In Massachusetts, child support is determined by the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines (updated in June of 2018). The Guidelines calculate the presumptive amount of child support based on the gross earnings of each parent, along with credits for a parent’s contributions to medical/dental/vision insurance, child-care costs, and support paid for other children not covered by the order at issue. Child support can continue until a child’s 23rd birthday in Massachusetts, making child support modification cases very common.
Child support depends on the court’s order for physical custody (i.e., parenting time) of the child. A parent who has primary physical custody of a child is entitled to child support. In a shared physical custody scenario, the parent who earns greater gross income pays child support to the parent who earns lesser income under the Guidelines. The 2018 Guidelines adjusts for adult children (i.e. children over 18 years old) at exactly 75% of the increase for minor children. Under the new worksheet, parents will receive full child support for their minor children, while receiving a more modest increase (i.e. 75%) for additional adult children.
College Costs: The new Guidelines also included a presumptive “cap” for parents’ obligation to contribute to their children’s college expenses, with the cap set for each parent at 50% of the annual cost of room, board, tuition and fees at UMass Amherst.
Popovitch Law LLC has experience calculating and presenting Massachusetts Child Support Guideline calculations considering:
- Overtime/Second Jobs
- Self-Employed Parent [concern that income is not reported]
- High Wage Earners
- Underemployment or Unemployment [fighting for “Attribution of Income.”]
- Unreported Income [“Imputation of Income”].
Attorney Popovitch has significant experience regarding:
- Deviations in Child Support (Motions for and Against)
- Proving an increase/decrease in income in child support cases
- Determining Inconsistency between the amount of the existing order and the amount that would result from the application of the guidelines.
- Material change of circumstances warranting a Child Support Modification
- Modifying orders for the payment of college expenses
- Hidden Assets – Attorney Popovitch identifies and traces hidden income through a forensic approach and works and has ample experience working with Expert Witnesses to determine income for child support purposes.
- Enforcement of a Child Support Order i.e. Contempt Action
