“Aníbal explained every hearing to me in Spanish the night before. I walked into court knowing what the judge would ask, and I could answer for myself.”
Yokasta R.Custody case
Family law on Essex Street, Lawrence
Family court, with fewer surprises
Divorce, custody, child support and mediation for parents across the Merrimack Valley. Before you decide anything, we tell you what the court will ask, what tends to happen next and what it may cost, in English or in Spanish.
- Consultations in English or Spanish
- A written fee estimate before you hire us
- Evening video meetings by appointment
Practice areas
Four kinds of family case, one office
Most families who call us need more than one of these. We handle them together, so the parenting plan, the support order and the divorce agreement all say the same thing.
Divorce
Agreed or contested, with the house, the debts and the retirement accounts divided on paper you understand.
About divorce
Custody and parenting time
A parenting plan built around school, work shifts and the children’s weekends, and changed when life moves.
About custody
Child support
Orders figured from the state guidelines, set up the first time or changed after a new job, a lost job or a move.
About child support
Mediation
Sit down with a neutral lawyer and settle the agreement yourselves, instead of asking a judge to choose.
About mediation
The firm
Three lawyers, and a partner on every file
Roderick Griffith opened the office on Essex Street in 2011, and Safiya Rahmat joined him as a partner four years later. Aníbal Marichal, who grew up a few blocks away, came in 2019.
A partner reads every file, signs every filing and goes to every hearing that matters. You’ll know which lawyer has your case, and that lawyer is the one who calls you back.
In brief
The firm on one card
- Founded
- 2011, on Essex Street in Lawrence
- Jurisdictions
- Massachusetts and New Hampshire
- Courts
- Probate and Family Court in Essex and Middlesex counties; the Family Division of the New Hampshire Circuit Court
- Lawyers
- Three: two partners and an associate
- Languages
- English, and Spanish with Aníbal Marichal and our front desk
- First meeting
- One hour, at the office or by video
How it works
After you pick up the phone
- 01
A first meeting
An hour with a lawyer, at the office or by video. Bring what you have, and we’ll tell you what’s missing.
- 02
A written plan and estimate
Within a few days you get the steps we expect, the forms to file and a range for the cost.
- 03
Filing and the first hearing
We file, serve the other side and prepare you for the first court date, question by question.
- 04
Agreement or trial
Most cases settle. If yours doesn’t, the lawyer who already knows it takes it to trial.
From clients
Parents, after the case closed
“I got the fee estimate in writing at the first meeting, and the final bill came in under it. I had braced for the opposite.”
Colleen F.Divorce
“When my hours were cut, Safiya filed to change my support order that same week. She told me plainly what the guidelines would likely give, and they did.”
Radhamés V.Child support change
Sample client stories. Every family’s case is different, and these don’t predict the result in yours.
Questions
Asked most before a first meeting
Do I have to go to court to get divorced?
Usually only once, if you and your spouse agree on everything: a judge reviews the agreement at a short hearing. Contested cases take more hearings, and we tell you how many to expect.
Can we meet in Spanish?
Yes. Aníbal Marichal meets clients in Spanish, and our front desk answers the phone in Spanish. Letters and plans can come to you in Spanish too.
What does the first meeting cost?
The first hour has a set fee, which we tell you on the phone before you book. You leave with a written estimate for the whole case.
The other parent lives in New Hampshire. Can you help?
Often, yes. Roderick Griffith and Aníbal Marichal are admitted in New Hampshire as well as Massachusetts, and we’ll tell you which state’s court should hear your case.
What should I bring to the first meeting?
Any court papers you’ve received, recent pay stubs and a rough list of what you own and owe. If you don’t have them yet, come anyway.
Ask your questions before you sign anything
Call the office or send a short note. We’ll offer you a time for a first meeting, at the office or by video.