Francine Gardikas

Overview

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 and 2025)
Boston magazine’s Top Lawyers List, Family Law (2022-2024)
Best Lawyers in America, Family Law (2020-2025)
Super Lawyers list (2020-2024)
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)