In general, Massachusetts child support orders can be modified at any time until the final emancipation of a child through a Complaint for Modification filed by either parent seeking a change in child support. The amount of child support is determined by the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines. A child support judgment may be modified for any of the following reasons set forth in the Guidelines as follows: There is an inconsistency between the amount of the existing order

Filling out college financial-aid forms can be confusing for anyone. They may become even more confusing for families where parents are divorced or unwed, or for blended families. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or Fafsa, generally requires personal and financial information from dependent students and their parents in order to determine eligibility for federal financial aid. It’s particularly important to fill out the Fafsa correctly since it “can make a huge d

Susan Ingram, a divorce attorney and mediator, has put together this short video debunking three of the most common misconceptions regarding mediation. Mediation is not for complicated cases. Mediation is not for high net worth cases. Mediation is not for high-conflict cases. #Divorce #Finances #BenefitsofMediation #ChildCustody

In every divorce mediation, the payor of alimony is afraid of becoming unable to meet their obligation. This is invariably based on a fear of job loss. It’s true: If you lose your job, the obligation to pay alimony doesn’t go away automatically. Even if the job loss is through no fault of your own, such as an industry-wide layoff, your obligation remains. You are expected to find a comparable, replacement job as soon as possible. Easier said than done, of course. However, bes

Few things savage your personal finances more than divorce. The closer you are to retirement, the worse the damage. “You’ve got a couple that planned their whole retirement to look one way,” says Nancy Hetrick of Phoenix, a divorce financial analyst, “and now the same money that was going to do one retirement has to do two of them.” This excellent blog posting by Neil Templin in Barrons talks about the impact of "grey divorce." #Divorce #Finances

You’re getting a divorce and it’s time to figure out major questions like: What happens to the house in a divorce? Who gets the house in a divorce? Should I keep the house? Do I have to refinance after divorce? What is a divorce house buyout and how does it work? In this excellent blog posting by Sharon Pastone of Main Line Family Law Center, Sharon interviewed 3 experts who handle divorce: a realtor, mortgage broker, and an attorney-mediator to explore these questions in mor

When divorce terms are finalized and binding it does not necessarily mean it is time for the divorcing couple to sit back and relax. Divorce terms can include individual divorce tasks for the couple to complete, such as selling the marital home, dividing up accounts, and changing the title of vehicles. In addition, during this time an individual can have tasks to complete that require their review, attention, and action. Some of these tasks may not be spelled out in the final

When you divorce you will be subject to a new set of rules when filing taxes. Understanding the rules governing tax in relation to divorce will help you make the best decision during your divorce process. This excellent article by Rebecca Siggers outlines how divorce changes your tax obligations. The divorce process gives you enough stress, and you do not want the IRS to come for uncleared taxes at your doorstep. The Date You Legally Divorce. Your marital status on December

I've blogged before about "Grey Divorce" - splitting up after age 50 - and the experience's traumatic emotional and financial impacts. Grey divorce may be particularly hazardous to your emotional and financial health, far worse than doing so at younger ages. In this excellent blog posting from Bloomberg, Ben Steverman writes about a wave of new research quantifying the damage. #Divorce #Finances

One would think that divorce in couples over the age of fifty, together for years, would not be as common as for younger couples; however, statistics say otherwise. Gray Divorce is now a trend in the 21st century. In the 1990s; 1 in 10 couples over the age of 50 got divorced. Now; 1 in 4 people are going through Gray Divorce and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down. As a divorce mediator, I have seen an increased number of couples seeking my services after making the consciou

Mediation can handle any of the issues that might come up in your divorce. The only difference between addressing these issues through mediation or through another technique, like litigation, is how they become resolved. Divorce mediation is a process in which divorcing spouses agree to try to settle their conflicts themselves with the help of a neutral third party. Therefore, if you and your spouse know that you want to separate but are having trouble resolving a particular

Like Jennifer Safian, a divorce mediator in New York City, I offer couples a free, no obligation consultation so that they can meet and get comfortable with me and get an understanding of the mediation process. At the end of it, I give them a list of the documents that they need to gather for their first appointment, but I never have given them a list of what they should not do. In this excellent video, Jennifer offers 9 important ‘Do-Nots’ that can delay, stall, or even dera

Although common law marriage is not legal in Massachusetts, it is important to recognize that Massachusetts courts often consider premarital behavior in divorce cases. For example, if a spouse files for divorce after only two years of marriage, the outcome of his or her divorce is likely to be quite different if the parties lived together for ten years before getting married versus a 2-year marriage involving parties who never cohabitated before getting married. The impact of

Thinking about “the public record” when you’re in the middle of a divorce isn’t easy. Your head is already spinning, your heart is shredded, and your entire world is falling apart. Keeping your private life out of public divorce records is just not your #1 priority at that point. Yet, it matters – and not just if you ever plan on running for public office. Employers today routinely run background checks on job applicants. While you may think that a potential employer clearly

The antagonistic nature of litigation often results in otherwise cooperative people thinking that their spouse is out to get them, even though they’re not. It creates a win or lose mentality that convinces people they can’t “win” unless their spouse “loses”, and it sets up parents to struggle with co-parenting for the rest of their lives. Only the healthiest of individuals can survive the process with less than utter hostility toward their prior mate. In this excellent blog p

Many people don’t realize that divorce mediation can include outside experts who assist divorcing spouses with complex financial issues. Parties will often retain third-parties with special training to assist in the divorce, such as a CPA, business planner or financial planner. For high net worth individuals, experts can also include tax professionals, appraisers, and employment benefit experts. Thankfully, the experts and financial appraisers used in litigation can also be u

Divorce itself is an emotionally charged, troubling process. When you add major financial decisions to the mix it can create a recipe for disaster. A large portion of many divorce settlements I help with involve retirement plans. Per the Investment Company Institute, as of December 31, 2018, 401(k) plans held an estimated $5.2 trillion in assets and represented 19 percent of the $27.1 trillion in US retirement assets. So, it’s no surprise that retirement plans hold a large p

Divorce can affect your credit score as well as every part of your life and the lives of your family. Finances are no exception. When you decide to get divorced, it’s important to prepare for the effects it will have on your credit score. From dividing bills to refinancing the mortgage, your credit will be put to the test before, during, and after a divorce. Your credit scores are important because you may need to qualify (or requalify) for debts such as auto loans, mortgages

Valuing and dividing retirement accounts is more complex than most divorcing couples expect. In this excellent blog posting, the Divorce Strategies Group offers the answers to five common questions regarding retirement accounts. Can a retirement account be divided without triggering taxes? Is a retirement plan more or less valuable when compared to other assets? Is a retirement account separate property? Can you avoid the IRS penalty for early withdrawal in divorce? Should yo

There are 5 common misbeliefs about mediation that may be preventing divorcing people from accessing this cost-effective, humanistic approach to divorce. Let’s clear those up now! Misconception 1: People Have to Have an Amicable Relationship in Order to Mediate Fact: A skilled mediator can work with high-conflict clients who neither agree nor get along. All that is required of the parties is a shared willingness and commitment to mediate. This may simply rest upon a shared ap