Massachusetts Child Support Lawyer
Making sure that your children are provided for financially and can keep a similar standard of living to the one they enjoyed prior to a divorce or separation is vitally important. Whether you have been the primary wage-earner in your family or not, the determination of child support should accurately reflect both your family's financial situation and your children's financial needs.
Financial situations can be subject to change, particularly in a turbulent economy. If financial or social changes are significant, it may be necessary to modify existing support orders. If you live in Worcester County or anywhere in Massachusetts and need experienced and caring legal assistance with a child support determination or the modification of an existing support order, contact the Law Office of Polly A. Tatum.
Determining Child Support Payments in Massachusetts
According to guidelines set forth in Massachusetts law, child support is determined using income-based guidelines. Our law firm can perform a full accounting of your and your partner's earnings, creating an accurate financial picture of both parties. This, along with property/debt division and custody arrangements, will be used to create child support orders that are realistic, fair and workable.
Deviation from the child support guidelines may be possible if a judge determines that one is in order or if the parties can jointly agree on a different amount. When one or both parties has unusual expenses or has an income that is subject to change (an example would be parties who rely on tips or seasonal workers) may consider using mediation to come to agree upon child support obligations. Mediation is a private method of dispute resolution that allows the parties to collaboratively come up with creative solutions to meet their family's unique needs.
Child Support for the Children of Unmarried Parents
Even parents who never married still have financial obligations toward their children. In these situations, it may be necessary to provide the family court with proof of the child's paternity (or, in the case of GLBT couples, proof that the other party acted as the child's parent). Sometimes, the child's father will sign a legal document acknowledging paternity. In other cases, a paternity action may be necessary. Once a paternity lawsuit is filed, a family court judge can order the child's putative father to take a non-invasive DNA test (typically involving a swab to the inside of the cheek) to determine whether or not he is indeed the child's biological father. Depending on the results of the test, he may then be established as the child's legal father. With that determination comes the obligation to pay child support, as well as the right to seek custody or parenting time with the child.
Modification of Existing Child Support Orders
In an uncertain economic climate, a person's financial situation can change dramatically in a relatively short period of time. A job loss, home foreclosure or other factors may influence one's ability to make timely child and spousal support payments, or could mean that the receiving party could need a temporary increase. If substantial changes in circumstances occur, our office can help you seek a modification of an existing order.
Contact the Law Office of Polly A. Tatum
Settling divorce and family law disputes does not have to be an adversarial or expensive process. If you have a family law question related to child support determinations or modifications, contact the Law Office of Polly A. Tatum, home of Mediation Advantage Services.
To schedule a consultation with an attorney, call 508-425-4763 or contact us online. Evening and weekend appointments are available upon request. We also accept all major credit cards as payment for our legal services.
