Child Support vs. Alimony in Massachusetts: How They Interact
In Massachusetts, child support and alimony are separate obligations, and they are calculated in a specific order that keeps them from double-counting the same income. Child support, which is for the children, is generally determined first. Alimony, which is support for a former spouse, is considered afterward, because the two interact and the same dollars […]
When Does Child Support End in Massachusetts?
In Massachusetts, child support does not automatically end when a child turns 18. It can continue while a child remains principally dependent on a parent, up to age 21, and where the child is also enrolled in an educational program and still dependent, generally up to age 23. Support can also end earlier if a […]
Health Insurance, Child Care, and Extra Costs: The Add-Ons to Massachusetts Child Support
In Massachusetts, the base child support figure is not the whole obligation. The Guidelines also account for the cost of the children’s health, dental, and vision insurance, work-related child care, and certain extraordinary expenses, and these are shared between the parents. Missing them, or assigning them to the wrong parent, produces an order that does […]
How Parenting Time and Custody Affect Child Support in Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, the amount of parenting time each parent has directly changes the child support figure. As the schedule moves from one parent having most of the overnights toward a roughly equal split, the Guidelines calculation shifts, because both households are then carrying more of the day-to-day cost of raising the children. Parenting time and […]
Does Child Support Cover College Costs in Massachusetts?
In Massachusetts, child support and college costs are related but separate questions. Support can continue for a child over 18 who remains dependent and enrolled in school, generally up to age 23 in defined circumstances, and a court can also order parents to contribute toward the cost of post-secondary education. Neither happens automatically, and how […]
Child Support Enforcement in Massachusetts: When a Parent Will Not Pay
When a parent stops paying court-ordered child support in Massachusetts, you have real tools to enforce it: a contempt action in the Probate and Family Court, wage assignment, interception of tax refunds, suspension of licenses, and liens, many available through the Department of Revenue. Unpaid support does not disappear, and it continues to accrue until […]
How to Modify a Child Support Order in Massachusetts
In Massachusetts, you can ask the court to change a child support order when there has been a material and substantial change in circumstances, or when the current order differs from what the Child Support Guidelines would produce today. A change in either parent’s income, a shift in the parenting schedule, or a change in […]
Child Support for Self-Employed and Business-Owner Parents in Massachusetts
When a parent is self-employed or owns a business, Massachusetts child support turns on the true income the business produces, not the number reported on a tax return. A court can look past deductions, retained earnings, and personal expenses run through the company to determine what the parent actually has available to support their children. […]
What Counts as Income for Child Support in Massachusetts?
In Massachusetts, “income” for child support is defined broadly. It includes salary and wages, self-employment earnings, commissions, bonuses, and in many cases overtime and a second job, along with a number of sources parents do not expect. The Guidelines cast a wide net on purpose, so the support figure reflects a parent’s real ability to […]
How Is Child Support Calculated in Massachusetts? The Guidelines Worksheet, Explained
Massachusetts calculates child support with the Child Support Guidelines worksheet, which runs on a defined set of inputs: both parents’ gross income, the number of overnights the children spend with each parent, and the cost of health insurance and work-related child care. Change any one input and the order changes with it, which is why […]