They met in law school, and over the course of their 20 plus years together, Maureen and Ellen have lived in three communities -- Mission Hill, Dorchester, and now Newton for the last eleven years. Ellen formed a law firm in 2000 (Wade and Horowitz, LLC), and Maureen has worked as in-house-counsel and now general counsel and vice president for 12 years. While working part-time until recently to meet the needs of their now 15-year-old daughter Kate, their everyday lives have been filled with activities that resonate with any parent: karate classes that began in kindergarten, violin practice and recitals since the first grade, a current love for hip-hop, and lots and lots of sports.
In fact, Maureen calls Ellen "the best coach in Newton." Ellen, 56, has covered the seasons -- from basketball to soccer to this spring's softball lineup. Ellen recently formed her own law firm in Brookline, and Maureen, 52, has worked for a non-profit organization as in-house counsel--and now General Counsel and Vice President--for ten years.
Both of their extended families play an active role in Kate's life. Kate visits Ellen's family in Texas several times a year with one or both parents, and there are periodic vacations with Maureen's parents and the families of their sisters. In short, Kate is not only blessed with close friends and a busy social and sports calendar, she's also a much adored granddaughter, niece and cousin.
Seeking as much security as they can for their family, Maureen and Ellen have taken all the steps available to them in the absence of a marriage license. They completed a joint adoption of Kate in 1994 to ensure that they are both legal parents; they own the bulk of their personal and real property jointly and share one checking account. They have health care proxies, life insurance, retirement accounts and other documents.
None of it, however, prepared them for the additional stress and uncertainty they faced when Ellen was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999. Although Ellen is now healthy, the experience more fully revealed their lack of protections, as well as the financial security, that are only available to married couples.
After 20 years of nurturing their family, and being active members of their community, Maureen and Ellen were married on May 17, 2004.
They met in law school, and over the course of their 20 plus years together, Maureen and Ellen have lived in three communities -- Mission Hill, Dorchester, and now Newton for the last eleven years. Ellen formed a law firm in 2000 (Wade and Horowitz, LLC), and Maureen has worked as in-house-counsel and now general counsel and vice president for 12 years. While working part-time until recently to meet the needs of their now 15-year-old daughter Kate, their everyday lives have been filled with activities that resonate with any parent: karate classes that began in kindergarten, violin practice and recitals since the first grade, a current love for hip-hop, and lots and lots of sports.