The 2021 Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines Task Force worked together to adjust benefits after urging from child support advocacy groups stating that the averages weren’t high enough to cover rising medical and...
Common-law marriage exists when two people reside together and refer to each other as husband and wife but have not obtained a marriage certificate or completed a formal wedding ceremony. Some states recognize this as a...
In some cases, minor children will live with a non-parent, such as an aunt/uncle or close friend of the family, while the parent or parents retain legal guardianship. There may be health or legal issues with the parents of...
A Cooler Head Can Prevail It’s an ugly truth: divorce can get nasty. Whether emotions run high or feelings toward each other are bitter because of how things are ending, couples getting divorced can sometimes be rather mean...
The Types of Orders When someone thinks about a protection order, the most common one that jumps to mind is the restraining order. Popular because of TV and movies, the restraining order is effectively an enforceable command...
The Basics There are two types of divorce in Massachusetts, but for all practical purposes, the one you will be most interested is called a “no fault” divorce. The reason for this is fairly straightforward – in a “no...
Legal vs. Physical Custody In any custody dispute, there are going to be two major considerations regarding the rights a parent (or guardian) has in relation to a child: Physical Custody and Legal Custody. To explain each...
Steps to Take Before Filing for Divorce in MA Choosing to get a divorce is a big decision to make. Now that you’ve decided, your first step is filing for divorce in MA. How do you do this, and what do you need to...
Getting Ahead of the New Year’s First Step The new year is drawing ever nearer, and many people who have considered filing for divorce held off on doing so during the holiday season. Now that a fresh start is upon all of...
How Child Support Works In Massachusetts – and most states, frankly – the default view of the court is that both parents have a duty to provide some manner of support towards the care and wellbeing of their child. Most...