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Harassment vs. Abuse Prevention Orders

Harassment vs. Abuse Prevention Orders
Massachusetts offers two statutory mechanisms—Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 209A and Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 258E—for protection of victims of abuse and harassment. In 1978, Massachusetts was among the first states to address domestic violence by creation of abuse prevention orders under 209A. Although 209A provided relief to countless victims of abuse, its mandate of a…
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Mother’s Move to CA: Approved best interest for the children

Mother’s Move to CA: Approved best interest for the children
Under Massachusetts law, when a parent with sole physical custody of a child seeks to move to another state, the courts will make the determination of whether or not to approve the move based on a two-pronged test. First, does the move provide a "real advantage"-that is, is there a good reason for the move.…
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Determining child support in Massachusetts

Determining child support in Massachusetts
The safety, stability and wellbeing of a child are of the utmost importance to parents. In the event a family is torn apart, a heated and highly emotional battle over the financial support of the child may ensue. Most people are aware that one parent may have to pay child support when the parents do…
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Increased opportunity to change the Child Support Amount

Increased opportunity to change the Child Support Amount
Recently, on March 12, 2013, the Supreme Judicial Court recognized that a contradiction exists between Massachusetts statutory law and the Child Support Guidelines; both are supposed to be used together in determining whether child support can be modified and if so, how much. The calculation for determining how much child support should be paid has…
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