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.

Family Law | General News
The Supreme Court Strikes Down Portion of Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA)
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices January 9, 2013September 16, 2025
In the now-famous case, titled United States v. Windsor, the U.S. Supreme Court examined the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act to decide whether a portion of the act was unconstitutional. Specifically, the U.S. Supreme Court was deciding whether Section 3 of the act, which functionally denied federal benefits for same-sex couples, was constitutional. Ms. Windsor was married to her partner, and when her partner died, she was denied the exemption for spouses under federal law for estate inheritance. She was forced to pay over $300,000.00 in taxes to the federal government under DOMA, and she filed a lawsuit to contest this provision. Over the years, the case wound its way through our Appeals circuits and found its way in front of the Supreme Court. The…
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Personal Injury Law
Personal Injury: Documenting The Scene
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices December 9, 2012September 16, 2025
We have talked about the general overview of personal injury cases and some important things to remember when you are involved in a personal injury case. Another question we get a lot when we meet initially with clients is whether the client should have taken pictures or tried to do more to document the scene of the accident. In auto accident cases, most police departments will take pictures of the scene of the accident and the damage to any vehicles in the accident. So, for the most part, some evidence will be saved by the investigating officers. However, there are many ways with which our clients run into unfortunate accidents leading the injury. These range from slip and falls, dog bites, trip and falls, and…
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General Litigation | General News
The Dangers of Allowing The Legislature To Run The NH Courts: Why You Need To Vote “NO” On Question 2
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices October 19, 2012September 16, 2025
On November 2nd this year, New Hampshire voters will be asked to vote on whether to give the power of administration of the Courts to the legislature. Here is the language from the proposed statute: “The legislature shall have a concurrent power to regulate the same matters by statute. In the event of a conflict between a statute and a court rule, the statute, if not otherwise contrary to this constitution, shall prevail over the rule.” The New Hampshire Bar Association has come out in complete opposition to the rule, as noted on their website here. There is a significant danger of giving the power of administration over to the Courts to a legislature that does not have the wherewithal nor the knowledge to administer…
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Personal Injury Law
Difficulties With Personal Injury Cases: How The Insurance Defense Industry Is Making Recovery Harder for Injured Victims
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices October 9, 2012September 16, 2025
A large part of our personal injury practice at Parnell, Michels & McKay, deals with injuries people sustain in motor vehicle accidents. Bringing those claims to resolution now, more than ever, is a complicated and difficult task. Dr. Arthur Croft of the Spine Research Institute of San Diego (SRISD) is familiar with this difficulty, as he has had many patients of his become overwhelmed by the personal injury claims and litigation process. In his article, titled “Study Confirms Flaws in Standard Defense Strategy for MVC Injury”, he touches on how automobile insurers are doing everything they can to avoid paying personal injury claims. You can read Dr. Croft’s article here. Dr. Croft calls the position All-State Insurance, and others, take as the “three D’s –…
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Personal Injury Law
Massachusetts vs. New Hampshire: Differences In Personal Injury Claims
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices September 19, 2012September 16, 2025
Massachusetts is a mandatory insurance state, and as a result, all residents of Massachusetts are required by law to carry automobile insurance. New Hampshire, on the other hand, does not require everyone to carry automobile insurance. Many people ask us what this means for them, and their potential injury claim. First, Massachusetts policies have what is called “personal injury protection” (a/k/a “PIP”) coverage. This is a type of insurance that pays for medical bills incurred as a result of an auto accident. So, if you are injured and have a Massachusetts policy, then the personal injury protection will be the first to pay out for medical bills. Under Massachusetts rules, the first $2,000.00 of all related medical bills to the accident are paid by the…
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Collaborative Law | Family Law
What Is Income for Child Support? Recent N.H. Decision Uses Broad Definition
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices September 9, 2012September 16, 2025
We are often asked as attorneys what figure the Court uses as income for the purposes of calculating child support. RSA 458-C:3 defines “Gross Income” as “All income, from any source, whether earned or unearned…” and then goes on to include specific sources of income like wages, salary lottery or gambling winnings, etc. This is an easy concept for most people to understand. You work, you receive salary or wages, and those are calculated for child support purposes. However, what if you received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a life insurance policy? Well, the New Hampshire Supreme Court recently answered that question with a “yes”. The case, In the Matter of Larocque and Larocque, looked at whether life insurance proceeds the father received from…
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General Litigation | General News
The Importance of Language In The Law: Paying College Expenses
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices August 9, 2012September 16, 2025
In a recent decision by the New Hampshire Supreme Court, two ex-spouses argued about whether they had to pay for college expenses. The case, titled In the Matter of Christian Poulin and Rose Marie Poulin Wall, took a hard look at the specific language used in the parties’ Divorce Decree. The language stated, in pertinent part, “The parties agree to contribute to their children’s college education to the extent each party is financially able. The actual contributions shall be determined when each child is near college age.” The mother asked the father to pay 75%, the father refused and attempted to pay a lower number, and this case ensued. The father argued that the agreement lacked specificity, and cited another New Hampshire Supreme Court case,…
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Collaborative Law | Family Law
Federal Appeals Court Rules Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) Is Unconstitutional
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices June 29, 2012September 16, 2025
The Defense of Marriage Act, also known as “DOMA”, is a federal statute that was passed in 1996. The act states that when it comes to federal laws and regulations, marriage is defined as between a man and a woman only. The effect of this law was to limit the ability of same-sex couples from receiving social security survivor benefits and prevent them from being able to file joint taxes together. The law also stated that other states do not have to recognize same-sex marriages in other states if their state did not recognize them. The ruling focused on these denials of benefits to same-sex partners and involved a type of legal analysis in constitutional cases called the “rational basis” test. This is the lowest…
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Collaborative Law | Family Law
Divorce Hotels: The Netherlands Unique Approach To Dissolving A Marriage
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices June 19, 2012September 16, 2025
It’s a very difficult situation when two people are divorcing. The process can take a lot of time and money, and only lead to more frustration. It is not an easy process but is one that the Netherlands is taking a new approach to resolving. They have introduced “Divorce Hotels”. The divorcing couple checks in on Friday and leaves on Sunday with a divorce agreement. How do they do it? Well, they have a team of mediators, psychologists, and lawyers that get involved to help facilitate the final divorce agreement. The cost can range from $2,500 to $10,000 depending on the complexity of the assets and whether there is a fight over custody of the children. The parties then sit down and try to resolve…
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Bankruptcy Law | General Litigation
The Health Care Appeal: What You Need To Know To Understand The Health Care Debate
ByParnell, Michels & McKay Law Offices June 9, 2012September 16, 2025
A decision is expected this month on whether the Affordable Care Act will be struck down by the United States Supreme Court. Legal scholars suspect that the individual mandate provision faces the most risk of being struck from the law, while experts expect the remainder of the law to stand. It is not clear what the Supreme Court will decide, but a lot of people have been confused on what the Court will look at when deciding whether to uphold the law. In order to understand the Government’s legal justification for the law, one needs to understand the Commerce Clause in our Constitution. This clause has been used to expand what Congress can and can’t regulate through its laws. Essentially, the Commerce Clause permits Congress…
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