The DCF screener will ask you some information such as: your name, your relationship to the child or children, address and phone number and the relationship can be that you are a school teacher or a neighbor. They ask the names and age of the child or children with whom you have a concern with; […]

If you are filing, you have the opportunity to file an appeal to the Superior Court within thirty (30) days from the date that you received the Notice of DCF’s final decision.  Again, this would be after you have already had a fair hearing at a DCF office with an administrative fair hearing officer.  The […]

The idea behind legal proceedings is that your giving the otherside notice.  Summons by Publication many times occur in a domestic relations matters, divorce, custody, guardianship matters and things of that nature.  Generally, it is where a spouse cannot be found. The idea is that if you can’t find the other spouse you are supposed […]

There are a couple of steps.  The first step is that you would file the Complaint for Divorce through the Probate and Family Court in Massachusetts in your County.  There are a variety of documentation that you need to do. The court will give you a Divorce Summons it does cost $5.00 for the Summons.  […]

You should be able to argue to the judge that reason that you are asking for supervision including any specific concerns for either the safety of the parties or child(ren). The type of supervision that you are seeking whether that is at a supervised visitation center, hiring somebody to be out in the community, the […]

In Massachusetts with a Guardianship of a Minor if a Parent is willing to sign a Guardianship Petition Assenting to the Guardianship What would need to Occur? The parents would need to consent to the guardianship by signing an assent in front of a notary public. If the parents are unwilling or unavailable to sign […]

What is a Caregiver of a Minor in Massachusetts? A caregiver of a minor is many times less significant than being a guardian and you should consider being a caregiver of a minor child if the child is living with you rather than the parents. You want to be able to make medical and educational […]

In Massachusetts What Happens if My Spouse is Refusing a Divorce? If a spouse refuses to sign divorce papers or agree to the divorce, you would need to file what is considered a Contested Divorce. You will be serving the other party with divorce papers meaning that the other spouse is notified that you filed […]