On August 1, 2013, the new Massachusetts Child Support Guidelines took effect.  The new guidelines contain numerous language changes which affect the interplay of child support and other issues in a divorce or paternity case; touching on everything from shared parenting to college education costs. In addition, the child support formula and the worksheet for the 2013 guidelines is significantly different than then 2009 guidelines.  The court has issued a new worksheet which is required if you are filing any matter in the Probate & Family Court that involves support of children.  To assist you in completing this form  Kelsey & Trask. P.C. and Finn & Eaton, P.C.  have created the following user-friendly apps: Massachusetts Child Support Calculator for the iPhone by Kelsey & Trask, P.C. MA Child Support Calculator for Android by Finn & Eaton, P.C. Massachusetts Divorce Information for Windows Phone by Kelsey & Trask, P.C.

A disturbing item of recent news is the proliferation of positive pregnancy tests for sale on craigslist and similar sites.  Aside from the grossness factor of buying a stick someone urinated on, this practice raises some obvious and some not-so-obvious concerning scenarios.  Are the potential purchasers of these positive tests looking to commit a prank, or actually trying to convince someone that they are pregnant? If such a test was used to obtain a marriage proposal are their legal ramifications to that fraud?  Fraud can carry criminal sanctions if the intent was to extort money or sex from someone, and can also result in actionable civil damages.  Taken one step further, if the fraud resulted in a marriage, would that marriage be legal? While there are ways in which a marriage can be void, fraud does not automatically void a marriage.  However, since marriage is a contract it can be voidable.  In other words a marriage can be annulled if the contract was entered into upon th