Francine Gardikas advocates for her clients in all forums, from the courtroom to alternative dispute resolution settings. Understanding her clients is a main focus of her approach. Learning who they are as individuals, explaining the law, and guiding her clients through an often emotionally fraught process helps her to stay aligned. Always keeping a client’s needs and goals in mind, Francine works diligently on their behalf to provide well thought-out counsel and personal attention.
Clients rely on Francine when they need a strong litigator who is skilled at negotiating agreements involving complicated financial matters and emotional custody disputes. They value her experience in all components of divorce and family law including divorce, child custody disputes, paternity, removal, modification and contempt actions, alimony and child support, as well as prenuptial agreements and postnuptial agreements.
When cases are complex, Francine has the extensive litigation and negotiation experience needed to successfully handle high net worth and highly contested divorce cases. As divorce or custody disputes develop, the situation often broadens to include intricate business valuation and asset issues; high conflict custody / parenting disputes; negotiating and drafting divorce agreements, prenuptial and postnuptial agreements; child support and alimony actions; paternity actions; modification matters; removal cases; same-sex marriage and divorce issues; post-divorce modification and enforcement of alimony. Known for her attention to detail, Francine provides the scope and perspective to handle these situations in the most practical and thoughtful manner.
Affiliations
- Member, Greater Boston Family Law American Inn of Court
- Member, American Academy for Certified Financial Litigators
- Member, Massachusetts Bar Association
- Member, Boston Bar Association
- Member, Essex County Bar Association
- Member, Middlesex County Bar Association
- Member, Massachusetts Association of Women Lawyers
- Member, Women’s Bar Association
Honors
- Lawdragon 500: Leading Family Lawyer (2024)
- Boston magazine’s Top Lawyers List, Family Law (2022-2023)
- Best Lawyers in America, Family Law (2020-2024)
- Super Lawyers list (2020-2023)
- Massachusetts Super Lawyers Rising Stars list – Family Law (2011-2012)
Articles + Talks
TALKS
- Domestic Relations Financial Summit 2022, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, 2022
- Probate and Family Court COVID-19 Impact Series: Review of Parenting Coordinator Appointments and Resolution of High Conflict Parenting Issues, Boston Bar Association, 2020
- Caselaw and Legislative Updates, 23rd Annual Family Law Conference, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education 2020
- Caselaw and Legislative Update, 20th Annual Family Law Conference, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, 2017
- Caselaw and Legislative Update, 19th Annual Family Law Conference, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, 2016
- Caselaw and Legislative Update, 18th Annual Family Law Conference, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, 2015
- New Developments in the Use of Parenting Coordinators and Guardians ad Litem, Boston Bar Association, 2015
- Caselaw and Legislative Update, 17th Annual Family Law Conference, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, 2014
- Family Law Year-in-Review 2014, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, 2014
- Mental Health Issues & Divorce, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, 2013
- Caselaw and Legislative Update, 16th Annual Family Law Conference, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, 2013
- Navigating the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) and the Massachusetts Differences, Boston Bar Association, 2013
- Caselaw and Legislature Update 2012, 15th Annual Family Law Conference, Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, 2012
- Ansin and Post Nuptial Agreements, Boston Bar Association, 2011 (Moderator)
Bar Admissions
- Massachusetts
- U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts
Education
- J.D., Suffolk University Law School
- B.A., College of the Holy Cross