The definition is if the parent, guardian or other caretaker either deliberately or through inability or negligence fails to take actions necessary to provide a child with minimally adequate food, clothing, shelter, medical care, supervision, emotional stability, growth or other essential care is one definition.

What would be the pickup and drop off locations and responsibilities? Will there be a specific holiday, school vacation, summer vacations time for parents and how will that be addressed? How will there be determinations regarding routine, medical and dental or therapeutic appointments?  How will things occur such as Halloween, depending on the child’s age, […]

Prior to being separated from the other parent, what responsibilities have you and the other parent assumed, meaning who gets the child ready for school, who brings the child to school, who helps with homework, who schedules or takes the child to medical and dental appointments and things of that nature.  Also, if the child […]

A visitation center is a place where the visits are supervised by a neutral person. The courts make an Order that the visitation has to occur at a specific or general visitation center.  There are a variety of visitation centers throughout Massachusetts.  They require an intake to be done by both parents and understanding that […]

It is important to probably talk to an attorney about the different analysis that needs to be looked at. There is a different analysis if one parent is the only legal parent; such as if this has occurred where the parties are not married and have not been any proceedings to determine paternity or custody […]

It’s different where there is the Complaint for Modification to remove a child, but there can be a criterion where it can be looked at in terms of the significant disruption to the non-custodial parents parenting time if the parents can’t agree and it can be reviewed by the court.

A De Facto parent is one who has no biological relations to the child but has participated in the child’s life as a member of the child’s family.  Typically, living with that child and performing a share of the caretaking functions similar to a legal parent, usually with the consent of the legal parents.  De […]

In Massachusetts it is called “Best interest of the Child Standard” and it is a child centered standard. It is focusing not on the parents needs, but the child’s needs in which a parent or if both parents are best suited to meet the child’s needs. There is not a difference between genders that the […]

In that case, the mother has sole legal and physical custody unless and until the court order provides otherwise. This occurs even if the father has a formally acknowledged paternity.  However, there is no prejudice to father because of this and the courts.

In Massachusetts if the parents are married to each other, both parents share legal and physical custody of the child unless there is another court order.