IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
• WHAT'S NEW? Professional Activities, Webinar, Media, Staff News
• NEW PROBATE COURT ORDER: Parenting Education
• ARTIST OF THE QUARTER: Cindy Fenichel
• MINDFULNESS MATTERS: Making Space for 2024
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UPDATES FROM CYNTHIA RUNGE
FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT BAR ADMISSION
On October 17th, Cynthia was formally sworn into the Massachusetts Federal District Court. This new bar admission will allow us to assist our family law clients in Federal District Court matters.
FALL 2023 CONFERENCES
ABA Family Law Conference
Cindy recently attended the American Bar Association: Family Law Conference in Louisville, KY, on October 12 and 13th. Cindy attended panels focusing on navigating the intersections of ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) in addition to comprehensive training in asset division in divorce cases.
MBA Family Law Conference
On October 27th and 28th, Cindy attended the 32nd Annual Family Law Conference at Chatham Bars Inn. The conference included a keynote address by Hon. John D. Casey and explored current trends in the Probate and Family Court in addition to cutting edge issues involving the use of Guardians Ad Litems.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Reading Memorial High School — Mock Trial Coaching
Cindy is set to take on a volunteer role in her local community assisting the Reading Memorial High School Mock Trial Team! She is looking forward to seeing the RMHS Mock Trial Team in action beginning January 2024.
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HONORS
We are delighted to share that Cindy has once again been recognized for her excellence by Boston Magazine, Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers (Top 100 Massachusetts Lawyers, Top 50 Massachusetts Women Lawyers). This is the fifth year in a row that she has been recognized by Super Lawyers!
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UPCOMING QUARTERLY ZOOM WEBINAR |
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Insure Your Tomorrow:
Navigating Health and Life Insurance Challenges After Divorce
Thursday, January 25, 2024
12:15–1:00pm EST
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The upcoming quarterly Zoom presentation will feature Jeff Weiner, CEO of HKM Associates, who will present on everything you need to know about health and life insurance when you are going through a divorce. Jeff will provide valuable insights on these types of insurance, specifically addressing their implications in both general scenarios and the unique considerations that arise during instances of divorce.
Jeff Weiner strives to provide excellent service in the areas of Life Insurance, Health Insurance and Financial Services both in the personal and corporate marketplace. Jeff brings extensive knowledge to these areas and has been the recipient of many industry awards in his 40 years in the field. Jeff’s business goal is to be able to sustain himself to focus on his passion of working within the charity world, organizing, and coordinating fundraising events through his networks and providing the benefit to those who need them the most.
LAST QUARTERLY WEBINAR
Hot Topics in Immigration
On October 5, 2023 in our quarterly Zoom session titled "Hot Topics in Immigration," attorneys Shiva Karimi and Danielle Huntley Webb shed light on the intricate relationship between immigration and family law. Shiva and Danielle discussed various scenarios where family law intertwines with immigration issues, providing valuable information to folks going through the immigration and divorce process. For in-depth insights, check out the full session on the Peridot Family Law YouTube Channel.
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MEDIA
PODCASTS
The Non-Eventcast Podcast
On September 29th, in an episode of the Non-Eventcast Podcast hosted by Jared Correia, our dynamic legal team—comprised of Cindy, paralegal Peter Fitzgerald, and former law clerk Sarah Zweerink—shared their experiences in pushing the boundaries of law firm technology at Peridot Family Law.
The episode covered the firm’s use of Clio for case management and exploration of its extended functionalities. Highlights included our innovative use of "Family Law software" for time-saving measures, streamlining client onboarding, and the team's experiences utilizing IT providers. Tune in on Spotify or Apple Podcasts for valuable insights into how our team leverages technology to enhance our legal practice and better serve our clients.
“5 Minutes with Fried”
In November 2023, Cindy was a guest on the 185th episode of Michael Fried's podcast, "5 Minutes with Fried." The podcast, which highlights accomplished business professionals, highlights, among other things, how Cindy and Peridot Family Law can be of assistance to parties working with New York counsel.
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STAFF EVENT: Cambridge School of Culinary Arts
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On December 1st our firm celebrated 2023 with a team event at the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts! We learned the art of crafting a delicious winter menu, which provided a unique opportunity for the team to bond together outside the confines of the office. We captured some of these pictures on our 2024 Holiday Card, which will be hitting your mailboxes soon! |
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STAFF NEWS
Farewell Megan!
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Law Clerk Megan Rinke is leaving us, and we are sad to see her go. In the new year, Megan will be a Judicial Intern for Justice Paul Hart Smyth of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. Megan will be graduating from New England Law in May and taking the bar examination in July. After graduating and taking the bar exam, Megan will be continuing to gain experience in the Family Law field as a Judicial Law Clerk for a Family Court Judge in Bergen County, New Jersey.
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Hannah Flaherty is a 3L at Boston College Law School. She has spent the past year working in the Family Law Clinic at Boston College and she has a strong interest in family law. Hannah will be starting her internship with Peridot in January 2024 and we look forward to working with her!
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NEW PROBATE COURT ORDER:
PARENTING EDUCATION
Effective November 1st, 2023*, the Probate and Family Court has recently introduced a new Co-Parenting Education Order, replacing the previous Standing Order 2-16 known as “Parent Education Program Attendance." This new directive holds significant implications for parents involved in specific case types related to custody or parenting time of minor children.
“Two Families Now”
At the heart of this new approach to co-parenting education is the court-approved program named “Two Families Now." The four-hour course is designed to accommodate both married and unmarried parents navigating the complexities of the Probate and Family Court, offering accessibility via computer, tablet, or smartphone.
The updated order mandates that parents engaged in specific case types, including annulment, divorce, complaints to establish custody or parenting time (including paternity), and post-judgment litigation related to custody and parenting time are required to attend the “Two Families Now" co-parenting education course. It is important to note that this course is available for $49 per parent, and once purchased, there is a 30-day window to commence participation. Fee waivers are available in certain circumstances.
Upon filing a summons with the Court, parents have 60 days for the judge to issue an order for their participation in the co-parenting education course. This requirement can be automatically waived if there is a partial or full written agreement regarding parenting time and custody issues filed within the same timeframe. Once ordered to attend, parents are granted a 45-day window to complete the online course, with a further requirement to submit their Certificate of Completion within 14 calendar days.
Participation in the program is not contingent upon having a court order; parents also have the ability to voluntarily enroll.
Let us know if you have any questions regarding the new important directive.
*JUST IN: The implementation of this order has now been delayed — STAY TUNED!
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ARTIST OF THE QUARTER
At Peridot Family Law we prioritize wellness and believe in the power of art to heal. For the wellbeing and enrichment of our clients and staff we present the work of Boston area artists on the walls of our offices through our “Artist of the Quarter” corporate exhibition program.
CINDY FENICHEL
Cindy Fenichel's artwork will be featured at Peridot Family Law for the first quarter of 2024.
Cindy Fenichel has always had a passion for drawing and painting. She began taking art classes in her teens, and has taken classes at different museums and schools in New York and Massachusetts over the years. She focused on practicing as an attorney for several years, but her love of art never left. When her children were young, Cindy took time off from work to raise them...and began to focus on artwork again. It was at this time that she discovered her love of watercolors. Watercolor is spontaneous and some find it challenging to control the movement of the paint. Cindy loves the looseness of the medium as much as the images she tries to convey.
Most of her paintings are inspired by her love of nature and her love of travel. Her favorite subjects include animals, flowers and landscapes of places she has visited (such as "Smith Rock, Oregon", above). Painting a scene from a place she has hiked is like revisiting it and capturing its mood. Cindy is a member of the Natick Watercolor Connection, a group of artists who paint together once a week.
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We are Accepting Applications for ARTIST OF THE QUARTER!
Are you interested in being an Artist of the Quarter? Know an artist who would be? We offer four quarterly exhibition slots per calendar year in our Financial District office. We are looking for art that aligns with our mission and values through themes such as families, relationships, healing, transformation, nature, and growth. All exhibiting artists receive a stipend and are included in our newsletter and on our web site.
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MINDFULNESS MATTERS
CREATING SPACE FOR 2024
One of the things I love to do at the end of each year is reflect back over the prior year. I find it gratifying to think about all of the things that happened over the past 12 months. I’m also always amazed at how many things I planned for that never actually happened vs. the things I never anticipated, which actually did happen. Life is truly miraculous and amazing! So much gets packed into the 12 months we call a "year” — and yet it goes by in an instant.
The end of the year is also a great time to take stock of where you are in relation to your goals for the new year. One tool I have found for bringing clarity to that process is getting rid of clutter in my life. And, the end of year is a great time to purge! For example, I have been whining for a couple of years that I am really going to clean out the basement, which has proven to be a daunting project. However, we recently decided that we want to repurpose that space, which has given me the motivation to go down there and make it happen! Some of the stuff was donated, some of it was re-purposed, but a lot of it was just thrown out because I don’t know why I had it in the first place.
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The best part about throwing out clutter is the feeling of lightness you experience once it is gone. It is like the “stuff” has a psychic heaviness to it that sticks to you, making it the last thing you want to focus on. It can be tough getting started on these projects, but if you can enlist some friends/family to help, or get some good tunes going to pump up your motivation, you can make some serious headway to make space for something better.
Happy New Year — here’s to clearing out space for good things and people to come into your life in 2024!
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Peridot Family Law team: Cynthia Runge meets with Peter Fitzgerald (left), Ava Gallone and Megan Ripke.
Peridot Family Law is a full-service family law firm based in Boston, Massachusetts. Our goal is to help our clients transition through their family law matter in the best possible way. We do this by listening to our clients' goals and objectives. We meet our clients where they are in the process and offer practical, reasonable solutions to produce a positive outcome for their situation.
Cynthia Runge, Founder and Sole Member.
Admitted to the bar in Massachusetts and New York.
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