Child support provides important financial stability for a divorced parent’s children. Disagreements over the amount of support naturally occur, but in certain cases some fathers claim that they owe no support obligations because the child is not their offspring. Paternity cases are an important part of family law, and a case from another state reveals the extent of that importance. During a
Massachusetts parents make a number of vital decisions in their children’s lives that can affect their future development. This collaborative effort between spouses can encompass choices on a child’s school, extracurricular activities and religious upbringing. But just because a couple later divorces does not mean that the original collaborative decision-making process is lost. Through child custody arrangements, divorcing parents can specify what
Whether married or divorced, one of a parent’s most essential responsibilities is providing financial support for his or her children. This month, the Massachusetts Appeals Court lent support to that statement when it issued a ruling in an unusual child support case involving a man who attempted to negotiate away his support obligations. The case involved an immigrant couple from Nigeria who
For divorcing parents in Massachusetts and around the country, a determination of child custody can be the most important aspect of the divorce proceedings. Custody agreements may involve sole physical custody, joint physical custody and visitation rights. Child custody can be complex at times, and other circumstances, such as the legal relationship between the parent and child, can add further dimensions to
Divorce attempts to resolve many matters between spouses and among family members. When spouses are parents, child custody becomes an important part of divorce proceedings. Recently, a child custody case involving a divorced same-sex couple required the Massachusetts Appeals Court to decide the scope of a particular law. The spouses, both women, were married and had a child when one of them conceived
Child support provides important financial stability for a divorced parent’s children. Disagreements over the amount of support naturally occur, but in certain cases some fathers claim that they owe no support obligations because the child is not their offspring. Paternity cases are an important part of family law, and a case from another state reveals the extent of that importance. During a
Massachusetts parents make a number of vital decisions in their children’s lives that can affect their future development. This collaborative effort between spouses can encompass choices on a child’s school, extracurricular activities and religious upbringing. But just because a couple later divorces does not mean that the original collaborative decision-making process is lost. Through child custody arrangements, divorcing parents can specify what
Whether married or divorced, one of a parent’s most essential responsibilities is providing financial support for his or her children. This month, the Massachusetts Appeals Court lent support to that statement when it issued a ruling in an unusual child support case involving a man who attempted to negotiate away his support obligations. The case involved an immigrant couple from Nigeria who
For divorcing parents in Massachusetts and around the country, a determination of child custody can be the most important aspect of the divorce proceedings. Custody agreements may involve sole physical custody, joint physical custody and visitation rights. Child custody can be complex at times, and other circumstances, such as the legal relationship between the parent and child, can add further dimensions to
Divorce attempts to resolve many matters between spouses and among family members. When spouses are parents, child custody becomes an important part of divorce proceedings. Recently, a child custody case involving a divorced same-sex couple required the Massachusetts Appeals Court to decide the scope of a particular law. The spouses, both women, were married and had a child when one of them conceived
