Practice Areas
We provide comprehensive legal services in three focused areas of practice. Each client receives personalized attention and experienced representation.
Immigration Law
Deportation defense, asylum, green cards, visas, and naturalization for individuals and families in Western Massachusetts. Se habla Espanol. Nou pale Kreyol.
Learn More →Criminal Defense
Criminal defense representation in Massachusetts courts, with particular attention to immigration consequences for non-citizen defendants.
Learn More →Child Welfare (CAFL)
Certified CAFL attorney representing children and parents in care and protection proceedings in Hampden County juvenile courts.
Learn More →Estate Planning & Probate
Wills, trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare proxies, and probate administration for families in Springfield and Western Massachusetts.
Learn More →Immigration Law
Attorney Desmarais represents immigrants and their families before USCIS, the Hartford Immigration Court, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and the First Circuit Court of Appeals. He handles cases at every stage of the immigration process, from initial visa petitions through removal proceedings and appeals.
If you or a family member is facing deportation, has received a Notice to Appear, or needs help with a green card, visa, or asylum application, Attorney Desmarais can help you understand your options and fight for the best possible outcome.
Springfield and Western Massachusetts are home to large Haitian, Hispanic, and South Asian communities. Attorney Desmarais serves these communities in English, Spanish, and Haitian Creole. He understands the specific immigration challenges these communities face, including TPS renewals for Haitian nationals, asylum claims based on gang violence and political persecution, and family reunification for mixed-status households.
Whether your case involves a straightforward family petition or a complex deportation defense with criminal issues, you deserve an attorney who will take the time to understand your situation and explain every step of the process.
Services Include:
- ✓Deportation defense and removal proceedings
- ✓Asylum applications (affirmative and defensive)
- ✓Family-based immigration petitions (I-130)
- ✓Green card applications and adjustment of status
- ✓Cancellation of removal
- ✓U-visas for crime victims
- ✓VAWA self-petitions for abuse survivors
- ✓Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS)
- ✓TPS applications and renewals
- ✓Naturalization and citizenship
- ✓Employment-based visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1)
- ✓DACA renewals
- ✓Immigration bond hearings
- ✓Consular processing
Criminal Defense
Attorney Desmarais provides criminal defense representation in Massachusetts district and superior courts. He handles cases ranging from misdemeanors to serious felonies, always with an eye toward protecting his clients' rights and future.
For non-citizen clients, criminal charges carry an additional layer of risk. Even a minor conviction can trigger deportation, make someone ineligible for a green card, or bar them from ever becoming a U.S. citizen. Attorney Desmarais understands the intersection of criminal and immigration law and works to achieve outcomes that protect both your freedom and your immigration status.
This "crimmigration" expertise is critical. Many criminal defense attorneys are unaware that a plea deal they consider favorable could result in mandatory deportation for a non-citizen client. Attorney Desmarais evaluates every case from both angles, ensuring that criminal defense strategy accounts for immigration consequences from the start.
If you are a non-citizen facing criminal charges, or if a prior conviction is affecting your immigration case, you need an attorney who understands both systems.
Services Include:
- ✓Misdemeanor and felony defense
- ✓Drug offenses
- ✓Assault and battery
- ✓OUI/DUI defense
- ✓Theft and property crimes
- ✓Domestic violence charges
- ✓Immigration consequences of criminal convictions
- ✓Post-conviction relief and record sealing
- ✓Violation of probation hearings
- ✓Crimmigration analysis and strategy
Child Welfare (CAFL)
Attorney Desmarais is a certified attorney with the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) Children and Family Law (CAFL) program. He represents both children and parents in care and protection cases brought by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in Hampden County Juvenile Court.
Care and protection cases are among the most serious proceedings a family can face. DCF may seek temporary or permanent custody of children, and in the most serious cases, may petition to terminate parental rights. These cases move quickly, and the stakes could not be higher.
Attorney Desmarais works closely with his clients, social workers, and service providers to develop case plans, advocate for reunification when appropriate, and ensure that children's best interests are protected throughout the process. He attends all court hearings, case conferences, and reviews, and maintains regular contact with clients to keep them informed and prepared.
For parents, he fights to preserve the family relationship while ensuring that any safety concerns are addressed through appropriate services. For children, he serves as their independent voice in court, making sure the judge hears what the child needs and wants.
Services Include:
- ✓Care and protection proceedings (DCF cases)
- ✓Representation of children in juvenile court
- ✓Representation of parents in DCF cases
- ✓Termination of parental rights defense
- ✓Emergency removal hearings (72-hour hearings)
- ✓Permanency planning hearings
- ✓Fair hearing appeals of DCF decisions
- ✓DCF investigation response
- ✓Guardianship proceedings for minors
- ✓Interstate Compact on the Placement of Children (ICPC)
Estate Planning & Probate
Every family needs an estate plan, regardless of income or wealth. Without a will or trust, Massachusetts intestacy laws decide who gets your property, who raises your children, and who manages your affairs if you become incapacitated. These defaults rarely match what families actually want.
Attorney Desmarais helps families in Springfield and Western Massachusetts create estate plans tailored to their specific situations. For immigrant families, estate planning has additional considerations: mixed-status households may need special trust structures, powers of attorney must account for the possibility that a family member could be detained or deported, and international assets may require coordination across legal systems.
Whether you need a straightforward will and healthcare proxy or a more complex trust arrangement, Attorney Desmarais will walk you through your options in plain language and help you put a plan in place that protects the people you care about.
If a family member has passed away and you need help with the probate process, Attorney Desmarais can guide you through estate administration in Hampshire and Hampden County probate courts.
Services Include:
- ✓Last wills and testaments
- ✓Revocable living trusts
- ✓Irrevocable trusts
- ✓Durable powers of attorney
- ✓Healthcare proxies and advance directives
- ✓Estate planning for immigrant and mixed-status families
- ✓Guardianship designations for minor children
- ✓Probate administration
- ✓Trust administration
- ✓Deed transfers and beneficiary designations