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New Child Support Guidelines Effective October 2021

new child support guidelines in massachusetts

Massachusetts has released a new set of child support guidelines that will go into effect on October 4, 2021. Massachusetts is required to review the Child Support Guidelines every 4 years and make changes as necessary. The new Child Support Guidelines for Massachusetts mainly focused on updating income amounts and shared parental contributions to reflect the economic changes in the last few…

4 Ways Social Media Can Influence Child Support

How Social Media Can Influence Child Support Orders

Whether you and your spouse are divorcing, or you were never married, one of you may be required to pay child support to the other. You and your child’s other parent can agree to a certain amount of support, or the judge will determine who should pay child support and how much. When the child support decision is left up to the…

How Are College Expenses Handled in a Massachusetts Divorce?

How College Expenses Are Handled In A Massachusetts Divorce

When you are going through a divorce, there’s a lot to prepare for financially. You have to reconfigure your budget and long-term savings plan. You also must consider how you and your ex-spouse will pay for your children to go to college—or at least help them out. If your children are interested in pursuing higher education soon, be sure to discuss college…

How Much Child Support Is Too Much Child Support, and How Can the Payments Be Modified?

When two parents separate, Massachusetts law requires the non-custodial parent to pay child support to the custodial parent. This is intended to offset the custodial parent’s expenses for caring for the child or children. The amount of child support is determined by a judge, according to state-established guidelines that are based on the income of both parents, among other factors. Most of…

Top Boston Mediation Attorneys Discuss Mediation Tips for Mothers

Like parents who are married, unmarried parents have to come together to make decisions about their children. When it becomes difficult for two people to agree on how a child should be raised, it’s almost always beneficial to turn to mediation. What Are Your Rights as Unmarried Parents under Massachusetts Law? The children of unmarried parents have the same rights under Massachusetts…

Two More Errors Found in 2017 Child Support Guidelines

After publishing yesterday’s post about an error we found in the 2017 auto-calculations, we heard from other attorneys about two other problems with the 2017 guidelines calculations.  These errors are, in fact, more serious as they aren’t merely a problem with the way a worksheet translates the calculations, they’re problems with the formula for calculation themselves. The first, along with examples highlighting…

Error in Child Support Guidelines Worksheet Published by the Court

PSA: Double Check Your 2017 Child Support Guidelines By Hand And Using Our App Massachusetts has just published new child support guidelines calculations and as Gabriel pointed out in his Lawyer’s Weekly interview, they’re, well, a little bit complicated. Several years ago, we created the Massachusetts Divorce App based on a need to be able to quickly generate child support and alimony…

2017 New Child Support Guidelines

Every 4 years, the probate and family court issues a new set of Child Support Guidelines.  The changes are meant to reflect economic realities, changes in the law, and help to clarify how child support amounts are set in Massachusetts. Notable Changes to the Child Support Guidelines: Minimum Presumptive Order If a payor doesn’t make enough money to pay the child support…

Child Support Enforcement In Massachusetts

Child support is a resented and necessary component of family law. Since both parents are obligated to support their children, it is an issue in every divorce involving children. You will also not avoid the issue in a paternity case even if there is no desire to collect support from the other party. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts already declared by law that…

Custody and Child Support Laws for Unmarried Couples

Romantic relationships don’t always work out, and when children are involved, situations can become complicated. When romantic partners — whether married or not — have a child together, both parents are responsible for the child’s well-being. For unmarried parents, the circumstances of a relationship can vary significantly. Some unmarried parents are part of a committed couple who live together, while others may…