Law Offices of Dennis J. Conry ® 245 Main Street, Wareham, MA 02571
508-295-7540
Attorney Dennis J. Conry serves clients throughout Southeastern Massachusetts, the South Shore and Cape Cod, including Barnstable, Bourne, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Buzzards Bay, Cataumet, Dartmouth, East Falmouth, Fall River, Falmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, Hyannis, Kingston, Mashpee, Marion, Mattapoisett, Middleboro, New Bedford, Plymouth, Rochester, Sandwich, Swansea, Taunton,
Quincy, Yarmouth, Wareham
Child & Spousal (Alimony) Support
Divorce in Massachusetts (MA)
When parents have parted ways, the parent with physical custody or primary custody may be entitled to financial support for the children. Some spouses may also be entitled to support following a divorce, depending on a number of factors. Child support is an ongoing financial obligation of both parents while the child is a minor, and spousal support can be awarded on a temporary or permanent basis to either party.
Some question you may have:
How is the amount of child support determined?
It is usually determined with the aid of the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines. Some of the factors considered include the gross income of the both parents, the number of children and the ages of the children.
Under certain circumstances, the court can deviate from the guidelines. The circumstances include when one or both parents are paying child support for other children and the amount of financial resources is limited; or a parent has extraordinary expenses, such as travel-related visitation expenses and uninsured medical expense. Changes to a child support order can occur when there is a large increase or decrease in either parent's income or there is a material change in the circumstances of one or both of the parents.
How is alimony determined?
Alimony can be awarded to either spouse. In deciding the amount to award, the court can consider:
- Conduct of the spouses in a fault-based divorce
- Age, health, occupation, amount and sources of income, and vocational skills
- Future chances for each spouse to acquire assets and income
- Present and future needs of any dependent children of the marriage
- Contribution of each spouse to the acquisition, preservation or appreciation in value of any property, including homemaking
Your attorney can file a pretrial motion for a temporary child support award while the divorce is pending. Most alimony is ordered for a specific length of time. Once ordered, it can be modified by your attorney upon a showing of a material change in circumstances.
For questions regarding related topics, click on the links:
To speak with an attorney for more information, contact our office to schedule a free consultation. We are open Monday through Thursday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and are available evenings by appointment.
Law Offices of Dennis J. Conry ® 245 Main Street, Wareham, MA 02571
508-295-7540
Attorney Dennis J. Conry serves clients throughout Southeastern Massachusetts, the South Shore and Cape Cod, including Barnstable, Bourne, Braintree, Bridgewater, Brockton, Buzzards Bay, Cataumet, Dartmouth, East Falmouth, Fall River, Falmouth, Fairhaven, Freetown, Hyannis, Kingston, Mashpee, Marion, Mattapoisett, Middleboro, New Bedford, Plymouth, Rochester, Sandwich, Swansea, Taunton,
Quincy, Yarmouth, Wareham
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