Parents' Financial Responsibility for Their Children
A parent's financial responsibility for his or her child does not end if the parents are no longer married to one another. The only exception is if a parent formally gives up his or her parental rights — which may happen in the case of a stepparent adoption or if a parent abandons a child.
Part of finalizing a divorce includes deciding on monthly or weekly child support payments. Even when divorcing parents agree in principle on the amount of child support payments, it is wise to obtain legal guidance to make sure the child support agreement covers all short-term and long-term considerations.
Plan for Your Child's Future: Child support laws protect a child's financial future. The intention is that a divorce will have a minimal negative impact on the child's financial stability, without unfairly burdening the parent who pays support.
At the Acton, Massachusetts, law firm of Graham & Harsip, P.C., we provide thorough analysis of child support obligations on behalf of our clients with children who are going through a divorce. For more than 35 years, our attorneys have helped families in and around Acton through the difficult process of ending a marriage with the least possible negative effect on the children.
Massachusetts State Child Support Guidelines
In many divorces, agreeing on monthly or weekly child support payments is relatively simple. Massachusetts has child support guidelines which determine the monthly child support payments based on each parent's income and other factors. Our office utilizes a child support calculator to determine the actual child support payment.
However, in many divorces, child support negotiations do not begin and end with the state guidelines. Our lawyers will investigate the complete financial picture of the marriage, to make sure that every financial need of the child is shared fairly, including health insurance, life insurance, funds for higher education and funds for any special medical needs.
As a long-established Acton law firm, we also frequently work with clients who need to change or enforce their existing child support order.
Did You Know? Massachusetts law requires unmarried parents to pay child support too. By filing a paternity action, an unmarried mother can ask a family court judge to order the child's father to pay child support. In turn, the father may ask the judge for a regular visitation schedule.
Contact Graham & Harsip for a Free Initial Consultation
If you are considering divorce and have questions about child support, contact Graham & Harsip to schedule a complimentary 20-minute initial consultation. To make an appointment, call 978-631-0146 or contact us online.
