Happy Labor Day Tom Brady and Patriots Fans Everywhere
September 6, 2015 – Peter Decato Okay. I’ll admit it. I read the 40 page decision handed down by [...]
Upper Valley Law Firm New Hampshire
Action Plans with Legal Matters
“Action” is not always easy to take on! Try this….. Parts of an Action Plan 1. Something [...]
Abused and Neglected Children
Silhouette of Man and woman running together into sunset, Wellness fitness concept The most recent [...]
Why you should have your record of arrest, conviction and sentence annulled.
I was recently asked: “Why should I have my record of arrest, conviction and sentence annulled.” I was [...]
Don’t Forget Fido or Mr. Fluffy
Pets are considered personal property under the law, but in our hearts they are so much more. They are not [...]
Weekend Rules
Follow these rules this weekend…. Silhouette of Man and woman running together into sunset, Wellness [...]
Medicaid Planning
Morning view of the bay from the dock at Weslemkoon lake They have similar names that can be confusing but [...]
How We Prepare to Represent You
Written by Attorney Peter Decato TRIAL NOTEBOOKS I like structure. As a result – I like the idea of a [...]
Decato Law Office is Hiring
Law firm seeking an energized open individual for an Associate Attorney position with room to grow. Looking [...]
Trusting Yourself – 42 Years of Law
TRUSTING YOURSELF I’ve been practicing law for 41 years. I’ve enjoyed a measure of success during that [...]
Customer Appreciation Day 2015 at Decato Law Office
It was an amazing weekend at Decato Law Office. We have now decided to have a Community Appreciation Day [...]
Child Custody in New Hampshire
CHILD CUSTODY IN NEW HAMPSHIRE Information that may help you. When divorcing parents come into court for a [...]
What do Clients need from Law?
Written by Peter Decato What Do Clients Need? Most clients we see need information. When they come into our [...]
Estate Planning: Let us help you with your miles.
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening BY ROBERT FROST “Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in [...]
Does it Matter Who Goes First?
Consider a situation where a person files for divorce. The non-filing spouse then files a counterclaim for [...]
Trial Notebooks for Any Case (DUI, Family Court, Custody Cases)
I like structure. As a result – I like the idea of a trial notebook. In my notebook, I break the [...]
Trying a Case from Front to Back – Trial Attorney
A number of years ago, I began to look at jury trials from the rear to the front. By this I mean, I would [...]
Hope You Dance
Yesterday a man was sentenced in the Grafton County Superior Court. What differentiates this sentencing from [...]
Employer Liability
Let me start with some legal speak – at common law, a master was responsible for the torts of his [...]
The Fox, then Bear and the Art of Persuasion
We know about the fox. The fox is cunning and shrewd. The fox is also a survivor – one of the best [...]
Pain and Suffering
Pain and suffering. These two words are so often linked that we forget that each word – pain and [...]
A Tribute to my Father
I’ve been writing about the law for a number of months now. But today – March 25 – I am [...]
Invasions of Privacy
Years ago – more than a decade – I recall reading an article. The article predicted there would [...]
Malicious Defense of a Civil Action
I like it when the law is even-handed. Imagine what life would be like if it wasn’t. Everything would be [...]
Abuse of Process
Abuse of process is the cousin of malicious prosecution. Abuse of process is to civil actions what malicious [...]
The Law of Defamation
On one occasion, I was researching the law of defamation. In doing so, I stumbled upon words written by [...]
Statutory Rape in New Hampshire
Statistics show that 16% of adolescents under the age of 15 have had sex. About one third of all high school [...]
Discrimination Sucks
You’ve likely seen the bumper sticker that says “Mean People Suck!” Well, I’m going to carry the [...]
The Language of The Law
I’m in the business of explaining the law to my clients. There are times when I do a poor job of it. [...]
Daniel Webster and Me
Daniel Webster interests me. We even have some similarities. Part of my interest stems from the fact that [...]
The Injuction
It’s 1982. My father, mother and I are at a Lebanon City Council meeting. The meeting is packed with [...]
Don’t You Just Hate Bullies?
I’ve never liked bullies and I can’t imagine who does. My dislike for bullies started in childhood and [...]
The Guilty, Nolo and Alford Pleas
At an arraignment or at a plea and sentencing hearing, a defendant enters a plea. One of the plea options is [...]
You are Pulled over and You Did What>
You’ve gone out to a fine restaurant. The waiter has handed you a wine list. You make a selection. When the [...]
Muffin Diplomacy
It’s 2001 and I have a case to mediate. The mediation is taking place about 100 miles away in a small, [...]
The Corpus Delecti and the Actus Reus
I don’t know how old I was when I first heard the words corpus delecti, but I can tell you I enjoyed saying [...]
Citizens Arrest, Citizens Arrest
You may or may not remember the episode of the Andy Griffith Show where Deputy Barney Fife stops and arrests [...]
Lesser Included Offenses
A lesser included offense is a criminal offense that is made up of some, but not all, of the elements of a [...]
Capital Murder in New Hampshire
New Hampshire has a capital murder statute. One clear way to commit capital murder in New Hampshire is to [...]
The Confusing Role of the Guardian Ad Litem
The role of the Guardian ad litem (GAL for short) took hold in the 1970’s. It came shortly after the [...]
How Child Support Obligations Are Calculated
“It wasn’t always the way it is.” That’s what I tell people when they ask how child support [...]
Interference with Parental Visitation
Forgive me for using the word visitation. We generally use the words physical responsibility or parent-child [...]
Dividing Property in a Divorce – How the Stew is Stirred
When I was first married, my wife cooked our first meal. It was beef stew. She didn’t think it looked [...]
Grandparent Visitation Rights in New Hampshire
Traditionally, the common law denied grandparents visitation with a child over a parent’s objections. [...]
Divorce and Military Pensions
A military pension is a retirement benefit just like other pensions. A military pension is provided to [...]
Cohabitation Agreements – Why They are Necessary
I married in 1968. According to Pew Research Center, at the time I married, about 9% of men and 8% of women [...]
Alimony/Maintenance Awards
Alimony/Maintenance Awards It appears there was a time when alimony/spousal maintenance was awarded as [...]
Proving Loss of Life Damages in New Hampshire
Part of the damages that can be claimed in a wrongful death action in New Hampshire are loss of life damages. [...]
Ruling from the Graveyard: Life Estates
Consider the following language that appears in a deed (but could also appear in a will): “The [...]
Ripping and Tearing – How to Revoke a Prior Will
You’ve just looked at the will you created ten years ago and you say “Whoa, what was I thinking?” Then [...]
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