VOLUME XIV | SUMMER 2024

IN THIS NEWSLETTER — Summer Vacation Edition

• WHAT'S NEW? Professional Activities, Webinar, Staff News

• CASE SUMMARY: Wendt v. Wendt

• ARTIST OF THE QUARTER: Randi Freundlich

• MINDFULNESS MATTERS: Summer Walks

UPDATES FROM CYNTHIA RUNGE

Recent Activities

ABA SECTION OF FAMILY LAW SPRING CLE CONFERENCE

On May 1^st, Cindy and Peter both attended the American Bar Association Conference for family law and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART). Cindy and Peter were schooled on cutting-edge approaches and trends in ART and look forward to using our knowledge to assist our current and future clients.

AFCC CONFERENCE

On June 6^th, Cindy attended the Association of Family and Conciliated Courts “AFCC” Conference in Boston. Many of the sessions concerned mediation and honing mediation skills. Other seminars addressed cutting edge technology involving social media for litigation cases, sociological issues affecting families, and seminars concerning high conflict cases and the use of parenting coordinators. The conference was well worth the investment of time.

Upcoming Activities

NY STATE BAR ASSOCIATION FAMILY LAW SECTION MEETING

On July 11–13^th, The Family Law Section of the New York State Bar, of which Cindy is a member, will converge on Boston for their summer meeting. Cindy plans to attend as she is also a member of the NY Bar. Clearly, Boston is the Conference HUB for 2024!



In our upcoming Zoom presentation Cindy will interview Kelly Walsh, Executive Director of the New England School of Performing Arts and Monica Wisco, LICSW, both of whom work with children & adolescents. Monica and Kelly will talk about ways parents can provide support for kids therapeutically as well as through self-expression in the arts. 

Kelly Walsh is the Artistic Director/Owner of the New England School of Performing Arts which is dedicated to providing a fun, all-inclusive, professional arts experience for all ages. Kelly also serves as the Drama Director at North Andover High School. She co-founded The Fairy Tale Players, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating educational theatre for young audiences and has served as the Education Director at Creative Arts, where she directed over thirty children's' productions and was featured twice in Boston Parent’s “Best of the Best” issue for her theatre classes. In addition she has worked at The North Shore Music Theatre, The Greater Boston Stage Company, the Concord Youth Theatre, and the Andover School of Montessori.

Monica Wisco, LICSW has a private practice in Danvers, MA where she provides individual and family therapy to all ages, specializing in children and adolescents. With over two decades of experience working with individuals of varied ages and circumstances, she is passionate about working with those who suffer from anxiety, depression, and who have experienced trauma; and has extensive training in these areas. She has worked in community mental health, groups practices and other outpatient settings and utilizes those experiences in her work.

RECENT QUARTERLY WEBINAR

On April 25^th, we hosted John Marroni, CDLP, who spoke to us about real estate issues during a divorce. Check out the webinar recording on the Peridot Family Law Youtube channel.



RESOURCES

You can watch all our past Quarterly Webinars on the our Youtube Channel.

TESTIMONIAL OF THE QUARTER

This testimonial was for Cindy and the Peridot Family Law team:

"... My philosophy is that everything can be improved upon; so, nothing can earn the highest rating. I am making an exception for Cynthia Runge and her team at Peridot Family Law. During one of the most difficult times in my life, Cynthia and her team have provided exceptional service on many levels. I cannot express enough my gratitude for her empathy and availability. Every step of the way, she has demonstrated professionalism, knowledge and comprehension of the law, excellent communication skills, amazing composure, steadfast commitment, and honesty and ethics."



STAFF NEWS

Farewell Hannah!

Our intern Hannah Flaherty completed her time here with us and we are sad to see her go. Hannah graduated from Boston College Law School and will be taking the bar examination in July. We wish her the best of luck in her future legal endeavors!



Welcome Geraldine, Paralegal!

We are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to our newest team member, Geraldine Vittini. With four years of dedicated service in paralegal support, she has honed her skills, particularly in the areas of immigration, family law, and litigation. Geraldine recently completed a paralegal course specifically in family law. We eagerly anticipate the valuable contributions she will bring to our team. Welcome aboard!

Congratulations, Peter!

Congratulations to Peter Fitzgerald on his recent promotion from Paralegal to Senior Paralegal! Peter is excited for his new role and responsibilities in the office. He has been with Peridot Family Law since 2021 and he hopes to use this opportunity to add toward the continued success of the practice and provide the best possible legal services to Peridot Family Law's clients.

NEW CASE SUMMARY

Wendt v. Wendt, M.A.C. Rule 23.0 case, 22-P-1158 (2024)

CUSTODY

Following a four-day divorce trial in March 2022, the father, William George Wendt, contested the Judge's custody determination, asserting that it was a clear abuse of discretion

The mother filed a Complaint for Divorce on February 6, 2020, on the grounds of an irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. The parties had two children, born in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Through the proceedings, both parties sought custody of the children and ownership of the marital home. The Judge granted the mother primary physical custody and joint legal custody of the Children. The Judge ordered that the mother was the primary caregiver and found that the father did not always act in a manner that supported his children.

The father claims that the Judge failed to consider multiple relevant factors in determining custody. The trial Judge noted that he based his decision on the parents' ability to provide stability, their decision-making skills, and the impact of their lifestyles on the children. The trial Court found that the father was unable to provide the same level of stability as the mother. For example, the Judge cited that the father brought the children to school late on numerous occasions and was combative with the children's caregivers...

"It was hard when we had to leave Ukraine because I had a lot of friends. And I miss them so, so much. Of course I worry about my dad. He's in Kiev. He can't leave Ukraine, because they won't let the men. He must stay there and help and do all to take Ukraine for good. And he's teaching people how to, shooting, with a gun. Maybe we will go back, if the war finished. Actually, I would like to stay here, in America, because I have so many friends right now at school. So I don't want to miss them too. And I don't want them to forget me." — as told to Randi Freundlich by Sofia from Ukraine in 2023 when she and her mother had been in the United States for about 7 months.

ARTIST OF THE QUARTER

At Peridot Family Law we prioritize wellness and believe in the power of art to heal. For the wellbeing and enrichment of our clients and staff we present the work of Boston area artists on the walls of our offices through our “Artist of the Quarter” corporate exhibition program.

RANDI FREUNDLICH

Randi Freundlich's photography will be featured at Peridot Family Law for the third quarter of 2024. She will be showing selections from her series "Children of the World", a collection of stories, in photographs and words, about children of immigrant families who live in the Boston area. 

In Randi's words: "I’ve always been interested in my own family’s immigrant origins. Where did we come from, and how does that make us who we are? How do parents, who emigrated to the U.S. from other places, adapt to their new world?

I met many immigrant families in my job as a social worker, and was fascinated to learn more about their lives. I began photographing the children, and listened to how they understood their family’s immigrant story. Photographing them in their homes, I love to see how they ‘become Americans’, and at the same time hold on to some of their identity from the home country. A 12 year-old boy said, “I was born in America, but my parents are from the Caribbean. I’m American by citizenship, but ‘American’ is just a label… my blood is from Dominica.”

I want to introduce these different worlds and cultures to a wider audience. My hope is that the viewer will learn something about the ‘children of the world’ here among us.

As of June 2024, there are 58 countries represented. The series has been on exhibit at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center, Boston City, and Somerville City Hall. A slideshow of images was included in the Dreams of Freedom exhibit at the Skywalk Observatory at the Prudential Center. The project is ongoing.

ABOUT RANDI FREUNDLICH

Randi Freundlich is a photographer and former social worker, living in Somerville, MA. She received her BFA in Photography from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Boston University. Randi has exhibited in and around Boston; her first solo exhibition was at the Boston Convention Center.

Visit Randi's website to learn more about Randi and her photography.

We are Accepting Applications for ARTIST OF THE QUARTER!

Are you interested in being an Artist of the Quarter? Know an artist who would be? We offer four quarterly exhibition slots per calendar year in our Financial District office. We are looking for art that aligns with our mission and values through themes such as families, relationships, healing, transformation, nature, and growth. All exhibiting artists receive a stipend and are included in our newsletter and on our web site.

To submit your work for consideration, please send 6 images of the artwork and your web site link to: peter@peridotfamilylaw.com



MINDFULNESS MATTERS

SUMMER WALKS

by Rossvierlin Cajigas and Cynthia Runge

Rossvierlin: With the everyday responsibilities of working, graduate school and life taking its course I often found myself putting my physical and mental wellness on the back burner. Starting my first year of law school in 2023, I saw that happen a lot. My assignments, readings, family and friendships came first. Even if that meant I was in a rut. One day in the summer I found the light to the end of that neglected wellness tunnel and it was simply, walking.

Walking is not only good for our physical health, but also for our mental health. Fitting in 10, 15 minutes or even more made an absolute difference. Walking allowed me to disconnect from all the noise and focus on what mattered, myself. On my walks I often listen to music, podcasts and other times I just walk in silence. I would use this time to reflect on my goals, on how I felt or sometimes just not think at all. It’s my sacred time that my body and mind desperately need and deserves.

Cindy: I recently rediscovered my Apple watch, which has a step counter. Now that the weather is warmer, I am motivated to get in my “steps”. Although I have a personal goal of trying to hit at least 10,000 per day, it doesn’t always happen (grin), but I keep at it. It does make a difference in my energy level and helps me get back to a place of calm. Sometimes I feel guilty when I can’t get to the gym if my week is particularly busy, but walking is something I can do at least in some capacity. Whether it is parking further away from my office, walking to Court instead of taking an Uber, taking the stairs, etc., these small actions individually don’t seem like much, but collectively they make a difference in one’s overall physical activity.



Cindy and her staff on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, a great place to walk that is just steps from the Peridot Family Law office!

Rossvierlin: Here’s the beauty about walks! Walks do not need to be long, or glamorous. It can be in between your long study sessions, or during your lunch break. No special clothes required! You can be wearing athleisure or in your work uniform. Most importantly you can take your walk anywhere. It can be around the block, at the park, at the gym, even inside your house. The beauty of walking is that you can cater it to your needs. May we never be too busy to put ourselves first. Enjoy that walk, you deserve it!

LEFT TO RIGHT: Rossvierlin, Geraldine, Peter, Cindy and Dahni. FRONT: Frankie.