Child support orders depend heavily on each parent's income and other changeable circumstances, so what may have been a fair child support order at one time may, over the months or years, become no longer reasonable. For example, parents in Massachusetts may change...
Who has priority in guardianship appointments?
As this blog has discussed, when a Massachusetts child needs an adult in their lives to protect them legally and provide a home for them, a guardianship of a minor is a legal option. The appointment of a guardian, however, actually involves two steps: First, a judge...
Review of Massachusetts’ relocation law
There are many reasons why a single parent in the Springfield area may have to move either to another part of Massachusetts or even outside the state. Given that Massachusetts is relatively small in terms of land size and is close to a lot of other big cities in other...
Child support issues in guardianship cases
This blog has on previous cases discussed how relatives of Massachusetts children can use legal guardianship as a process to get authority to take care of their loved ones if their parents are unable or unwilling to do so for any number of serious reasons. Financial...
Placing a value on a family business
There are many Springfield, Massachusetts, couples who are not only romantically involved but also partners in life and business. Happily married couples who own a business together will ordinarily be able to get along well enough when it comes to running the affairs...
Child support guidelines and special needs children
This blog has discussed how various aspects of the family law in Massachusetts apply when a Springfield parent is trying to parent a child with special medical, educational or other needs on his or her own. This post will discuss the way parents, with the help of...
The difference between parenting coordinators and “GAL”s
A previous post here discussed the role of a guardian ad litem, or "GAL" for short. A GAL may be an important part of a Massachusetts child custody or visitation case. However, a GAL is not the only third party who may be involved in a custody case. A GAL is appointed...
Guardianship issues when children have special needs
Previous posts here have discussed how Massachusetts residents may be able to obtain a guardianship in order to give them legal authority over minor children in their care. Guardianships are particularly useful to grandparents in the Springfield area, as well as other...
What can you do if you think the other parent could earn more?
As previous posts here have discussed, how much income each parent brings in has a lot of bearing on how much child support a Massachusetts court will order each parent to pay. However, a parent might wonder what they can do if the other parent seems to be able to pay...
Separate support cases in Massachusetts
Unlike other states, Massachusetts does not have a way for Springfield couples and other couples in this state to get a "legal separation," in which they would remain legally married but have their property divided and other family law issues resolved as if they were...
