Is it Time to Revisit Your Child Support Order?

Mother and son looking out of window

About every four years, Massachusetts and other states are required by federal law to review their state child support guidelines. In Massachusetts, this responsibility is fulfilled by the Child Support Guidelines Task Force. The Task Force considers economic trends, policies, and other data and obtains input from various stakeholders such as family law practitioners and…

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New 2018 Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines Released

Simplified Worksheet and Fixing Bugs Highlight June 2018 Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines Update On June 15, 2018, new Massachusetts child support guidelines went into effect. Not quite so new child support guidelines were just released in the Fall of 2017, and the Massachusetts child support guidelines typically follow about a three to four-year update cycle,…

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New MA 2017 Child Support Guidelines

New child support guidelines go into effect in Massachusetts on September 15, 2017. The new guidelines make some important changes, including how medical and childcare expenses are considered, and provide additional clarity (maybe) regarding child support and paying for college tuition and expenses.  Also introduced in the 2017 guidelines is an offset to lower child…

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Fixating on the amount of your Massachusetts child support may not be the best idea.

Note:  This article originally appeared in the October/November 2015 issue of New England Woman Magazine. If you are considering a divorce, or already divorced, you may be wondering about returning to work, getting a new job or even just increasing your hours.  Divorce almost always involves some element of financial strain. Maintaining two households on the…

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High Conflict Divorce and Custody

Are there ways you can better manage a high conflict divorce or custody conflict?  Is everything a battle with your ex-partner, spouse, or your child’s other parent? As a mediator, I am in the conflict management business. When a client is dealing with an unreasonable or difficult ex, stress frustration levels skyrocket, so anything I…

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How Does Massachusetts Child Support Work?

If you are due unpaid child support in Massachusetts, you should be familiar with the numerous options for collecting the money to help support your child or children. Administrative enforcement options are coordinated by the Child Support Enforcement Division of the Massachusetts Department of Revenue (DOR). If you are owed back child support, the best idea is to…

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Unallocated Family Support

Although most people are somewhat familiar with child support and alimony, there is a third category of support that you may not be familiar with.  Unallocated family support doesn’t get much attention compared to the more common forms of support. It is a combination of child support and alimony, but receives the same tax treatment of alimony. Labelling payments unallocated family…

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Are child support and alimony taxable?

  Are child support and alimony taxable? Can you deduct your support payments? The cost of child support and alimony are important elements of many Massachusetts divorce cases.  When thinking about the types of support you might receive or pay, understanding the tax implications is crucial.   For higher-income families, some divorce agreements or even temporary orders may provide…

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Fixed Income Attribution for Child Support

Attribution of income is a relatively common issue in Massachusetts child support cases, whether as part of your divorce or a post-divorce modification.  Besides child support cases, attribution of income can also be a factor in alimony cases.  Alimony is also known as spousal support. Attribution of income occurs when the court makes a finding that a person is…

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Are the Child Support Guidelines Increasing Conflict?

Why do some divorcing parents handle the issues surrounding parenting in a respectful and thoughtful manner, while others adopt mean-spirited and inflexible positions?   As a Norfolk County Divorce Lawyer and Divorce Mediator, I have seen both extremes, but there is no simple answer to the question. High conflict over parenting during and after divorce is like a disease. …

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