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In Massachusetts, can the courts deviate, or not follow the child support guidelines?

Posted by Alexander Nesson
On September 7, 2026

The answer is yes. The court does have to make a written finding as to why they are choosing not to follow the guidelines. The most common example would be that both parties reached an agreement to deviate from the guidelines, and either above or beyond. The courts do have the authority to deviate, even […]

Posted by Alexander Nesson
On August 10, 2026

Generally, in Massachusetts, if you are a W2 employee, the child support guidelines are usually straightforward. There can be a lot closer looked at by the courts, and by the attorney for the other side, when determining self-employment income when calculating the child support guidelines. Tax returns, profit and loss statements are the key pieces […]

Posted by Alexander Nesson
On July 27, 2026

The guidelines in Massachusetts can go up to the age of 23 in certain circumstances. Many times, there can be a significant overlap between allocating the tuition and housing, and other college expenses, versus how that impacts a child support guideline, if at all. Choosing the school, about how those factors are in, in terms […]

Posted by Alexander Nesson
On July 13, 2026

The guidelines in Massachusetts applied to a certain combined parental income threshold. If it goes above substantially more than that level, the court has significant discretion in determining the appropriate support. With high income, there are often different arguments about the lifestyle considerations for the child, whether there is private school tuition, and how private […]

Posted by Alexander Nesson
On June 29, 2026

Nowadays, there can be a lot more freelance or contract work, or online platforms where people have their income. Some of the issues that may have occurred, although child support in Massachusetts is generally straightforward, are that if a parent has an inconsistent monthly income, or if they are self-employed, and there is a question […]

Posted by Alexander Nesson
On June 15, 2026

One issue is that shared parenting reduces child support. One of the larger developments in recent years involves a parenting schedule where both parents spend significant time with their child. The child support guidelines recognize that these joint physical custody about how you can run the cross guidelines to see what should occur. However, there […]

Posted by Alexander Nesson
On May 25, 2026

There has always been a certain amount of drug and alcohol testing, but the courts are increasingly ordering alcohol or substance abuse monitoring tools, including remote breath testing and continuous alcohol monitoring devices. There are things called the “SCRAM” or Soberlink that are common in Massachusetts, or alcohol related issues. There can also be more […]

Posted by Alexander Nesson
On May 4, 2026

It is becoming more common that parents rely on GPS tracking for their phones or watches for themselves, and start using these devices for children, where they can access where the children are through smartphones or watches, smart home devices, school monitoring apps, AirTags, and things of that nature. Sometimes, there can be significant conflict […]

Posted by Alexander Nesson
On April 13, 2026

Some of the ways that the judge does this is by using a Guardian Ad Litem (“GAL”). It could include a clinical GAL or a probation officer to do an investigation that looks at the emotional well-being of the child, the child’s exposure to conflict between the parents, if there are allegations of a course […]

Posted by Alexander Nesson
On March 30, 2026

In high conflict cases, sometimes the expectations of cooperative co-parenting can be unrealistic, and sometimes Probate and Family Court judges frequently order what is called “Parallel Parenting Structures” that try to minimize the parents’ interaction. This is not ideal, but sometimes it can strictly define exchanges even at a police station or a supervised parenting […]

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In Massachusetts, can the courts deviate, or not follow the child support guidelines?

In child support, for self-employment expenses deductions, and how the court determines that income.

Emerging Child Support Issues in Massachusetts: College and Post-Secondary Education Support.

Emerging Child Support Issues in Massachusetts: Handling High-Income Cases.

Emerging Child Support Issues in Massachusetts: Determining Support with Variable or High Incomes.

Emerging child support issues in Massachusetts.

In child custody cases, what are some of the new trends with substance monitoring technology?

How does technology/monitoring play a role in custody cases?

In child custody cases, the courts look at the impact of the parents’ conflict on children.

Custody cases in Massachusetts: How do the Courts look at the difference between cooperative parenting and parallel parenting?