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On July 20, 2023, the Massachusetts Trial Court announced a change to the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines, that became effective on July 31, 2023. Typically the guidelines are only revisited every four years (with the next update due in 2025), but in some instances interim updates are necessary. In this case, the change was necessary to bring the Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines in conformity with federal standards. Specifically, the child support guidelines have been updated to “[p]rovide that incarceration may not be treated as voluntary unemployment in establishing or modifying child support orders.” 45 C.F.R. § 302.56 (c) (3). These amendments appear in the Preamble and in Section 1. E. 1, which now reads: E. Attribution of Income 1. Income may be attributed where a finding has been made that either parent is capable of working and is unemployed or underemployed. Incarceration may not be treated as voluntary unemployment in establishing or modifying child support
Alliteration aside, we have a lot of exciting news to share about Jennifer Hawthorne 's role at Skylark Law & Mediation, PC and her contributions to the field of dispute resolution. Since August 2016, Jen has been working with Skylark as a mediator and collaborative divorce professional. Her role grew from an of counsel position to full time associate, and in 2022 Jen became a partner at Skylark. Jen's skills as a mediator and her ability to lighten even the toughest conversations have elevated the work at Skylark. Her laugh and the laughter of her clients still carries throughout the office when she has in person meetings. For the last year Jen has been overseeing Skylark's student interns from New England law, providing opportunities for future attorneys to truly understand what it means to be a well-rounded dispute resolution professional. She intends to continue this mentorship and find ways in the future to expand on the opportunities available for potential