Every parent has a legal duty to provide for their child until they reach adulthood. This is why if a relationship ends in a divorce or separation, one parent may be directed by the court to make child support payments to the other parent for purposes of meeting the child’s needs.  Child support payment is a statutory obligation that is set by the court. Failure to follow through with this requirement can land you in trouble with the law. But, what happens if you can no longer honor your child support obligations? Here are a couple of steps you need to take if you fall behind on child sup ..read more

If you are going through a divorce or separation, and you have children together, chances are you have thought about child support. This is the amount one parent pays to the other for purposes of meeting the child’s needs. Even though this money is paid to the parent who has primary custody of the children, it is important to understand that child support is a child’s right. Like in most states, Massachusetts law requires that child support payments are made until the children in question either turn 18 or graduate from high school. And to eliminate any confusion or conflict, the state of Mass ..read more

Numerous factors go into determining how much child support one co-parent must pay the other. Even if you and your spouse are working out your support agreement yourselves, there are basic factors you’ll need to consider, as will the judge when they sign off on the agreement, which makes it a court order.  These things include: Each parent’s income and other assets and expenses The child’s basic needs, including education, housing, food, clothing and health care The standard of living the child had before their parents’ break-up One or more of these things can change over time. A parent c ..read more

Think about how hard it would be to monitor the spending habits of millions of single parents in America. As you might imagine, it would be virtually impossible. Instead, states must assume that custodial parents are using child support funds correctly for the care and upbringing of their children. Some noncustodial parents in the Peabody, Massachusetts, region worry about their co-parent misusing support funds. In turn, custodial parents feel obligated to defend themselves. If you spend the child support you receive to meet the needs of your kids, you do not have to defend your actions. What ..read more

How much child support someone has to pay depends on the needs of the children in the family, the income of both parents and the standard of living previously. How long someone pays child support depends on numerous conditions, as well. If there is a child with special needs in a family, someone who will never live on their own, they may require permanent child support. Most other child support orders will end when the recipient child turns 18 or finishes high school. If your children will go to college after they get their diplomas, will Massachusetts child support help you han ..read more

Most parents who receive child support on their child’s behalf are well aware of some of the basic expenses that it’s intended to cover. These include housing, food and clothing. They can also use child support for other costs associated with child rearing, such as transportation, phone service and out-of-pocket medical care expenses. It can also be applied to a wide range of school-related expenses. School expenses and more Each jurisdiction varies in terms of whether you can use child support to pay for certain expenses or seek more support to ensure that your child can participate in extrac ..read more

How much child support someone has to pay depends on the needs of the children in the family, the income of both parents and the standard of living previously. How long someone pays child support depends on numerous conditions, as well. If there is a child with special needs in a family, someone who will never live on their own, they may require permanent child support. Most other child support orders will end when the recipient child turns 18 or finishes high school. If your children will go to college after they get their diplomas, will Massachusetts child support help you han ..read more

Most parents who receive child support on their child’s behalf are well aware of some of the basic expenses that it’s intended to cover. These include housing, food and clothing. They can also use child support for other costs associated with child rearing, such as transportation, phone service and out-of-pocket medical care expenses. It can also be applied to a wide range of school-related expenses. School expenses and more Each jurisdiction varies in terms of whether you can use child support to pay for certain expenses or seek more support to ensure that your child can participate in extrac ..read more

In uncertain economic times like these, Massachusetts residents often struggle to pay monthly bills. If you have lost your job, experienced a reduction in hours or otherwise cannot keep up with your child support obligations, you should know when it is appropriate to seek a modification of your support order. Judges in the Bay State have jurisdiction to adjust existing child support orders. If you have a final order, though, a judge cannot retroactively modify your payment amount. Therefore, if you cannot pay, it is important to act quickly. Here are five grounds for modifying a child support ..read more

People are often concerned about whether they pay child support and how much they end up paying. What not enough parents focus on is how to go about paying it. Because of this, non-custodial parents might give the custodial parent cash for years, only to discover that they are behind on child support. If they do not have proof of making these payments and the ex refuses to acknowledge the payments, this can lead to problems. This is why it is important to know what payment options the state gets notified of and accepts. Online Massachusetts’s state website recommends making payments online. Th ..read more