FAMILY LAW: COMPREHENSIVE LEGAL ASSISTANCE
“Every family has a secret, and the secret is that it is not like other families”
Alan Bennet
Studio Legale Massa provides support at every stage of family life. We advise on de facto relationships governed by Law 76/2016, civil partnerships for same-sex couples, and both consensual and contested proceedings when a relationship breaks down. For unmarried couples we draw up cohabitation agreements that regulate the property regime and mutual safeguards; when cohabitation ends, we assist partners with asset division, child protection and succession matters.
On the marital side, we handle separations and divorces, taking care of joint custody, maintenance calculations and—where necessary—allocation of the family home, all in accordance with the shared parental-responsibility principles set out in Law 54/2006.
The new tools introduced by the Cartabia Reform
The procedural reform enacted by Legislative Decree 149/2022 has created a single procedural track for persons, minors and families, cutting timescales and eliminating the fragmentation of the previous system. The same decree has established the Court for Persons, Minors and Families, a specialised body that delivers faster and more consistent decisions.
The reform also strengthens family mediation and assisted negotiation, two out-of-court routes that allow sustainable agreements on children and assets, reducing conflict and containing costs.
By introducing a single family procedure, enhancing protection for women and minors who suffer violence, bolstering mediation and assisted negotiation, and setting up the new court, the reform marks the most significant legislative change in recent years.
A further objective is to clarify the roles of the various professionals who revolve around the family sphere—from social-health services and specialist consultants to mediators and the newly created parenting coordinator—with a view to defining clear responsibilities and working methods.