FAQs

Child support is generally calculated using the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines. The calculation considers factors such as each parent's income, parenting time, health insurance costs, childcare expenses, and other relevant financial information.

Depending on the circumstances, income may include wages, bonuses, commissions, self-employment income, business income, rental income, investment income, overtime, and other sources of income recognized under Massachusetts law.

In appropriate circumstances, yes. Massachusetts courts may address post-secondary educational expenses, including college costs, depending on the facts of the case and the applicable law.

Yes. While the Guidelines apply in most cases, the court has the authority to deviate from them when permitted by law and supported by the facts of a particular case.

Not necessarily. Parenting time is one factor considered under the Child Support Guidelines, but equal parenting time does not automatically eliminate a child support obligation.

The duration of child support depends on the child's age, educational status, and other circumstances recognized under Massachusetts law. Every case is unique, and determining when child support ends requires an analysis of the applicable law and the specific facts of your case.

If your income or parenting arrangements have changed, you may be able to seek a Child Support Modification. I help clients evaluate whether a modification is appropriate and guide them through the legal process.

Parents are expected to comply with existing child support orders. If a parent willfully fails to pay court-ordered child support, a Complaint for Contempt may be an appropriate legal remedy to enforce the order.

Yes. Child support may be established regardless of whether the parents were married. Child support issues frequently arise in paternity, custody, and parenting matters involving unmarried parents.