Child SupportMassachusetts Child Support and Alimony LawyerEvery parent going through a divorce understands the importance of placing their child's best interest first. When child custody issues are involved in a family law matter, establishing the appropriate and fair level of child support payments is paramount. The Law Office of Kevin P. O'Malley, P.C., in Medford, Massachusetts, provides experienced family law representation with a focus on getting child custody and child support issues right. Under Massachusetts law, you must make sure your child support issues are settled correctly during the initial legal process. In matters of divorce, the law does not provide for an ability to collect retroactive child support payments without the existence of a court order being in place. In short, if you are getting divorced, and there is no order for child support, you will not have an option to collect any amounts that may have been available but not ordered by the court. Upon filing for divorce, we immediately seek temporary orders to establish child support. In matters of paternity without a marriage or divorce proceeding, mothers will have an option to file for past amounts-due. If the custodial parent has been collecting transitional assistance (welfare payments) the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will seek appropriate child support, including repayment of arrearages, from the father. There are important exceptions to these general practices. We work to establish temporary child support and reimbursement for past amounts due. Contact our offices to discuss ways we can help you collect appropriate child support. We offer legal advice and representation for all matters relating to child support, including:
Spousal support, alimony There are no hard-and-fast rules about appropriate levels of alimony. In general, the formula is quite simple and very vague: need vs. the ability to pay. If you are the recipient of alimony, you must justify and establish your need. If you are the person paying, this means that you will not be ordered to pay an amount that will reduce you to poverty, but your payments will level playing field. The amount of alimony and the length of time may be agreed to by the parties. A judge cannot order an end-date to alimony payments, but later may modify or end payments based on a material change in circumstances; e.g. retirement, disability, etc. Many factors will be considered when determining alimony levels or whether spousal support should be ordered. There are many types and conditions of support and your attorney's negotiation skills become extremely important when fighting for the right settlement agreement. Contact us to schedule a consultation about your spousal support or child support concerns. Law Office of Kevin P. O'Malley, P.C. 781-395-7070 One Shipyard Way, First Floor The Law Office of Kevin P. O'Malley, P.C. provides legal advice and representation for residents of Medford, Massachusetts, and communities throughout Middlesex County, Suffolk County and Norfolk County, including Andover, Arlington, Bedford, Belmont, Boston, Brookline, Burlington, Cambridge, Concord, Lexington, Lynn, Lynnfield, Malden, Melrose, Newton, North Reading, Reading, Revere, Saugus, Somerville, Wakefield, Waltham, Wilmington, Winchester and Woburn, Massachusetts. |
