Massachusetts lawmakers put alimony reform laws into effect several years ago, changing the landscape of the way the state courts handled spousal support. Some of the language of the reform act is different than that of comparable laws. WGBH published an interesting retrospective piece on the Alimony Reform Act, explaining the way legal interpretation changed over time. The retroactive effects of the act on existing alimony
The state of Massachusetts takes child support collection seriously. If you owe back child support, you should expect to see it taken out of your tax return. The state has the right to petition the Bureau of Fiscal Service, which issues the refunds, to request a deduction based on your owed back child support, according to the IRS. When money is
It has long been said that fathers get treated badly in family courts in Massachusetts. There are many people who believe that dads do not get the same level of respect for their involvement in their children’s lives. It is even thought that courts automatically award custody to mothers unless the fathers can prove they are unfit. These are outdated
Child support in Massachusetts can be tricky to understand. It gets more difficult when you realize that you have stopped getting support even though your child’s other parent has been paying it. This often happens due to a hold being placed on your account. When this happens, you should be able to get information explaining why the account is on hold.
There are many ways Massachusetts handles parents who do not fulfill their child support obligations. In most cases, this involves extra fees and fines. Sometimes cases are handled in more serious ways, including taking the person’s driver’s license or putting them in jail. You may be wondering why someone would be jailed and if that really is the right way to
A major part of child custody is learning to adjust to the changes in your family structure. As time goes on, you and your ex may remarry, adding new spouses and possibly other children into your home. Many times, this can cause some disruption with your children. In some custody cases in Massachusetts, it could even lead to your children
If you are in a situation where you are not together with your child’s other parent and you are not the custodial parent, you may run into a time when he or she refuses to allow you to see your child. This can be quite devastating, but do know Massachusetts law is on your side even if it does not
Sometimes you get lucky and your Massachusetts divorce goes smoothly and quickly. You and your spouse agree easily and there is no fighting. However, that is not always the norm. Often, you will end up dealing with a spouse who is difficult. He or she may not agree to anything you want or may seem to fight you at every
Often, when people think about or discuss divorce, negativity is associated with their thoughts and comments. While divorce can certainly be difficult, especially for those who are unable to secure an outcome in their favor, there may be benefits associated with the divorce process for certain people as well. For example, someone in an abusive relationship might be able to
On this blog, many child support matters have been looked over, such as the penalties for falling behind and ways to make payments more manageable. However, there are other topics that may be especially relevant to you, depending on the details of your life or your child’s life. For example, college could have an impact on your child support payments
Massachusetts lawmakers put alimony reform laws into effect several years ago, changing the landscape of the way the state courts handled spousal support. Some of the language of the reform act is different than that of comparable laws. WGBH published an interesting retrospective piece on the Alimony Reform Act, explaining the way legal interpretation changed over time. The retroactive effects of the act on existing alimony
The state of Massachusetts takes child support collection seriously. If you owe back child support, you should expect to see it taken out of your tax return. The state has the right to petition the Bureau of Fiscal Service, which issues the refunds, to request a deduction based on your owed back child support, according to the IRS. When money is
It has long been said that fathers get treated badly in family courts in Massachusetts. There are many people who believe that dads do not get the same level of respect for their involvement in their children’s lives. It is even thought that courts automatically award custody to mothers unless the fathers can prove they are unfit. These are outdated
Child support in Massachusetts can be tricky to understand. It gets more difficult when you realize that you have stopped getting support even though your child’s other parent has been paying it. This often happens due to a hold being placed on your account. When this happens, you should be able to get information explaining why the account is on hold.
There are many ways Massachusetts handles parents who do not fulfill their child support obligations. In most cases, this involves extra fees and fines. Sometimes cases are handled in more serious ways, including taking the person’s driver’s license or putting them in jail. You may be wondering why someone would be jailed and if that really is the right way to
A major part of child custody is learning to adjust to the changes in your family structure. As time goes on, you and your ex may remarry, adding new spouses and possibly other children into your home. Many times, this can cause some disruption with your children. In some custody cases in Massachusetts, it could even lead to your children
If you are in a situation where you are not together with your child’s other parent and you are not the custodial parent, you may run into a time when he or she refuses to allow you to see your child. This can be quite devastating, but do know Massachusetts law is on your side even if it does not
Sometimes you get lucky and your Massachusetts divorce goes smoothly and quickly. You and your spouse agree easily and there is no fighting. However, that is not always the norm. Often, you will end up dealing with a spouse who is difficult. He or she may not agree to anything you want or may seem to fight you at every
Often, when people think about or discuss divorce, negativity is associated with their thoughts and comments. While divorce can certainly be difficult, especially for those who are unable to secure an outcome in their favor, there may be benefits associated with the divorce process for certain people as well. For example, someone in an abusive relationship might be able to
On this blog, many child support matters have been looked over, such as the penalties for falling behind and ways to make payments more manageable. However, there are other topics that may be especially relevant to you, depending on the details of your life or your child’s life. For example, college could have an impact on your child support payments
