Parnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices

Our firm blends advocacy oriented practice with effective practical solutions for all our clients in Londonderry, N. Woodstock, and throughout New Hampshire. The attorneys at Parnell, Michels & McKay provide effective representation and counseling to assist our clients facing legal questions. We simplify the process so our clients can understand and are able to participate as partners in the resolution.



Our practice includes personal injury law such as motor vehicle accidents, falls, dog bites, workers compensation, social security disability, and other injuries.



We also practice family law, including divorce, post-divorce, unwed custody and property division, and collaborative divorce, and have extensive experience in bankruptcy, probate, boundary disputes, estate planning, corporate formation and other real estate litigation.
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    After Co-Parenting Ends

    ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices Hours

    This blog has frequently discussed the value of good co-parenting. A common problem many couples face following a divorce is how to parent together in different homes. In general, most cases involving parenting time or decisions invokes New Hampshire’s “best interest of the child” legal standard. This particular legal phrase is frequently found in RSA 461-A, the main statute covering the legal rights and responsibilities for parents. While this legal standard may seem “squishy” to some, the flexibility it provides the field of Family Law helps to ensure that children are properly protected when parents disagree about what is best for their children.Frequently, co-parents attempt to take their spouse to Court for contempt for failure to follow the parenting plan. A New Hampshire parenting plan…

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    New Statute Makes It Easier To Submit Medical Bills At Trial Saving Valuable Time for Medical Facilities

    ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices Hours

    In an effort to make trials easier, and the burden less on medical providers, Parnell, Michels & McKay’s own Rory Parnell provided substantial input and testimony relative to the new bill known as RSA 516:29-c, which allows medical bills to be submitted without the need to call the keeper of the records or doctors to testify the records are accurate.This effort was made primarily to make it easier for medical providers to submit bills and not subject their office manager, record keepers, or managing doctors to be forced to testify by insurance defense counsel to submit simple medical bills. While this is allowed for all cases where the medical bills are lower than $25,000, it is an important step for lessening the burden on local…

  • COVID-19 Parenting Orders and Modifications

    ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices Hours

    COVID-19 continues to present many challenges to New Hampshire and its families. With the Governor’s directive limiting gathering significantly, closing schools, and asking many people to work from home, families have been inundated with concerns about their current parenting orders or obtaining new ones.Please note that this article should not be read for anyone person’s particular situation or be interpreted as legal advice. Everyone’s situation is different, and if you have legal concerns regarding the interpretation or modification of a parenting plan, you should speak with one the family law attorneys at Parnell, Michels & McKay.NH RSA 461-A:6 sets the “best interest of the child” legal standard for drafting or modifying a parenting plan. The best interest of the child is determined by up to…

  • COVID-19 Child Support and Alimony Modifications

    ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices Hours

    Pursuant to the State of New Hampshire’s orders due to concerns about the COVID-19 outbreak, many businesses are shut down and employees are out of work. While the federal and state governments are working on stimulus packages and the expansion of unemployment benefits, parties that are subject to Court orders for child support and/or alimony may want to take some additional steps.NH RSA 458-C:7 permits parties to seek a modification of a child support order any time there has been a substantial change in circumstances. The modification can become effective on the date a party has provided “notice” of the request to modify to the other party. “Notice” means service on the other party or acceptance of service by the other party.NH RSA 458:19-aa permits…

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    Is Divorce Seasonal?

    ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices Hours

    ‘Tis the Season for Divorce?Research from the University of Washington has suggested that divorce filings in some states consistently peak in the months of August and March. The study noted that divorce filings may be driven by a “domestic ritual” calendar and suggested that the increased filings may be the result of unhappy spouses realizing that the holidays or vacations did not live up to their expectations. Unhappy couples often think that holidays or vacations are good times for them to mend their relationships. They seem to develop an optimistic approach thinking that things will be better in the relationship if they have a nice holiday or vacation together, as a family.In New Hampshire, the attorneys at Parnell, Michels & McKay have experienced a similar…

  • Dog Bites Injuries

    ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices Hours

    Dogs are man’s best friend. Most of us have had them as a part of our families over the years. However, dogs (especially poorly trained dogs) can be highly dangerous animals. When they attack, they can cause lasting and permanent physical and emotional scarring. Some breeds (like pit bulls, German Shepherds or Dobermans) can cause even more significant damage because of their physiological makeup. These breeds are often blacklisted by insurance companies because of this. Often, insurance companies will charge higher premiums to dog owners who own dogs like a pit bull or Doberman. This is not necessarily because they are more aggressive than other dogs, but because the damage they cause is so much more significant.In New Hampshire, dog bite cases are strict liability….

  • Personal Injury – Health Insurer’s Subrogation Rights – Know The Law

    ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices Hours

    In almost all injury cases, when the plaintiff gets injured they seek healthcare almost immediately. Most times the person’s health insurance company pays the bills generated by an accident in the first instance. Sometimes, this is a private company like Blue Cross Blue Shield, and other times it is government-provided insurance like Medicare or Medicaid. In each scenario, both types of insurance will have a “lien” or right of reimbursement from the settlement an injured party can get from a third party insurance policy.Most commonly, it is a private health insurer like BCBS that pays the bills. As part of all health insurance contracts, the health insurer reserves a “subrogation” right through the contract. This allows the health insurer to get paid back through a…

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    Divorce: A Personal Perspective

    ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices Hours

    With almost 50% of all marriages in the United States ending in divorce or separation, most people you encounter will have one ‘crazy’ family story or another. Sadly, when I was 13 years of age, my parents decided it was time to end their marriage and get a divorce. At the age of 13, I did not fully understand why they were leaving each other and the circumstances around it. Nothing too bad was going on, in reality, they just weren’t in love with each other anymore and wanted to separate. Of course, they had their moments, but from what I have seen throughout my life, most divorces are very difficult.At such a young age, my parents did not expose me to the legalities surrounding…

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    Massachusetts v. New Hampshire: Key Insurance Law Differences

    ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices Hours

    New Hampshire and Massachusetts share similar histories, but over time their laws have become different. One in particular is the Massachusetts’ consumer protection act (M.G.L 93A) and its sister law M.G.L 176D which regulates the practice of insurance in the state. The big key difference is that the Massachusetts’ consumer protection statute applies to insurance companies conducting business in the Commonwealth, while New Hampshire’s supreme court decided that New Hampshire’s consumer protection statute (RSA 358-A) does not apply to insurance companies. This was a frustrating Court decision that has had significant ramifications on people of New Hampshire being injured by unreasonable and unsupportable insurance practices. In Massachusetts, M.G.L 93A provides that if an insurance company violates M.G.L 176D, then the injured party (the Plaintiff in…

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    Social Media and Litigation: Why You Need To Be Wary of Posting Online?

    ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices Hours

    It is common for most of our society to be on social media. At this point, even most of our grandparents have a Facebook page. While this is a great way to connect to people online, it also presents potential problems for those of us engaged in potential or ongoing litigation. As many people like to say, beware of what you post on social media! This is good general advice, but also good legal advice. Social media requests have become commonplace in litigation discovery requests, and courts are not as reluctant to order that information released.The most common requests are for Facebook posts. While most Courts will not allow complete access to a Facebook page of a party, they will look into specific posts related…