just tell you what you want to hear.

With our flexible pricing options, you can forget hidden legal fees and endless invoices. You’ll have a great idea of how much your divorce is going to cost right up-front. We’ll tell you if something in your case changes and requires a different approach, allowing you to have complete control over how you want to find your best-case resolution.

Certified Mediator – Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation

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Just about anyone in Massachusetts can be a divorce or family mediator, including non-lawyers; but having an effective, experienced, and certified mediator will help ensure that you and the other party not just resolve your case, but have a well-crafted agreement that will serve your family in the future. 

Firm owner and attorney Stephen McDonough is a certified mediator with invaluable legal knowledge and acumen. He has satisfied the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation’s stringent certification process, and has successfully mediated hundreds of divorces and other family law matters, including high-conflict situations when others thought the odds of settlement were slim. 

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Stephen
McDonough, Esq.

Attorney Stephen McDonough maintains a mediator certification through MCFM. He has successfully mediated and hundreds of divorces and other family law conflicts, including high-conflict situations that seemed far from settlement.

Stephen is also a trained collaborative law practitioner and has met the more stringent requirements to be a court-approved parenting coordinator.