Guardianships & Conservatorships
Wilchins Cosentino & Novins is a mid-sized law firm purposefully designed to offer exceptional service and exceptional value to our clients. At WCN, we are large enough to have expertise in many law practices including family law, while small enough to deliver exceptional service through a personalized, concierge approach. We serve clients in Massachusetts with our primary office in Wellesley, MA and additional offices in Chelmsford and Boston.
Family law cases can involve complex collateral questions regarding taxes, trusts and estates and business entities, and family lawyers at small family law firms may not have ready access to trust and estate attorneys to assist and advise their clients on such questions. As a mid-sized law firm, we have these experienced attorneys available to collaborate, working together on our clients’ behalf at a value Boston-based firms cannot match.
Guardianships and Conservatorships
Guardianship or conservatorship proceedings may be required for persons who are physically incapacitated and/or mentally disabled and unable to conduct their own financial and/or personal affairs. There are also a number of situations where guardians are required to be appointed for children. Sometimes special procedures are required, such as for disputes over the proposed guardianship or conservatorship, the administration of antipsychotic medications as part of a treatment plan, or when extraordinary medical authority is needed.
The family law attorneys at Wilchins Cosentino & Novins are thorough advocates for our clients; preparing and following through to comply with all of the court-imposed forms, hearings, inventories, accountings and other requirements. With, and on behalf of, our clients we are accustomed to communicating with other professionals that may necessarily be involved in the guardianship or conservatorship process (such as medical doctors, mental health professionals, federal, state and local agencies and court-appointed guardians ad litem). If relevant, estate planning documents, such as trusts, durable powers of attorney and health care proxies are evaluated and incorporated into the process.
In addition to advising and counseling clients regarding a guardianship or conservatorship, in some circumstances our family lawyers are asked to serve as the guardian or conservator on a temporary or permanent basis. Our family law attorneys and paraprofessionals are part of the team that carefully undertakes the fiduciary responsibilities required of a guardian or conservator.
Meet Our Family Law Attorneys at Wilchins Cosentino & Novins

David Burgess
Of Counsel

Michael P. Friedman
Senior Counsel

Meredith A. Havard
Attorney

Jennifer J. Normand
Attorney
Why WCN for Family Law Matters

Right-sized. We are large enough to have the depth of expertise and knowledge, while small enough to be available, accessible and personal.

Channel WCN
The Latest in Law
How Court Timelines May Affect Your Family Law Matters
As family law attorneys, we work with our clients during some of the most difficult times in their lives. It is our commitment to listen, advise and assist in resolving family law matters, but when communicating with the courts, the timeline is not in our control. We...
Child Support Guidelines October 2021
On August 2, 2021, the Executive Office to the Trial Court published new Child Support Guidelines. The new Guidelines become effective on October 4, 2021. There are significant changes to the calculation of support as compared to the previous Guidelines published...
Attorney Erin Nielson Discusses Recent Changes in the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines
https://www.youtube.com/embed/i1tJK0l73R8 On August 1, 2001 the Executive Office of Child Court issued new child support guidelines which will go into effect on October 4, 2021. There were three major changes made to these guidelines. It is important to note that if...