Even if you are not approved as a foster care provider and if you are nominated in Juvenile Court you can get a 3rd party custody through a 72-hour hearing or temporary custody hearing.  You can file for guardianship in Juvenile Court, custody or an adoption through the Juvenile Court or for a grandparent visitation.  […]

Kinship Care can mean a lot of things and it can mean a different thing in Juvenile Court or with DCF, in Probate and Family Court and informally.  Informally meaning not through the courts. It can mean being an informal caregiver and it can also mean doing something that is called a “Caregiver’s Affidavit” which […]

This is not official, but it appears that at least the Taunton DCF office is closed on Mach 16th and March 17th and the DCF offices in the state maybe closed or very limited because of the coronavirus.

Probate and Family Court Standing Order 1-20 District Court – [https://www.mass.gov/doc/district-court-standing-order-1-20-court-operations-under-the-exigent-circumstances-created-by/download] Please look at the links for the most up to date information. This is not official. It is still can change but it appears in District Court that Jury Trials that have not begun that are between March 13th and April 17th shall be […]

Probate and Family Court Standing Order 1-20 Juvenile Court – [https://www.mass.gov/doc/juvenile-court-standing-order-1-20-court-operations-under-the-exigent-circumstances-created-by/download] Please look at the links for the most up to date information. This is not official. Given the actual circumstances by the Coronavirus for Care & Protection matters or DCF cases the custody hearings the Judge may have done by video conference or telephone.  […]

Probate and Family Court Standing Order 1-20 Please look at the links for the most up to date information. This is not official. Probate Court – [https://www.mass.gov/doc/probate-and-family-court-standing-order-1-20-court-operations-under-the-exigent-circumstances/download] Triage or Standing Order regarding the Exigent Circumstances by Coronavirus by the Probate and Family Court. Again, the Probate and Family Court is closed along with all the […]

Please look at the links for the most up to date information. This is not official. Due to the Coronavirus all trial courts in Massachusetts are closed Monday and Tuesday, March 16th and 17th. 

If you are living in Massachusetts but you are married to a spouse who is living outside of the country is it hard to get a divorce?  It depends.  The requirement for getting a divorce in Massachusetts is one of the parties has to have lived in Massachusetts for the past year.  You could go […]

A Restraining Order will last for as long as the Judge orders it. Generally speaking, once a Judge extends the Restraining Order beyond the 10-day hearing, it is customarily for a period of one (1) year. However, a Judge can also term a Restraining Order for a shorter period of time before the next scheduled […]

Typically, the Restraining Order will expire on the date listed on the Order. If there is a good reason that the Plaintiff does not appear, then the Judge may continue the case until a later date but no longer than 1o days and that decision would be up to the Judge.