Child Support
G.L. c. 208, § 28 — the Trial Court's guidelines are presumed right, and support can run to twenty one, or twenty three in school
In setting child support, or in approving the parents' agreement, the court applies the child support guidelines issued by the chief justice of the Trial Court, and the guideline amount is presumed to be the appropriate amount. A party who overcomes that presumption gets specific written findings: the guideline amount, that it would be unjust or inappropriate, the facts that justify departing from it, and that departing is consistent with the child's best interests.
Who handles this in Massachusetts: legal aid programs and lawyer referral, listed in the Massachusetts directory.
- From eighteen until twenty one, the court may order support for a child who lives in a parent's home and depends principally on that parent.
- From twenty one until twenty three, it may order support for a child who lives in a parent's home and depends on that parent because of enrollment in an educational program, not counting costs beyond an undergraduate degree.
Changing an order. After a divorce, an order for child support is modified if the existing amount is inconsistent with what the guidelines would produce, or if the child's health care coverage needs to be provided for. A modification for health care coverage is entered whether or not the amount changes.
The guidelines themselves, with their income definitions and tables, are issued by the Trial Court rather than written into the statute. How they apply to a particular household are questions for a licensed Massachusetts attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- G.L. c. 208, § 28 — Children; care, custody and maintenance; child support obligations
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Massachusetts attorney.