Determining Child Support in Massachusetts

Child support obligations in Massachusetts can be imposed on parents of children who are divorced or not married and living separately. To establish child support obligations, the court will look to the facts of each case and determine what is fair under the local legal guidelines.

Child Support Under Massachusetts Law

Child support under Massachusetts law is determined in part by income of each of the spouses. Income can include a wide range of sources from which you make money on a monthly, annual or one time basis. This can include: income from investments, income from employment, capital gains in real estate or personal property, prizes and awards, commissions, royalties and bonuses, life insurance or endowment income, spousal support from another party, unemployment and workers' compensation, pension income and other sources of income the court determines relevant.

Child support is determined on a case by case basis. The magistrate or judge in your case will have the discretion to order specified child support payments and other obligations based on the facts of your case. The court will look specifically at the following issues to come to an order regarding child support obligations:

The ages of children from the marriage;
Whether or not one of the parent pays for necessities of the child such as medical insurance or daycare costs;
The number of children from the marriage;
Whether or not the income levels of the parents exceed maximum or minimum state guidelines.
Who has custody and in what proportion;
Other orders from previous courts regarding support payments;
Whether any medical or dental costs not covered by insurance are being paid by one of the parents;
Whether or not the paying spouse has a subsequent family to support and the circumstances of that support need; and
Any other factors the court determines to be relevant to an individual case.

The purpose of child support is to minimize the impact of separation and divorce on children of marital relationships and to ensure that children are adequately cared for by both of their biological parents.

Getting Legal Help

If you are dealing with a child custody or child support question, then contact a family law attorney in Massachusetts to help you establish how the law handles cases like yours. An attorney will advise you of what you are entitled to under the law, what you are likely to receive given your circumstances and help you deal with any necessary paperwork.

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