Peabody Family & Divorce Lawyers
Reade Law Firm, PC Serves Individuals and Families in Essex and Middlesex County, MA
Divorce and family law struggles can be some of the most difficult experiences in your life. At Reade Law Firm, PC, we are here to help you through these challenging times as we work together to build a positive future.
Reade Law Firm, PC is a divorce and family law firm based in Peabody, Massachusetts. Our attorneys represent spouses, parents, and grandparents throughout Essex County and Middlesex County in divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, property division, and mediation. The firm is led by Managing Attorney Teresa Reade, who also serves as a Guardian Ad Litem, and Senior Attorney Richard Reade, a certified mediator who built his career in litigation before turning his practice to family law. Together with attorneys Kelly Maguire and Kate Feeney, our team handles everything from an agreement worked out around a conference table to a contested trial in the Probate and Family Court.
People who come to us looking for Essex County family and divorce lawyers usually arrive with the same questions. What happens to the house? How much time will I have with my children? Can I afford to live on my own? We answer those questions honestly, explain your options in plain language, and build a plan around the life you want when the case is over.
What Sets Reade Law Firm, PC Apart
Many family law firms lean one way. Some push every case toward court, and others only mediate. Our firm does both, and that range matters. Because we have litigators, mediators, a Guardian Ad Litem, and collaborative divorce counsel working together, we can recommend the process that fits your family instead of the one a firm happens to offer.
Our attorneys bring decades of combined experience to North Shore families. Teresa Reade has been rated by Super Lawyers, and Kate Feeney has practiced law in Massachusetts for more than 25 years with a focus on domestic relations. Kelly Maguire represents clients as an attorney and also works as a mediator. Our professional affiliations include the Massachusetts Council on Family Mediation, the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals, the Academy of Professional Family Mediators, the Massachusetts Bar Association, and the American Inns of Court.
The firm runs on four values: optimism, growth, investment in our clients, and empathy. In practice, that means you can expect returned calls, clear explanations, and honest advice, including when the honest answer is not the one you hoped to hear.
Divorce Representation Focused on Your Long Term Stability
No two divorces look alike. A couple married three years with no children faces very different decisions than a couple married thirty years with a business, a pension, and a home that has been in the family for a generation. Our Peabody divorce attorneys handle the full range, including:
- Contested and uncontested divorce
- High net worth and high asset divorce
- Divorce for business owners, physicians, and other professionals
- Divorce after 50, often called gray divorce
- Military divorce
- Same-sex and LGBTQIA+ divorce
- Collaborative divorce and divorce mediation
We help you get organized early, gather the financial records that matter, and spot the issues people tend to miss, such as taxes, health insurance, retirement accounts, and the wording that makes a separation agreement enforceable years later.
How Divorce and Family Law Work in Massachusetts
Family cases in Massachusetts are heard in the Probate and Family Court. Most divorces are filed as no-fault cases based on an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. Spouses who agree on everything can file together with a signed separation agreement, while a spouse who cannot reach agreement can file alone and ask the court to decide the open issues. Fault grounds still exist, but they are used far less often. Once a judge grants a divorce, the judgment does not become final right away. It becomes final 90 days after it is entered, and neither spouse can remarry before then.
The same court decides the money and parenting questions. Property is divided equitably, which means fairly based on each family’s circumstances and not automatically in half. Alimony comes in four forms, and for the most common form, the length of time it can last is tied to the length of the marriage. Child support is calculated under the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines, which were most recently updated effective December 1, 2025. Custody and parenting time are decided according to the best interests of the child.
Child Custody and Parenting Plans Built Around Your Child’s Needs
For most parents, nothing in the case matters more than time with their children. We help mothers and fathers build parenting plans that work on an ordinary Tuesday as well as on holidays, covering school pickups, sports and activities, vacations, and how parents will communicate with each other.
When parents cannot agree, we are prepared to present your case to the court. Teresa Reade’s work as a Guardian Ad Litem gives our firm a clear view of what investigators and judges look for when a child’s wellbeing is at issue. We also handle relocation requests, custody matters involving children with special needs, grandparents’ rights, and parent coordination for families who need help carrying out a parenting plan after the case ends.
Child Support, Expenses, and Enforcement
A child support worksheet produces a number, but the number depends on what goes into it. We make sure income is reported accurately on both sides, including bonuses, self-employment income, and overtime, and that childcare and health insurance costs are counted properly. If a parent stops paying, we can ask the court to enforce the order. If a job loss, a raise, or a change in the parenting schedule has made the current order unfair, we can help you seek a modification.
Alimony and Financial Support After Divorce
Spousal support is often the hardest issue to settle, especially after a long marriage or when one spouse stepped back from a career to raise children. Our family law attorneys help you understand whether alimony is likely in your situation, how long it may last, and how it interacts with child support and the division of property. We represent both spouses who expect to pay and spouses who need support to get back on their feet, and we handle requests to change or end alimony when someone retires or circumstances shift.
Property Division and Asset Protection in Essex County Divorces
Dividing a household is rarely as simple as splitting a bank account. Real estate, retirement plans, pensions, stock compensation, family businesses, and debts all have to be identified, valued, and addressed. We work with appraisers, accountants, and other financial professionals when a case calls for it, and we know how to respond when a spouse is hiding income, moving money, or running up debt during the divorce. For clients with significant assets, careful planning at the start often prevents expensive disputes later.
Mediation and Collaborative Divorce
Not every divorce belongs in a courtroom. Mediation lets spouses sit down with a neutral mediator and work out their own agreement, usually with less cost, less conflict, and more privacy than litigation. Collaborative divorce gives each spouse an attorney while everyone commits to settling outside of court. Richard Reade and Kelly Maguire both serve as mediators, and our firm regularly acts as mediator for couples across Essex and Middlesex County, as well as counsel for individual clients going through mediation elsewhere.
A negotiated result still has to hold up. Whether your agreement comes from mediation, the collaborative process, or traditional negotiation, we make sure it is detailed, realistic, and written so a court will enforce it.
Prenuptial and Postnuptial Agreements
A well drafted agreement can protect a business, an inheritance, or children from a prior marriage, and it can spare both spouses a great deal of uncertainty. We draft and review prenuptial agreements for couples planning a wedding and postnuptial agreements for couples who are already married, and we represent clients when the terms of an existing agreement are challenged during a divorce.
Modifications, Enforcement, and Contempt Actions
A divorce judgment is not always the last word. Children grow, jobs change, and people move. If your custody, parenting time, or support order no longer fits your life, we can help you ask the court to modify it. If your former spouse is ignoring an order or failing to follow the divorce agreement, we can file a contempt action to hold them to it.
Family Law Matters Beyond Divorce
Our firm also helps unmarried parents and extended families. We handle paternity cases, custody and support disputes between parents who never married, guardianship of minors, and annulments. If you are not sure whether your situation is a family law matter, call us. We can tell you which process applies and what your options are.
Massachusetts Family Law & Divorce FAQs
How do I know whether to file for divorce now or wait?
It depends on your finances, your children, and your safety. A consultation can help you weigh the timing and take steps to protect yourself before anything is filed.
What is the difference between a contested and an uncontested divorce?
In an uncontested divorce, spouses agree on every issue and present a signed agreement to the court. In a contested divorce, at least one issue is in dispute and may need a judge to decide it. Many cases that begin as contested end in a settlement.
Can I stay in the marital home during the divorce?
Often, yes. Who stays depends on safety, finances, and what works for the children. When spouses cannot agree, we can ask the court for a temporary order.
Can a parenting plan be customized for my family’s schedule?
Yes. Parenting plans can be built around school calendars, work shifts, holidays, travel, and activities. The more specific the plan, the fewer arguments it tends to cause later.
What if my ex is not paying child support or is refusing parenting time?
You can ask the court to enforce the order. We help clients file contempt actions and pursue other remedies when the other parent will not comply.
How are retirement accounts handled in a divorce?
Retirement accounts and pensions are usually part of the property to be divided. Dividing them correctly often requires a separate court order and careful paperwork, so the transfer does not trigger taxes or penalties.
What if I believe my spouse is hiding assets or income?
Both spouses are required to make full financial disclosure. When the numbers do not add up, we can request records, question witnesses under oath, and bring in financial professionals to trace what is missing.
Is mediation right for my divorce?
Mediation works well when both spouses are willing to share information and negotiate in good faith. It may not be the right fit where there is abuse, intimidation, or a spouse who refuses to disclose finances.
How long does a divorce take?
An uncontested divorce with a complete agreement can move through the court in a matter of months. A contested case takes longer, and the timeline depends on the issues in dispute, how quickly information is exchanged, and the court’s calendar.
What should I bring to my first meeting with Reade Law Firm, PC?
Bring any court papers you have received, recent pay stubs and tax returns, a list of major assets and debts, and the questions you most want answered. If you do not have everything, come anyway. We can help you work out what is needed.
Serving Throughout Essex County & Middlesex County, MA
Reade Law Firm, PC is located in Peabody and works with clients throughout Essex County, including Danvers, Lynnfield, Middleton, Salem, Beverly, Marblehead, Swampscott, Saugus, Lynn, Andover, North Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, and Haverhill.
Our family law attorneys also represent clients across Middlesex County, in Reading, North Reading, Wakefield, Woburn, Stoneham, Melrose, Winchester, Burlington, Lowell, Cambridge, Somerville, Newton, and Framingham. If you live or have a case in either county, our team can help.
Contact Essex County Family & Divorce Attorneys at Reade Law Firm, PC
If you are facing a divorce, a custody dispute, or another family law matter in Essex County or Middlesex County, the right guidance can change both the process and the outcome. Reade Law Firm, PC is a Peabody family law firm with experienced attorneys, mediators, and a Guardian Ad Litem on one team, ready to help you settle your case where that is possible and to stand up for you in court where it is not. Call 978-767-8383 to schedule a consultation and let us guide you forward.
