About Us

Even better, with a laser-like focus on a single practice area of family law, one thing is for sure: our team has earned the reputation as the Boston child custody attorneys. Click on a link below for more details of what we have to offer.

1. About the Firm
2. Meet the Attorneys

About the Firm

A subsidiary of The Massachusetts Family Law Group, its founder, Attorney Irwin M. Pollack established a child custody practice area to enable men and women of medium-to-high net worth to develop strategies for getting what they want and deserve as it relates to custody, visitation and parenting arrangements with their children.

If you are looking for a less expensive "cookie cutter" approach to handling your child custody matter, you will not find it from Attorney Pollack. The attorneys at the firm believe that each set of facts is unique and therefore deserves to be handled strategically. Like the pieces of a puzzle, the attorneys handle each piece and strategically interlock it with the others until they get the fairest resolution in any child custody or parenting case.

Clients of the Boston child custody attorneys come from all walks of life. The attorneys have successfully represented business owners, athletes, moms, dads, celebrities, professionals, senior citizens and even young children throughout Massachusetts and across New England.

When any divorce action relates to children, custody, visitation or parenting plans, clients who come to see the attorneys want their interests and the interests of their children aggressively championed.

With their main office in Dedham, the attorneys regularly schedule client meetings starting each weekday at 5 a.m. Consultations are also available in Worcester or Plymouth/Cape Cod, or on a weekend-only basis, Attorney Pollack also meets clients in Andover at the Massachusetts School of Law, where he is an adjunct faculty member.

Learn more about our family law firm, our divorce law firm, or our support collection company...and for a free initial consultation, contact us today.

Meet the Attorneys

Irwin M. Pollack

Irwin M. Pollack is clearly one of the tough guys of the Massachusetts Divorce bar, Pollack frustrates opponents because he accepts no handshake deals – he wants it written in indelible ink.  Friends say that at the age of 45, Irwin Pollack has finally cut back on his hours – from 85 to 70 a week.  His law practice is his life, and he usually can be found in any of his four offices or meeting locations (Dedham, Andover, Worcester or Plymouth/Cape Cod) seven days a week. 

Pollack has an instinctive feel for the needs of clients:  he can be tender if need be or offer tough love if that’s what the situation requires.  Those who know him best, however, say his upbeat attitude and an eye for a client’s future are the hallmarks of Irwin Pollack’s representation.  He has little tolerance for clients who feel sorry for themselves.  His mantra is for the suffering spouse to get on his or her feet and get on with life.  Besides handling the nuts and bolts of a divorce proceeding, Pollack has helped clients enroll in classes, find a therapist, organize their finances and set goals for the future.

Irwin Pollack received his undergraduate degree from The University of Arizona at Tucson.  He later received his law degree from The Massachusetts School of Law and was invited to join the Adjunct Faculty one year following his graduation.  Mr. Pollack is a member in good standing of both the Massachusetts and Connecticut bar.  He is an active member of the Massachusetts Bar Association and Boston Bar Association.  He authors a family law column in Bay State Parent magazine and has led conferences for Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.

In his past career, Irwin was corporate consultant to both Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial firms.  He was paid to be a “hired gun,” analyzing complex situations and recommending a course of action.  The owners, executives and managers he worked for wanted answers – not a long story or research project.  The majority wanted solutions they could act upon immediately.  Now, Irwin Pollack uses his highly sought-after analytical skills represent his domestic relations clients, competently and zealously.

When Attorney Pollack founded the Massachusetts Family Law Group, he held himself to a higher standard than other attorneys or law firms in the Massachusetts area because he insisted on the firm being accountable to its clients as it related to return on investment with the client’s legal investment.  “While some consider our hourly fee 10 or 15 percent higher than most, the systems we’ve created and the way we educate our clients can ultimately save our clients 20 percent of the billable hours!  When it’s all said and done, a client can save close to $5,000, or more.”

Pollack’s websites, blogs and publications deliver information to the public, provide tools and support for other attorneys, and are additional outlets for his passion about child-related issues pertaining to divorce.

A divorced father himself, Irwin lives with his 14 year-old son, Austin, in Norfolk County.

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Judith A. Heller

Quickly becoming the gold standard for domestic relations counsel throughout New England, Attorney Judith A. Heller provides clients with an in-depth, comprehensive, and complete overview of getting started with divorce, issues relating to alimony and spousal support, property distribution, and "divorce talk" with children.

Anybody who believes that Heller specializes in representing men would be amazed how often she is often besieged with calls from women who believe she might have some extra insights into divorce secrets for men or even how men think.

Clients love how well Heller prepares for depositions, while some colleagues complain that Judy is so detailed-oriented that they hate going into a conference room with her. If you want to make sure that the T's are crossed and the I's are dotted, Judy is the perfect divorce lawyer for you. Judy insists, "I don't think I'm that picky... I just like to make sure my clients get what they are supposed to during a rough split." One thing is for sure-when Judy makes an agreement for a client, it sticks as she includes all of the must-include phrases for both separation agreements and parenting plans.

In an area where emotions run deep, Judy is able to remain calm and be the objective eyes and ears for her clients while zealously advocating for her clients' rights. A divorced mother of three children, Judy graduated from Cornell University then attended New England School of Law. She graduated magna cum laude and is a proud member of the Massachusetts Bar. Judy has become the go-to authority when questions arise relating to divorce strategy including the advantages of filing first.

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Gary S. Avratin
(Of Counsel)

Gary S. Avratin brings 12 years of representing clients in their divorces to the Massachusetts Family Law Group. He focuses predominantly on divorce and related matters, including child support and alimony, property division, custody, paternity, equity, support collection and other litigation matters.

Gary started his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney for Norfolk County and has now appeared in 14 of the Probate and Family Courts in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Gary's clients speak well of him wherever they go: "I have never seen someone work so hard on a case...it is apparent that you take your work to heart in the course of your professional interaction ...you gave me the most accurate and best advice and that brings peace of mind ... I was impressed with your energy level...you are very good at what you do and I can't imagine what would have happened if I had a run of the mill attorney you have always done what is the best for me even if I didn't understand it at the time you truly have a genuine concern for your clients and not only to fight to win a case, but to fight for what is true, just and genuinely right...you had my life in your hands and I wouldn't ever have it any other way. "

Whether he is advocating for clients in the courtroom, negotiating a settlement, or acting as counselor, Attorney Avratin is committed to using his knowledge and experience to guide and assist his clients through the legal process, in an effort to minimize the potential adverse impact upon the parties and their children. As a father of three, Gary Avratin is actively involved in the community in his role as coach of his children's soccer and baseball teams. Contact Gary

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Patty Hall

Regarded as one of the most accomplished paralegals of the Massachusetts Bar, Patty Hall shows no signs of slowing down as she heads into her 18th year of domestic relations work.

Upon retaining the firm, Patty gets clients up-to-speed faster as it relates to their financial statement, discovery, family law worksheets and learning about the entire court process step-by-step. She also prepares and manages firm documents, issues and organizes correspondence, assists with document production, case preparation, and research.

Given the firm's high-worth clients, Patty is Attorney Pollack's Senior Paralegal and "right hand" when it comes to engaging forensic accountants, business valuation experts, or even the nebulous matter of pricing and splitting goodwill.

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Andy P. Miller

Andy Miller comes to the firm after serving as clerk for the Superior Court's Honorable Justice Peter Agnes which gave Andy invaluable experience and insight into the trial courts of Massachusetts. His time with Judge Agnes included extensive research in various aspects of Massachusetts law and gave him the added edge of actually seeing how a judge thinks.

Andy works with clients in almost every one of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' 14 counties. "I get a lot of people who can't fathom where our offices in Dedham, Andover, Worcester or Plymouth/Cape Cod are, so I end up meeting a lot of people at a Starbucks somewhere close to them," Andy touts.

When any of our attorneys head into court, they're first stop is going through Andy Miller who architects the most common motions filed in our divorce cases. Andy also manages our child custody blog and issues related to our child support calculator.

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Renee Mahoney

Renee Mahoney joined The Massachusetts Family Law Group in 2007, bringing with her the reputation as one of the brightest minds in the legal community.

Her area of practice is domestic relations where emotions run high and clients are living through the worst time of their lives, and Renee insists she finds the practice very satisfying.

Serving as paralegal, Renee is an essential part of the firm helping clients get through the temporary order stage, special divorces and sensitive issues relating to children and divorce.

Starting her day at 7a.m., Renee is often the first voice to greet clients. Her favorite part of the job is helping clients and sharing Irwin Pollack's divorce secrets for women.

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Contact us about your legal matter today!