Christine G. DeBernardis
MA & NH Appeals & Appellate Lawyer with 25 years of experience
Christine G. DeBernardis earned her BS in Psychology and Law at the College of New Jersey (formerly Trenton State College) in 1996. She continued her education at the New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts, where she earned a Juris Doctor in 1999. Attorney DeBernardis was admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1999, the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts in 2003 and the State of New Hampshire in 2007.
Attorney DeBernardis is a member of the Essex County Bar Advocates, Inc., Essex County Bar Association, and the Newburyport Bar Association and a,panel attorney for the Appellate Division of the Committee for Public Counsel. She volunteers as a Judge for the Massachusetts Bar Association Mock Trial competition and the Essex County Junior Mock Trial competition. She is also a panel attorney for ARAG Legal Insurance.
Attorney DeBernardis works to raise funds for various causes and participates in several fundraising events. She has participated in the Avon 3 Day walk for breast cancer in years past, cycled for many years in the Five Boro Bike Tour in New York to raise funds for the youth hostels and an annual participant in the Long Island 2 Day Walk to Fight Breast Cancer. She also rode the Tour of the Tucson Mountains in Arizona, which benefits many different charities.
- New England Law | Boston
- J.D. (1999) | Law
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- The College of New Jersey
- B.S. | Criminal Law & Psychology (minor Spanish)
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- Essex County Bar Association
- Current
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- Newburyport Bar Association
- Current
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- Essex County Bar Advocates, Inc.
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- Massachusetts
- Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers
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- New Hampshire
- New Hampshire Bar Association
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- Federal Circuit
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- Credit Cards Accepted
- Appeals & Appellate
- Civil Appeals
- Family Law
- Adoption, Child Custody, Child Support, Father's Rights, Guardianship & Conservatorship, Paternity, Prenups & Marital Agreements, Restraining Orders, Same Sex Family Law
- Divorce
- Collaborative Law, Contested Divorce, Military Divorce, Property Division, Same Sex Divorce, Spousal Support & Alimony, Uncontested Divorce
- Criminal Law
- Criminal Appeals, Drug Crimes, Expungement, Fraud, Gun Crimes, Internet Crimes, Sex Crimes, Theft, Violent Crimes
- Q. If a parent has no job or "home" of their own, does parenting time still continue, even with overnights?
- A: If the child has a "sleeping space," (own bed or area to sleep, but most preferably a bedroom), the Court may still permit the parenting time to continue. Many people lose jobs or fall into bad situations and live with a relative. If this is weekend parenting time, the Court is more likely to leave it in place and give father some time to find his own place to live than it would be for parenting time during the week when the child needs to be fresh and ready for the school day (though this may be awarded as well).
- Q. How to inform biological father about relocating, when you don't know where he may be.
- A: You can notify by publication or seek the Court's permission to remove the child (which will also cause you to notify him when the petition is filed).
- Q. I am going through a divorce. I can't afford a lawyer or qualify for a free one I am 61 years old. Do I need a lawyer?
- A: You can certainly proceed without counsel. If you cannot afford an attorney, check with your local court to see if they have an "attorney for the day" program or legal aid to assist.