Massachusetts Family Law And Child Support

If you have ever had to deal with Family Law in the state of Massachusetts, you know that it can be a bit confusing. This is rather frustrating when not knowing your rights and not knowing how to get through the laws can mean the difference between keeping your kids and losing them.

Sometimes what’s at stake is somehow even more important than the custody of your kids. Sometimes what’s at stake is making sure you can put food on the table for your kids. If you have won custody already and are expecting child support that isn’t coming, there are a few things you can do to try and rectify the situation.

When a person has been ordered to pay child support and they are refusing to do so, the first thing you can do if you live in Massachusetts is to file a complaint for contempt, which can be very effective. At the hearing on the complaint for contempt, the judge will issue another order telling them they must pay the amount they owe, either in one lump sum or by using an adapted payment plan.

If the person isn’t paying child support because they say they are unemployed and can’t find a job, the court can order supervised job searches. This means the person must show they are looking for a job and prove they really can’t find it.

Finally, if the child support has been unpaid for a long period of time, a judge can order the person refusing to pay to go to jail. This solution is far more punitive than problem solving, but it is a right the custodial parent has been granted if it has to be wielded.