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 that consent, notice has to be given to the parents through a citation. If the parents are unknown or have an unknown address it can be done by summons by being put into the newspaper.

In the Probate Court, what can I do if I cannot Afford the Filing Fees?

You can file an Affidavit of Indigency form to ask the court to allow you to file the paperwork for free and also to ask to have the Notice fees waived; whether that is a summons by publication or having a constable or sheriff serve you.

In Massachusetts When is Supervised Visitation Ordered by Judges?

Child custody, parenting time and visitation are difficult to give a cookie cutter answer. However, the court will try and do a fair and reasonable visitation agreement but there can be situations where the court has reasons to believe that the child’s safety or mental well-being is in danger. The court can order supervised visits between a child and the parent that is non-custodial to reduce the risk of any physical harm or psychological harm. The judge will also determine the risks of allowing the contact versus not allowing the contact between a parent and child.

The visitation can be at a supervised visitation setting or can be by a 3rd party such as a relative or friend that both parties agree to.